Did you know that sun damage is the number one cause of premature facial aging, and protecting skin from the sun’s damaging rays is as important in winter as it is during the dog days of summer? Keep your skin looking youthful and beautiful all year round with these sun protection tips.

1. Don’t Skimp on Sunscreen

About 90 percent of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to the sun’s UV rays. Even in winter, it’s important to use a quality sunscreen to shield your skin from the sun, whether you keep it cool in Southern California or hit the slopes for winter sports. If skiing is your fancy, you’ll need to slather up even more carefully: the combination of high altitudes and white reflective snow on the slopes makes winter sports potentially dangerous propositions for the skin.

2. Throw Some Shade

To take your winter skin protection a “shade” higher, be sure to cover up with a good hat and other protective clothing to shield skin from the sun’s rays. Look for a wider brim to shield your face, neck, décolletage and shoulders from aging solar exposure.

3. Repair Existing Damage

So you’ve gotten smart about sun damage now, but what about existing damage from your sun-loving years past? Laser skin resurfacing treatments and the intense pulsed light (IPL) photofacial are excellent solutions to target sun-related skin damage like wrinkles, sunspots, irregular pigmentation and broken capillaries with little to no downtime.
Sunlight is essential for our health as it’s a crucial factor for producing vitamin D, but moderation is the key. Protect your skin with the steps above for a beautiful, youthful complexion for years to come.