Sun damaged skin - how to fix

[QuestioningStuffBanana]

Hi, I've posted a couple of times here about my face because it's a bit of a train wreck atm. I've had some great advice on treating dehydrated and flakey skin I have but something I've not asked about is wrinkles caused by sun damage.

I'm pretty sure it's from the sun because it's mainly the right hand side of my face, around my right eye and the upper part of my cheek. I have it on the other side but not so bad. It's just wrinkly and horrible looking.

I'm 30 years old, I've never been a sun lover and I'm very pale so I've always been careful (I thought) about wearing at least factor 30 everywhere including my face, nowadays I stick to 50. And I wear it in the winter too, so kind of annoyed about this. I think it's from where I used to sit at my old office. I was right by a window and always had the sun pouring in on me.

Anyway, is there anything I can do to make it better? I'm so down about my face right now but trying to tackle one problem at a time.

My next thread will probably be about the fact my entire jawline has been taken over by spots. I look like I have the measles or something. Boohoo poor me

Retinoids for photoageing, specifically tretinoin is the most studied and most often prescribed by dermatologists, but adapelene is also used off label. Good news is they’re also acne treatments so will help with the jawline spots.

Boots, Superdrug and other online pharmacies have online acne clinics where you fill out a form, a doctor looks it over and if you’re suitable they’ll prescribe prescription strength retinoids (differin is the most commonly available, active ingredient is adapelene) on a private prescription. It’s about £25 a tube if I remember correctly. You can buy topical retinoids cheaper from some foreign online pharmacies, but with prescription strength products I personally prefer to pay the extra to get them on prescription from a trusted source.

Oh thank you L! So using a retinol cream/serum I can just buy normally won't work? I've got one from the ordinary (reactive granitine retinol or something... Pretty sure it's not called that but something like that)

I've read online about prescription strength ones but wasn't sure how to get them so thank you. I will research tretinoin.

If you’re happy with the results from The Ordinary then there’s no real reason to go any stronger, but The Ordinary don’t claim their retinoids will treat acne. I’d been prescribed topical retinoids by a GP on dermatologists say so before a course of roaccutane for acne, but when my acne came back my GP wouldn’t prescribe again without referring to a dermatologist.

Posted too soon. I’d not seen any acne improvement from The Ordinary retinoids so knew I needed something stronger. Yes, there’s a settling in period with prescription strength, but a couple of weeks of slight flakiness was worth it as my skin has cleared up wonderfully and my 11’s have disappeared!

Prescription retinol. Go and see an aesthetic clinic

Laser facials address sun damage. I've had good results but I'm a bit older than you do you could try retinoids first