You may walk away from the beach with a nice tan, but that may not be all you are getting from that day in the sun. Excessive sun damage is responsible for most of the skin damage that is associated with aging. The process begins when we are first exposed to the sun at an early age and continues little by little damaging the skin over the years. Many signs of skin damage are just merely cosmetic, but other problems such as skin cancer and other problems can be much more serious.

Age spots are flat grey, brown or black spots that usually appear on the face, hands, arms or chest (areas that are usually exposed to the sun). Age spots are common in adults over 40, but can strike at younger ages as well. Age spots are usually harmless and do not require any specific treatment. But for cosmetic reasons, some may choose to have the spots bleached away, or minimized with lightening products. The easiest way to avoid getting age spots in the first place is to use sunscreen every day and avoid unnecessary exposure to UV rays.

In limited amounts the sun can provide the body with vitamin D which is vital to human life. Just be sure you don’t expose yourself to more than 15 minutes each day to direct UV light.