Carbon Valley Life Holiday Issue 2020 (November-December)

Keeping Sk in Hea lt hy in Colorado

by Cindy Jones, Ph.D. Keeping your skin healthy and glowing in Colorado can be a challenge. At elevations between 5,000 – 6,000 feet above sea level along the Front Range, we are much closer to the sun than people in most parts of the country. This climate leads to skin damage from the sun resulting in photo-aging: an acceleration of the normal aging process with sun exposure. Wearing sunscreen can help prevent skin cancer, but it does not prevent other types of skin damage caused by the outdoors.

UV light causes free radical formation in the skin. These free radicals will then cause skin damage, such as: • Breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers found in the lower layer of the skin (dermis). Because the dermis gives support to the skin, this results in deep wrinkle formation, loss of tissue elasticity, and loss of skin tone.

• Inflammation and reddening of the skin.

• Hyperpigmentation or spotty discoloration of the skin that occurs in patches.

• Disarray of elastin fibers in the skin matrix, resulting in a yellowed, bumpy, thickened, and dry appearance.

• Formation of small, visibly dilated blood vessels around the nose and cheeks.

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