wrinkle elimination - sun damage

The role of the sun cannot be overestimated as the most important cause of prematurely ageing skin (called photoageing) and skin cancers.
Overall, exposure to ultraviolet (referred to as UVA or UVB) radiation emanating from sunlight accounts for about 90% of the symptoms of premature skin ageing, and most of these effects occur by age 20.

Initial damaging effects of sunlight

Sunlight consists of ultraviolet (referred to as UVA or UVB) radiation, which penetrates the layers of the skin. Both UVA and UVB rays cause damage leading to wrinkles, lower immunity against infection, ageing skin disorders, and cancer. They appear to damage cells in different ways, however.

UVB radiation is the primary cause of sunburn. Because of its shorter wavelength, however, UVB primarily affects the outer skin layers. UVB appears to damage skin cells by directly bombarding the genetic material, the DNA , inside the skin cells.

UVA radiation is composed of longer wavelengths. They penetrate more deeply and efficiently into the inner skin layers and are responsible for tanning and allergic reactions to sunlight (such as from medication).

The main damaging effect of UVA appears to be the promotion of the release of oxidants, also called oxygen-free radicals. These unstable particles are the result of many chemical processes in the body. In excess, however, they can damage cell membranes and interact with genetic material.

They possibly contribute to the development of a number of skin disorders, including wrinkles and, more importantly, cancer. The large surface area of the skin makes it a prime target for oxidants.