McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
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.
Sun damage can present in various ways, depending on the level of exposure and individual skin type.
Common signs include:
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.
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:
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.
Anyone exposed to excessive UV radiation is at risk of developing sun damage, but some factors increase susceptibility:
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.
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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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
Quantum Liposuction! I am SUPER excited to let you know we will be the first in Scotland to offer what is now regarded internationally as the new gold standard technique in liposuction.
We are making a big investment to bring a whole range of cutting edge technology to the clinic to allow us to take our liposuction and body contouring work to the next level.
First we melt the fat using ultrasound. Next we use power assisted liposuction to remove the fat. Finally, we use Quantum RF to tighten the skin. Quantum RF is the new innovation that is taking the body contouring world by storm. It’s an excellent option for patients who need more than a bit of liposuction, but aren’t quite ready for full tummy tuck or arm lift or thigh lift.
Dr Kavita will be doing all of the body contouring procedures under sedation, which means you will be asleep throughout. I will also be using the technology to help shape the jawline and chin and lift the jowls. You can read more about the treatment at the link in our bio.
Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Let`s talk about Mounjaro / Ozempic face!
It feels like everyone is on weight loss drugs right now, and they`re incredible for transforming bodies and health, but rapid weight loss has a real impact on the face.
This lovely patient lost an incredible 6 stones in just twelve months on Mounjaro and loved the results, but felt the life had been sucked out of her face. She naturally had a fuller, more plump face that looked youthful but the rapid weight loss diminished that.
There`s a lot of conversation right now about the best way of tackling it aesthetically and there are different options available. However, since loss of volume is the key driver of the changes, restoring the volume needs to be a central component of how we treat it - which is exactly what we did here.
This is the patient a couple of weeks after 10mls of HA filler in the mid and lower face. She is over the moon that she now has the body and health profile she wanted, but got her face back too!
The best of both worlds. What do you think?
Here’s another gorgeous upper blepharoplasty result from our phenomenal surgeon, @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is 62 years old and came to us for upper eyelid surgery just 2.5 months ago. Russell performed the procedure while she was awake with just a few numbing injections. Here at the clinic we can offer facial surgery with local anaesthetic for those who want to remain awake, or with deep sedation for anyone who’d prefer to sleep throughout (without the downsides of general anaesthetic!)
Thank you to this patient for allowing us to share her fabulous result - her scars are already settling beautifully and will continue to fade over the next 12 months.
What do you think?
Our resident superstar breast surgery expert Dr Kavita was asked to talk about trends in breast surgery on BBC Radio Scotland today. This was Kavita’s first ever live interview and we thought she nailed it!
What do you think?
And this is why combination treatments always win!
This lovely patient is in her 50s and was noticing all of the classic signs of ageing. She was starting to see some jowls forming, the neck was becoming more saggy and she felt she was looking tired.
At this stage in the ageing process it is not one thing that is responsible for causing the tired expression, its a combination of changes that are working together which is why we need a combination of treatments to target it effectively.
We did some sofwave treatment first to tighten the skin on the face and neck. Sofwave is very effective at tightening the skin, but remember: the skin is only the outer layer of the face, so we supported the treatment with some volume replacement in the deeper layers.
I decided to post her selfie style before and afters as well as her clinical pictures so you can see how it looks in real life, as well as the clinical up-close detail. The patient is over the moon with her results.
What do you think?
Here is another beautifully balanced deep plane face and neck lift by the skilful @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The deep plane technique, as the name suggests, works at a deeper level, repositioning the underlying structures of the face and neck rather than simply tightening the skin. By addressing the deeper tissues, we can restore more natural proportions, refine the jawline, and create a smoother, more defined contour beneath the chin - especially when the patient moves or bends their neck forward.
To achieve this impressive improvement in the neck, even in flexion, Russell reduced the deep fat (from under the muscle), trimmed and shaped the salivary glands and reconstructed the muscles of the neck to create a rejuvenated result. This is a much more sophisticated procedure compared with a standard face and neck lift.
At just 2 months post-op, her result is already beautifully balanced. The jawline is sharper, the neck more sculpted, and everything sits in harmony with the rest of her features. Scars are settling well and will continue to soften over time.
She may choose to refine things further with laser resurfacing for skin quality and subtle volume restoration in the mid-face, but even at this stage, the transformation speaks for itself.
Thank you to our patient for allowing us to share her journey.
What do you think?
Thank you to this lovely patient for allowing us to share her beautiful result from the talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is just 2.5 months after upper eyelid surgery, and already looking incredibly fresh and natural. The scars are settling very well and will continue to soften over the coming months.
The incisions are carefully placed within the natural eyelid crease, making them very difficult to see once healed. Excess skin has been removed to open up the eye area, while maintaining a soft, natural appearance.
A small amount of muscle was reduced at the outer part of the eyelid to address hooding, without affecting the central area. This helps preserve a youthful fullness above the eye. There has also been a conservative reduction of the lateral brow fat to further refine the contour. This highly tailored, bespoke approach to surgery is the attention to detail that lies at the heart of our clinic’s approach and philosophy.
As with many patients, her anatomy meant these changes developed earlier than expected. In the right cases, surgery at a younger age can deliver a subtle but very impactful improvement.
What do you think?
Happy Easter from our excited little bunnies 🐣🐰
Thank you to our lovely patient for allowing us to share these photos.
This is just 4 weeks after her first session (of three) with Juläine and we’re already starting to see a soft return of fullness and improvement in skin quality.
Juläine is not a traditional filler. It works by stimulating your body’s own collagen production, gradually restoring structure, firmness and elasticity from within.
This is just the beginning. As collagen continues to rebuild over the coming weeks and months, results will become more noticeable with improved support, smoother contours and a natural, refreshed appearance.
The patient is delighted with her progress so far. What do you think?