Skin symptoms of various skin conditions can be exacerbated by sun exposure and increased temperatures. These may be rosacea, lupus, or actinic keratoses. However, certain skin conditions can be improved with sunlight, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, or vitiligo. So, with the help of Dr. Pérez Sevilla, maxillofacial surgeon and specialist in aesthetic facial medicine, we bring you all the information you need to know about certain skin problems that improve or worsen depending on the season of the year.
What skin problems can be improved by heating?
psoriasis
“People with atopic skin and other skin conditions like rosacea, vitiligo, psoriasis… In these cases, oral sunscreen helps boost the immune system and responds better to the sun. For psoriasis, Sunlight is beneficial. This is a very common skin problem that often results in redness and scaly areas. This is because the cell renewal process is impaired and dramatically accelerated, resulting in a rapid accumulation of cells on the skin’s surface.
In many cases, psoriasis can be improved by controlling sun exposure. Solar radiation, especially ultraviolet B light, or UVB light, has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce the symptoms of this skin problem. Sunlight can improve the appearance of psoriatic lesions by slowing the overgrowth of skin cells and reducing inflammation. Of course, sunlight can be beneficial for psoriatic lesions, but certain photosensitizing medications can also trigger a serious reaction similar to sunburn if taken. Of course, you must use broad-spectrum sunscreen every day (reapply every two hours) to prevent other, more serious skin problems. In addition, it is recommended to avoid alcohol and smoking, as they can aggravate psoriasis”, says Dr Pérez Sevilla.
Vitiligo
“Vitiligo is a condition in which large patches of white patches appear on the skin. The cause is not fully understood, but it is believed to occur due to genetic changes or certain changes in the immune system whereby the body destroys melanocytes. For this skin Treatment of the problem involves re-pigmenting the areas without melanin while preventing the destruction of the melanocytes.Phototherapy is the recommended treatment to improve these white spots.
Summer is therefore an ally for Vitiligo sufferers who find natural light therapy every day during summer. Non-ablative fractional lasers as well as fractional CO2 lasers can achieve improvements of up to 85%. Exfoliation also helps to unify the complexion. As with psoriasis, sun exposure is known to improve Vitiligo, but it must always be controlled, not for too long or at the highest radiation intensity, otherwise the effect can be negative and burn the skin even more. Melanin, so it is recommended to use sunscreen.
atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases today. It is characterized by a skin condition that causes itching, swelling, and dryness. It is considered an inflammatory, non-communicable chronic disease. The skin barrier is also often compromised, so the skin is less able to defend against external aggressions such as free radicals and dehydration. In general, the characteristic humidity of beach environments and summer sun exposure can have a beneficial effect on skin conditions predisposed to atopic dermatitis. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. It should be noted that sensitive skin needs extra attention in summer.
Some people with skin conditions like atopic dermatitis notice an improvement in their condition after exposure to the sun. In fact, reasonable sun exposure can reduce the onset of atopic dermatitis symptoms. First, sunlight favors the synthesis of vitamin D, which is essential for the body as it helps regulate and strengthen the immune system and the barrier function of the skin. Second, basking in the sun is good for your health. In fact, exposure to sunlight releases happy hormones (endorphins and serotonin) that reduce stress and can sometimes worsen atopic dermatitis symptoms.
Myth 2: Acne does not improve in summer
“Finally, we had to address a (mis)popular belief that acne gets better in the summer. As the summer progresses, it’s common to have occasional small bumps on the skin, which tend to be more common in people with oily skin. will exacerbate. Until recently, it was mistakenly believed that the sun has the ability to dry out these uncomfortable pimples. However, it is worth noting that heat can trigger excessive sweating, which stimulates the activity of the sebaceous glands. Although temporary improvements can indeed be observed , but the rebound effect usually occurs in late summer. Therefore, phototherapy is no longer used for acne.
In fact, there is the so-called mallorca acne, which occurs during the summer months. This type of acne develops as a result of a skin reaction caused by sunbathing without sunscreen. It is characterized by being highly toxic and inflammatory. It usually first appears on the chest, neckline, arms and face. For treating acne marks, fractional CO2 lasers are ideal after summer. For its part, to improve acne, medical peels, also known as chemical peels or dermabrasion, are recommended, as well as vascular lasers and pulsed light, because of their anti-inflammatory effect on the skin”, concludes Dr Pérez Sevilla .