It’s no secret that the sun in Australia is strong. With this comes an increased risk of sun damage, which only becomes more complicated with age.

For example, the same ways you protect your skin from sun damage in your 20’s won’t be the same approaches you take in your 50’s. However, it doesn’t mean that it is less of a priority!

In fact, as we get older, everything changes. Our skin changes, our immune system gets weaker, and our medical needs change, too. So, our approach to sun safety should also change. Let’s break it down.

Aging Skin: How It Works

As your skin ages, it will change texture, firmness and strength. That’s why skincare and sun safety approaches should change, too. The changes that may happen to your skin include:

• Thinning Epidermis: Your skin will naturally thin and lose elasticity, which makes it far more susceptible to UV rays penetrating and causing long-term and irreversible damage.
• Slower Healing: Aged skin takes longer to repair from UV damage.
• Reduced Melanin: As we get older, the skin naturally produces fewer melanocytes, which provide us with less natural protection against UV radiation.

It’s important to understand how our skin changes with time, so that we can ensure we are taking care of our health and wellbeing in the long-term.

The Reality of Sun Damage

Many people believe that one case of sunburn will develop into a case of sun damage or skin cancer, but this isn’t always the case. Sun damage can accumulate as a result of years of exposure to UV and gradually worsen the skin’s health and appearance.

That’s why it’s common to see a spike in skin cancer diagnoses (including melanomas and carcinomas) in individuals over 50. Not because they have had a recent sunburn, but because years of poor skin protection have accumulated damage and developed into cancer.

So, it’s never too late to start protecting your skin. Though your preventative measures may change over time, it is vital to protect your skin throughout the years to manage your skin’s deterioration and exposure to UV.

What Are The Hidden Risks?

So, why should sun safety habits change as you age? Well, one thing we don’t consider enough is how your skin is more sensitive as you age due to the hidden risks of medication. For example:

• Individuals who take daily prescriptions are usually in the older age brackets.
• Certain medications, like antibiotics, can make your skin more sensitive to the sun and lead to severe sunburns.

That’s why your risk increases as you get older, and new preventative measures should be taken alongside old routines to prevent UV exposure. These hidden risks are usually forgotten, but it is important to check the label on medications and speak to your GP regarding sun safety if you’re regularly on medication.

Your Sun Safety Routine As You Get Older:

Skin safety is a constant concern that requires routine and proper prevention. Some key elements to ensure you’re doing daily include:

• SPF: SPF 50+ should be applied daily, and several times a day, to ensure that your skin is constantly protected from UV.
• Physical Barriers: Hats and sunglasses are also key to protecting your body and skin from UV.
• UV Time: As you get older, even with all the above measurements in place, it is vital to pay attention to times when the UV may be particularly potent (i.e. 10 am to 4 pm).

How Skin Checks Can Help:

At BizHealth, we can organise professional skin checks that come straight to your workplace and educate your employees on their skin’s health, how to prevent deterioration and lifestyle changes that they can implement against sun damage. Many times, skin cancer or signs of skin damage can go unnoticed, which is why our professionals are the best way forward.

We conduct confidential, quick and thorough skin checks for your employees so they can be proactive with their sun safety methods. A healthy workforce is proactive in their well-being, and you can do this for them!

Contact our team to find out more about our workplace skin checks.

Contact BizHealth

There are a whole lot of changes that aging brings to your body and skin. But with BizHealth, you can be on top of your health and wellbeing, and ensure that your employees are too.

Contact our team, and we’ll organise a workplace skin check session that protects your employees today.