How to Reverse Skin Damage
- 1). Cleanse skin daily with a gentle cleaner and exfoliate at least twice a week with a gentle skin scrub. Removing the dead cells on the outermost layer of the skin on a regular basis lets the skin underneath regenerate itself.
- 2). Use sunscreen daily with an SPF of at least 15. According to Skin Cancer.org, daily use of sunscreen can lower your long-term risk of skin cancer. Using sunscreen prevents additional sun damage, while it allows your skin to repair and reverse some of the damage that's already been done.
- 3). Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to moisturize skin from within. Use a moisturizer on the outside of your skin to hydrate, plump up skin cells and stimulate the production of collagen.
- 4). Use a skin lightener on brown spots caused by the sun. Find a product that uses kojic acid with hydroquinone and retinol-A and a mild steroid to lighten discoloration.
- 5). See a dermatologist for treatments like photodynamic therapy, which uses light to remove patches of skin damaged by the sun, or microdermabrasion and other treatments that resurface the skin.
- 6). Take vitamins E, C and selenium and use lotions and skin creams that contain these vitamins. According to the website MedScape.com, they all reduce and repair sun damage to the skin. Consider taking a multivitamin that contains all three vitamins and look for creams that list the vitamins among their ingredients.
