Is age a factor in how susceptible we are to sun damage, and how do we spot the warning signs?

WHILE our skin naturally changes with age, one thing should remain constant - protecting it from the sun. According to the Met Office, temperatures across Derbyshire could soar up to 10°C above the seasonal average this week.

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With sunnier days on the horizon, many of us are happily anticipating a dose of vitamin D - but it also prompts us to reflect on how sun exposure affects our skin as we age.

Is the impact of UV rays on our skin at 50 the same as it was at 25? Or does growing older make our skin more susceptible to sun damage?

To better understand how our skin’s relationship with the sun evolves over time, we spoke with Dr Angela Tewari, consultant dermatologist at the Lister Hospital in London, part of HCA Healthcare.

She has broken down the science of ageing skin and shared expert advice on how to protect it through every stage of life.

Is our skin more susceptible to sun damage as we age?

“As we age, and also in response to ultraviolet radiation, the amount of collagen and elastins decreases in our skin,” explains Tewari.

“Collagen and elastins form the support network of our skin, and UV rays cause an increase in activity in certain enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases, which break down the collagen and elastins in our skin.

“Also, in response to sunshine, we are more likely to get pigmentation and can get things like sun spots or melasma. And that is just a change in the way our pigmentation-producing cells are working sometimes, because you start to see more pigment in certain areas in response to sunshine.”