McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
How Can I Fix Sun-Damaged Skin?
Published by Dr Darren McKeown
Date posted — 8.04.25
Sun exposure is an unavoidable part of daily life – and that’s not a bad thing. When the sun is out, we feel better and brighter about ourselves, so it’s no wonder lots of us crave the sun. But over time, the sun can take a significant toll on the skin. Sun damage, also known as photoaging, can cause premature wrinkles, pigmentation issues, and loss of skin elasticity. Many individuals who have spent years in the sun or using sunbeds may notice their skin appearing older than it should. The good news, however, is that we now have many options to treat sun damage, and our clinic has invested in some of the most sophisticated lasers in the world to do just that.
At McKeown Medical, we specialise in cutting-edge treatments to restore skin health and achieve natural-looking, rejuvenated results. If you’re concerned about sun-damaged skin, this guide will walk you through the signs of damage, risk factors, and the most effective treatments available.
What Does Sun Damage Look Like?
Sun damage can present in various ways, depending on the level of exposure and individual skin type.
Common signs include:
- Wrinkles and fine lines – Premature ageing due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin.
- Uneven pigmentation – Sunspots, freckles, and hyperpigmentation from excessive UV exposure.
- Redness and blotchiness – Often caused by broken capillaries or persistent inflammation.
- Loss of skin elasticity – UV rays degrade collagen, leading to sagging skin.
- Elastosis – where the UV rays cause the skin to produce an abnormal build-up of elastin fibres, resulting in a bumpy appearance
A key distinction is photoaging versus chronological ageing. While natural ageing occurs over time, photoaging is caused specifically by sun exposure and often leads to more pronounced wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin roughness—especially in areas most exposed to the sun, such as the face, neck, and hands. Learn more about the effects of sun damage here.
What Causes Sun Damage?
The main culprit behind sun damage is ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources like sun beds. UV rays penetrate the skin and cause:
- DNA damage – Leading to mutations that accelerate ageing.
- Collagen breakdown – Weakening skin structure and resilience.
- Oxidative stress – Promoting inflammation and uneven skin tone.
Can sun damage be reversed?
Most sun damage can be corrected using laser treatments, although it depends on the severity of the damage. Whilst mild sun damage can be reversed by relatively gentle treatments, more severe damage will require more invasive options to get rid of it.
Who Is at Risk?
Anyone exposed to excessive UV radiation is at risk of developing sun damage, but some factors increase susceptibility:
- Fair skin tones – If you have light white skin, especially if you are fair or have red hair, your skin will be especially susceptible to the effects of sun damage.
- Outdoor occupations – If you work outdoors, prolonged exposure to the sun in everyday life increases risk.
- Sunbed users – Artificial UV exposure from sun beds dramatically accelerates the damage.
- Individuals who don’t use SPF regularly – Lack of sun protection speeds up photoaging.
Long-term sun exposure can also lead to more serious complications, such as actinic keratosis (pre-cancerous lesions) and an increased risk of skin cancer. This makes it essential to seek professional advice for skin concerns, especially if you notice any new spots or lesions appearing.
Treatment Options for Sun-Damaged Skin
At McKeown Medical, we offer advanced treatments tailored to individual skin concerns. Here’s how we can help restore your skin’s health and radiance:
BBL (BroadBand Light) Treatment
Best for: Pigmentation, redness, pores and overall skin tone.
BBL uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to target pigmentation and redness, stimulating collagen production and improving overall skin texture. This is an excellent choice for those looking to correct uneven skin tone without significant downtime. It’s an excellent tool for patients with mild sun damage or in combination with other treatments for more advanced sun damage. Learn more about BBL treatment here.
Halo Laser Treatment
Best for: Deeper pigmentation, fine lines, and sunspots.
Halo laser treatment combines ablative and non-ablative wavelengths to target skin damage at multiple depths. This results in a smoother complexion, reduced pigmentation, and improved collagen levels. You can expect 5 days of downtime after this treatment, during which you can expect your face to be red and puffy. Halo laser is particularly effective for individuals with more moderate to severe sun damage or patients with severe sun damage who do not want to commit to a more invasive option. Click here to find out more about this treatment.
Full Laser Resurfacing
Best for: Severe sun damage, wrinkles, and deep-set pigmentation.
For those with advanced signs of photoaging, especially with deep wrinkles and elastosis, full laser resurfacing offers dramatic skin rejuvenation. This treatment removes damaged outer layers of skin, promoting the growth of fresh, healthy tissue. While downtime is longer than other options – you will need two weeks off work – the results are transformative. Learn about full laser resurfacing here.
Sun damage may be inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. With the right treatment plan, you can restore a younger, healthier complexion. At McKeown Medical, we pride ourselves on delivering natural results that enhance your confidence.
Want to see real patient transformations? Check out our gallery for examples of our results.
If you’re ready to take the next step in reversing sun damage, book a consultation with our experts today. We’ll help you choose the best treatment plan for your skin.
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Our reviews
What a lovely experience. I am delighted with my results. Much better than I expected. Dr McKeown is a genuine down to earth person and explained everything to me before my procedure. Thanks again. Would recommend this clinic to anyone looking for a cosmetic procedure. I intend to come back in a few months’ time for further treatment.
Rosemary Grant January 2024
This is not a facelift.
This patient is just one week after The Quantum Lift, immediately after having her tape removed - you can still see a little residual adhesive on her cheeks.
The Quantum Lift is our new minimally invasive approach to rejuvenating the lower face and neck. We first use precision liposuction to remove excess fat from beneath the chin and around the jowls, sculpting a cleaner jawline. We then use QuantumRF beneath the skin to contract and tighten the tissues of the lower face and neck.
What has impressed me most about QuantumRF is the degree of tissue contraction we can achieve. You can actually see the tissues tightening during the procedure itself, but that`s only the beginning. Most patients are through the main recovery within a week or two, while tightening and collagen remodelling continue for 3–6 months afterwards.
So, at only one week, this is still a very early result but she`s already delighted with the improvement.
No facelift. One week post-treatment. And plenty more improvement still to come.
What do you think?
Dr Rhona is back!
We’re delighted to share that Dr Rhona Cameron will be returning to clinic at the beginning of September following her maternity leave and her diary is now open for appointments!
We know many of you have been looking forward to seeing Rhona again, and we’re so pleased to welcome her back!
If you’d like to book an appointment with Dr Rhona, you can do so via our website or app, or contact the team on 0141 370 0509.
We’ve shown you lots of side profiles from the Quantum Lift, but what does it look like from the front?
This lovely patient is just four weeks after her procedure, and I think the front view really shows how much we can change while still keeping the face looking soft and natural.
As part of her Quantum Lift, we removed unwanted fat from beneath the chin and around the jowls. Rather than simply discarding that fat, we used some of it to restore volume to her chin and jawline, helping to replace some of the volume she had lost over time and bring back a little of the youthful softness to the lower face.
You’ll also notice a small amount of lumpiness beneath the chin. At four weeks, this is very common after liposuction in this area and is part of the healing process. She’s now using firmer massage to help soften this over the coming weeks, and we would expect the result to continue settling and refining.
Most importantly, she’s absolutely over the moon with the change, and we are too!
What do you think of the front view?
Once again, the combination treatment wins the day!
This patient came to us hating her neck and jowls, but she would not consider anything invasive. Treating the neck is always a challenge especially with non-invasive treatments only.
For this patient we first of all reduced the fat under the chin using CoolSculpting, then we did some hyaluronic acid under the mandible to define the jaw and finally we did some Sofwave to tighten the skin.
The patient is over the moon with her results. What do you think?
There is no single "best" facial rejuvenation treatment - only the treatment that`s right for the individual patient.
For patients with more advanced facial ageing, significant jowls and loose skin of the neck, a deep plane facelift remains the gold standard. In the right hands, it can achieve results that more significant than what we can do with less invasive treatments.
This is one of our recent patients following deep plane face and neck lift surgery, performed by the incredibly talented @bramhallplasticsurgery. It`s always a privilege to work alongside Russell and see the exceptional results he consistently achieves.
One of the things I`m most proud of at McKeown Medical is that we`re a genuinely multidisciplinary team. We don`t believe every patient needs fillers. We don`t believe every patient needs surgery either. We offer injectables, lasers, minimally invasive procedures like the Quantum Lift, and facelift surgery because different patients, at different stages of the ageing process, need different solutions.
Our job isn`t to sell you a procedure - its to help you choose the right one.
If you want to have a conversation about which option is right for you, you can send us some pics by PM.
#DeepPlaneFacelift #Facelift #NeckLift #FacialRejuvenation #PlasticSurgery #AestheticMedicine #NaturalResults #McKeownMedical #Glasgow #PlasticSurgeon
I genuinely think the Quantum Lift is changing what is possible for patients who want to improve their jawline and neck, but do not want to undergo facelift surgery.
I have used earlier generations of skin-tightening technology and, honestly, I was often underwhelmed by the results. This is different.
By combining precise power-assisted liposuction, targeted treatment of the neck muscle where needed, and QuantumRF skin tightening, we can address the three things that most commonly age the lower face and neck: muscle, fat and skin.
This patient is shown just 24 hours after treatment. There is still swelling to settle, but the early change in her jawline and neck contour is already clear.
I have also included clips from the procedure for anyone who likes seeing the technical side of what we do.
Would you consider a minimally invasive alternative to facelift surgery for your jawline or neck, or would you rather go straight to surgery?
And this is why we LOVE combination treatments in the clinic!
Different parts of the face age in different ways. And even different layers of the same part sometimes age differently, which is why we often need to combine treatments to achieve the best overall effect for each patient.
This lovely patient first underwent some laser resurfacing to her eyelid area to take away the lines and wrinkles and tighten the skin. Then we used some HA to blend the contour below the eye and cheek. Finally, we addressed the lower part of the face and neck with some Sofwave to tighten the skin and Sculptra to give her more connective tissue support.
She is over the moon with her improvement. What do you think?
The biggest mistake I see after weight loss? People choose a treatment before understanding what`s actually causing their loose skin.
Not all "loose skin" is the same, which is why the right treatment for one person can be completely wrong for another.
If you`ve lost weight and aren`t sure which option is right for you, the first step isn`t choosing a device. It`s getting the right diagnosis.
Looking for some advice? Send us a DM to get started.
The Quantum Lift!
We introduced this new technique only a few weeks ago and, well, it’s going even better than expected. This is one of our patients before and immediately after. I always warn my patients that I cannot give them a surgical facelift result with a procedure that doesn’t involve cutting but honestly, in this case, I think we got pretty close to a facelift result and closer than I was expecting.
First we remove some fat from under the chin and jawline before the quantum goes in to tighten the skin. I have included a picture of the neck after the we had removed fat from both sides, but only applied the quantum to her right side. You can see how much difference there is when I try to pinch the skin. In the non-treated skin I skin still pinch an inch (or two) but on the treated side there is very little to pinch, because the tissues have shrunk down so much.
The patient tolerated the procedure very well under simple local anaesthetic without sedation and we had a nice chat throughout. Afterwards she had a cup of tea and then went home with her husband half an hour later.
I have been very excited about The Quantum Lift for a while, but I’m only getting more excited the more I do. I really believe this is a massive step towards an effective way to rejuvenate the lower face and neck whilst avoiding traditional facelift scars.
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Our dedicated team of experts are on hand to help you as you navigate your journey with us.
When you first make contact with us you will be assigned your own personal Patient Relationship Manager. They’ll start by understanding your needs and liaising with our doctors to book you an appointment with the most suitable specialist. For any additional questions or needs, you can message or call them anytime and they’ll be delighted to assist you. Our entire team is dedicated to providing you with the best possible treatment and care tailored to your needs.
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