I went to Mexico and fell asleep in the sun. I started out in the shade and hadn’t put on sunblock but by the time I woke up I was in full sun and burnt to a crisp! It’s been about a month now and I’ve noticed spots on my face that weren’t there before. What can I do?

First of all, try to remember that your sunblock should be a part of your morning skin care routine so you don’t forget it. Think of sunblock as the shield you put on at the end of your routine to protect your skin. It’s important to wear it all year no matter what the weather is like. Those damaging rays from the sun get through clouds all the same.

Now what are your options? If the new spots are significantly darker than your own skin tone, then Intense Pulsed Light ( IPL) could be the right treatment to lighten or reduce some of your spots.  It may take a few treatments but the benefits of collagen stimulation and even redness reduction make IPL an excellent choice. If the spots are more like large patches, the problem can be more difficult. You may be looking at Fraxel Laser treatments or lightening creams. At this point, you would do best to come in to see Dr Frame or a laser technician to decide which treatment would be best for you.

I would also suggest that from now on, making sure your sunblock (minimum 30 SPF) is always on and investing in a high quality topical Vitamin C product like Vivier’s C&E Kinerol or Jan Marini’s C’esta to help protect and reverse the damage.

Marlee Davis, AntiAging Medical & Laser Clinic Staff.