What is sun-damaged skin called?

Author: Georgianna Lehner PhD  |  Last update: Saturday, September 13, 2025

UV exposure not only ages your skin more quickly than it naturally would, but can also increase your risk for skin cancer. Photoaging is also called sun damage, solar damage, dermatoheliosis and photodamage.

What is the name for sun damaged skin?

Actinic keratoses (also called solar keratoses) are dry, scaly patches of skin that have been damaged by the sun. It's not usually serious, but there's a small chance the patches could become skin cancer. Protecting your skin in the sun and watching out for changes can help.

What does sun-damaged skin look like?

Pigmentation changes such as age spots, liver spots (solar lentigines) and freckles. Loss of skin tone (decreased elasticity) Rough, uneven skin texture. Broken capillaries (spider veins), usually around the nose and chest.

What does sun keratosis look like?

It tends to lie flat against the skin of the head and neck, but appears as a bump on arms and hands. The base of an actinic keratosis may be light or dark, tan, pink, red, or a combination of these. Or it may be the same color as the skin.

Can you repair sun damaged skin?

While medical professionals cannot reverse the effects of sun damage entirely, there are treatments that can help with collagen production, skin turnover, improvements in the appearance of dark spots and more. These include: Topical treatments containing retinol. Chemical peels.

Solar Keratosis (Actinic Keratosis): Sun Damage Warning Signs

What is the best skin care for sun-damaged skin?

Retinoids, retinols: These topical products provide their best benefit when treating early signs of photoaging. These chemicals encourage skin cells to slough off so new cells come to the surface. They also stimulate collagen production, which keeps skin tighter.

Why do I suddenly get brown spots on my skin?

What causes brown spots to suddenly appear on the skin? Brown spots can appear suddenly due to increased melanin pigment, often triggered by factors like sun exposure, changes in hormones, age, or skin conditions.

What prescription cream is good for sun damaged skin?

Medicines. If you have several actinic keratoses, your health care provider might prescribe a medicated cream or gel to remove them, such as fluorouracil (Carac, Efudex others), imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara) or diclofenac. These products might cause inflamed skin, scaling or a burning sensation for a few weeks.

What is the fastest way to get rid of actinic keratosis?

To remove actinic keratosis, your provider may use:
  1. Chemical peels: A chemical peel is like a medical-grade face mask. ...
  2. Cryotherapy: If you have one or two AKs, your provider may use cryotherapy. ...
  3. Excision: During this treatment, your healthcare provider first numbs the skin around your AK.

What do cancerous sun spots look like?

Melanoma signs include: A large brownish spot with darker speckles. A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds. A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black.

How to repair damaged skin naturally?

5 ways to repair damaged skin barrier
  1. Moisturise regularly: When your skin barrier is compromised, it makes the skin ultra-sensitive. ...
  2. Use gentle cleansers: Harsh cleansers can strip away natural oils, exacerbating damage. ...
  3. Hydrate from inside and out: What you put in your body, shows on your skin.

Can leathery skin be reversed?

Another way to treat leather skin is through gentle exfoliation and applying a moisturizer every day. Luckily for us, we can heal our skin damage (unlike the unfortunately animals that make our leather products).

What is the fastest way to get rid of age spots at home?

There are several at-home treatments that can reduce the look of age spots, including:
  1. Exfoliation. Skin cells regenerate about every month or so. ...
  2. Vitamin C serums. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps brighten skin and stimulates collagen production. ...
  3. Skin brightening serums. ...
  4. Prescription topicals. ...
  5. Chemical peels.

Is vaseline good for actinic keratosis?

You may cover the area with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a non-stick bandage. Apply more petroleum jelly, and replace the bandage as needed. Avoid using an antibiotic ointment unless your doctor recommends it.

What does skin keratosis look like?

Seborrheic keratoses are usually brown, black or light tan. The growths (lesions) look waxy or scaly and slightly raised. They appear gradually, usually on the face, neck, chest or back.

What can I buy for sun-damaged skin?

Other skincare ingredients that dermatologists recommend for sun-damaged skin include:
  • Vitamin C to brighten dark spots and boost collagen.
  • Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to exfoliate.
  • Niacinamide for antioxidant protection and increased collagen.
  • Ceramides for barrier protection and hydration.

What vitamin deficiency causes actinic keratosis?

We have shown that Vitamin D can affect the outcome of blue light PDT for facial actinic keratoses in two ways: (1) Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a lower AK lesion clearance rate, and (2) pretreatment with high-dose oral VD3 significantly improves lesion clearance.

Can actinic keratosis be picked off?

While an actinic keratosis can sometimes resolve on its own, it usually recurs after further sun exposure; if scratched or picked off, it will return as well.

How do you remove actinic keratosis at home?

There is no way to remove actinic keratosis on your own at home. The only thing that will help to reduce it is topical prescriptions. Do not try to scrape off the actinic keratosis lesions yourself, as this can harm your skin.

What is the gold standard treatment for actinic keratosis?

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a precancerous lesion that can progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma if untreated. However, no gold standard treatment has been established.

Can you use hydrocortisone cream on sun damaged skin?

Your GP may recommend using hydrocortisone cream for a few days (this is also available over the counter at pharmacies) to reduce the inflammation of your skin. Severe sunburn may require special burn cream and burn dressings from your GP or a nurse at your GP practice.

Does apple cider vinegar really get rid of age spots?

There's also evidence that it may help manage dry skin, acne, and age spots, among other conditions. ACV is generally safe to use, but it does come with a risk of irritation or worsening skin symptoms, especially for people with sensitive skin or skin conditions.

What are skin barnacles?

Barnacles are small mounds of dry, crusty cells that can vary in size, from a tiny barnacle on skin to larger patches, and are commonly found on the face or body. The formal name for these lesions is seborrhoeic keratoses and they're a side effect of ageing and sun damage.

What vitamin deficiency causes brown spots?

Some deficiencies are thought to cause brown spots, for example vitamin B12. Eating a varied and balanced diet will help to minimize the risk of deficiencies.

Previous article
What are the negative effects of double cleansing?
Next article
What are the disadvantages of plucking hair?