Before the holidays, Rosemary emailed about a common problem among avid swimmers: damaged skin from outdoor training.
Her specific concern was reversing premature aging via sun damage. You know, that dry, leather-y look. Luckily, there are a few things you can do if you are in the same predicament:
–Schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. Not only will they do a full body screen to check for pre-cancerous and cancerous spots (and remove/treat as needed), they can provide treatments (think: peels, abrasions, prescription-strength topical lotions, etc.) to rejuvinate the skin. Be fair warned on two points however: 1) many rejuvinating treatments are pricey (i.e. into the thousands range) and require multiple appointments, and 2) many of the same treatments require you to avoid the sun entirely.
–Speaking of avoiding the sun, many of my swimmer friends who have gone through a round or two of skin cancer simply avoid swimming outdoors entirely. Obviously, while this approach won’t reverse current damage, it is certainly a preventive strike against new incidents.
–Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize: Now that I’ve entered that “starting to see some signs of aging” phase of life, I’ve noticed that on some mornings my skin looks, well, a little “tired.” The power of a good moisturizer never ceases to amaze me though! After washing and application, my skin looks instantly better. Currently, I favor Boots Advanced Hydration Day Cream (you can get it at Target for under $15 and it has SPF 15 in the formula), for my face. I am always open to trying something new though, (especially as I am aware that I will need something heavier soon). So if you have a good recommendation, please let me know. For my body I like Cetaphil — very rich and scent free. One final thought on “moisture” before moving on: drink lots of water. Some of my “tired skin” moments can be traced back to not drinking enough water the previous day.
–In the “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” department: Use sunblock religiously. Yes, I have some damage that is probably irreversible. But that doesn’t mean I should stop trying to prevent additional damage. I’ve had enough “suspicious-looking” spots scraped off my back and sent to a lab to not coat myself in 50 SPF before leaving the house to swim. Slapping some on while puttering around on deck is better than nothing, but keep in mind that it takes about 20 minutes for sunblock to “sink in” and thus truly offer protection.
–Surely, as healthy swimmers, I don’t have to tell you this, but here goes just in case: Stop smoking. Smoking dramatically ages the skin prematurely. This skin damage is reversible — all you have to do is stop! And hey, smoking is really bad for your, oh say, lungs. Enough said.
Three more notes from the “prevention: department: zinc, rash guards and low-sunlight hours.
–A trick from the old days: topical zinc. Although it now comes in all kinds of cool colors (i.e. neon green) beyond the standard white, it can be messy to apply/wear. And you will get some looks while wearing it.
–Many rash guards now come in light, but tightly woven materials that offer UVA protection. So if you aren’t training for the Olympics and don’t mind a little drag, wearing one can help block the rays from your torso and arms (and neck if you wear a turtleneck style).
–Low sunlight hours: This has been so well-publicized that I am sure it’s old news to you savvy readers, but if you want to avoid as much sun exposure as possible, swim in the early a.m. hours or after it’s set at night.
Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist