Preventing Sun Damage

You see it in the movies, the tabloids and all over TV... women and men who want a sun- kissed glow.

But Ashley Gaston reports it might look pretty on the outside, but she'll show us what it really looks like and what you can do about it now.

It's a procedure that can be avoided...

"I was almost embarrassed when I started looking at some of my pictures," said Shayla Kay.

Shayla Kay is undergoing her second Photo Facial in a week.

"I was going oh my gosh, I'm aging...what is this?" said Kay.

Shayla's face is aging...much faster then it should have.  She's 37 and her skin has sun spots and dis-coloration.

When you go to the beach when your young and restless you pay price for procedures 15 years later," said Dr. George Zuzukin.

Doctor George Zuzukin is the Medical Director at the Medesthetic Center on Calder.

He is treating Shayla's sun spots and discoloration with this intense pulse light laser.

"She has a lot of discoloration from going to the beach," said Dr. Zuzukin.

Dr. Zuzukin says this treatment is the result of Shayla spending countless hours in the sun without sunscreen.

"It is so important because 20-30 years this is what you're going to look like," said Rihanna Artz.

Rihanna Artz says it's pictures like these that show you how the sun damages your skin.

"She came in just looking 10 years older than she really is," said Artz.

Artz is the Clinical Director at the Medesthetic Center.  She says dozens of men and women come into the office, with sun damaged skin, suffering from sun spots, leathery skin and un-even skin tones.

Consultants say the best way to avoid leathery, creased or un-even skin is to consider using a self tanner and always, always, always use sunscreen.

"The first thing you do in the morning, cleanse and put your sun screen on it's really important," said Artz.

Artz says this Jan Marini SPF 30 Anti oxidant sunscreen is ideal for the face and neck, if you usually burn in ten minutes, this will protect your face for 300 minutes.

"This is how I measure sunscreen I take it from the tip of my finger here and I go all the way down," Artz.

Artz says rub it in circular motions all over your face and neck, then estimate a shot glass full for your body.

"This is our summer ready bag, so we can get people to understand the damaging effects of sun," said Artz.

It includes a beach tote, flip flops, body block 30, body scrub, sunless tanner and anti oxidant daily face protectant.

"If I could do it all over again, I absolutely would do the self tanners;" said Kay.

A decision Shayla Kay hopes others learn from her experience.

"Being sun kissed is the thing to do?  It's not the thing to do," said Kay.

But lucky for her she can reverse the damage.

"It has absolutely changed everything for me after one treatment, my skin has totally turned around;" said Kay.

"So we finished, now you can clean your face, put makeup and go back to work," said Dr. Zuzukin.