Sun exposure wrinkles occur for several reasons.
The initial damage caused by UV radiation occurs on a molecular or cellular level.
So, we don't see skin wrinkling until a lot of cells have been damaged.
Here's what happens.
Then let's look at How to Reverse Sun Damaged Skin & Wrinkles.
**Sun Ray Types There are invisible and invisible rays of sunlight.
The invisible type is a form of UV radiation.
There are two main types of UV rays; UVA and UVB.
UVA penetrates into the deepest of the skin's layers and is believed to be the cause of premature skin aging, as well as that which occurs in older people.
UVB rays are even more dangerous.
They are believed to be the cause of melanomas and other types of cancer.
Both UVA and UVB are present whether the day is bright and sunny or overcast and cloudy.
Dermatologists estimate that 50% of the average person's exposure to UV radiation occurs on overcast days.
Because it takes longer to burn, people don't think about using protection or wearing a sunscreen.
They also tend to spend more time outdoors, because it is cooler.
**Damaged Skin Collagen Sun exposure wrinkles occur because the skin's collagen becomes damaged.
Collagen is a protein that makes up the skin's elastic fibers.
Only collagen proteins appear to be damaged by UV radiation.
The elastin that is also present in the fibers is not damaged.
In fact, it accumulates and triggers the release of an enzyme (metalloproteinase), which breaks down even more collagen.
As this process is repeated skin wrinkling occurs.
**Free Radical Skin Damage Sun exposure wrinkles are also related to free radical damage.
Free radical molecules are highly unstable.
They lack an electron and can actively try to replace it.
When they take electrons from the skin's cells and fibers, they become imperfect.
The radicals can also damage the DNA of the skin's stem or mother cells.
The skin is one of the organs of the body that continuously rejuvenates throughout a person's life.
The stem cells continuously create new keratinized cells and send them to the surface.
If the stem cell's DNA becomes damaged, it will create imperfect copies of itself.
Eventually, wrinkling and sagging occurs as more and more cells or fibers are damaged.
**Inflammation Damage Sun exposure wrinkles may also be a result of the activity of inflammatory molecules.
Inflammation damages and degrades collagen fibers.
This is the same process that goes on in age-related types of arthritis.
The chronic inflammation eventually damages the collagen in the joints and tendons.
UV radiation can cause the body's immune system to produce more inflammatory molecules.
It triggers the production of more free radical molecules.
So it causes direct and indirect damage to the skin's collagen content.
Collagen is not only responsible for the skin's firmness, strength and elasticity.
Its presence in the skin's cells causes it to be more opaque.
As we get older, the skin's outer layers become more translucent.
UV-rays can penetrate more easily.
Burning occurs in less time.
Tiny blood vessels beneath the skin's surface become visible.
We see dark circles under our eyes.
The process is self-propagating.
Damage done allows for more damage to be done.
This is the main cause of premature skin aging.
In older people, there is another problem.
There are more free radicals in older than in younger skin.
So the risk of damage is greatly increased.
Now that you know about all of the molecular activity involved in sun exposure wrinkles, you might think there's nothing you can do to stop the process.
That's not true.
You will learn how to stop it and reverse it in my next article - How to Reverse Sun Damaged Skin & Wrinkles.
See the author/resource box below for the article.