Ryan Christopher Claveria

5 Common Sun-Related Skin Diseases to Watch Out For According to a Dermatologist

Article (news)

<p>A little Vitamin D a.k.a. Sunshine Vitamin is good for you! But, like everything else in this world, too much of anything can be bad for you. Sunlight can feel like an instant mood booster, but over time, its effects on your skin can quietly build up beneath the surface and cause you more harm than good, especially when it’s the summer season and the heat is really on.</p><p>While a little sun exposure is often unavoidable in our day to day endeavors, experts consistently warn that repeated, unprotected exposure to UV rays is one of the leading causes of skin damage. The tricky part is many of the early signs don’t look alarming at first so, you really have to be extra vigilant. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXEdkvQDzIw/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A4810282%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="977" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Being informed is one of the best ways to give yourself the first line of defense when it comes to sun damage. So we asked the expert advice of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/windievillarica/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Windie Hayano</a>, a board-certified dermatologist with more than a decade of experience and a co-founder and Managing Director of Skin Inc. Dermatology and Laser Center to help us navigate these sneaky diseases that can go from mild to severe. </p><p>She says that understanding what to watch for can make a real difference in situations like these. As mentioned above, there are several sun exposure-associated diseases in varying degrees of severity– from something as common as sunburn to something as serious as melanoma. Below, Dr. Windie gives a breakdown of six categories, plus some tips on how you can protect yourself from sun damage.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>1. Acute UV-Induced Injury</strong></div><p>“The most common that we are all familiar with would be sunburn which is mostly attributed to UVB and UVA rays. Unbeknownst to many, sun exposure can result in direct DNA damage. Failure to protect our skin while under the sun for a long time can cause redness, swelling and even blistering. This is like a first degree burn that can be quite painful.</p><p>Polymorphous light eruption which is a delayed hypersensitivity to UV-altered antigens can also be an acute manifestation of sun exposure. While others may also suffer from Solar Urticaria which is an IgE mediated mast cell degranulation. These people can break out in hives from sun exposure. Then there’s also a condition called Phytophotodermatitis. It’s a type of phytotoxic reaction that happens when you have a combination of furocucoumarins and UVA. Here, we see it a lot when you touch a plant like lime or calamansi, you touch your face or a part of your body then you go out of the sun….boom! Reaction! So be careful making those frozen margaritas or mojitos.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776682405362Untitled design.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via freepik.com</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>2. Chronic UV Damage</strong></div><p>“Chronic UV damage is evident in those patients that just worship the sun or don’t care about sun protection. This is a cumulative damage through the years so you see severe photoaging or dermatoheliosis. They get coarse wrinkles, laxity, broken blood vessels. The skin looks leathery. They would probably have actinic lentigines or sun spots everywhere with solar elastosis which looks like papery thinned out skin. My favorite, which you probably see with Dr. Pimple Popper, are folks with Favre Racouchot Syndrome. These are people with all of that, plus tons of dilated and open comedones.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776682471178Untitled design-2.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via Unsplash</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>3. Pigmentary Disorders</strong></div><p>“Every dermatologist’s bane is, of course, melasma. While some immediate pigment darkening can happen, freckling or even post inflammatory hyperpigmentation can happen with acute exposures, melasma is a total nightmare because it is multifactorial in nature. But the biggest trigger for this would still be UV and visible light which leads to melanocyte activity. It’s very hard to treat and a few minutes under the sun can trigger melasma.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776682576096Untitled design-3.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via freepik.com</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>4. Pre-Malignant Lesions</strong></div><p>“With chronic sun exposure, there are common pre-malignant lesions like actinic keratosis, especially those with p53 mutations. Actinic cheilitis also can be a pre-cancerous lesion that affects the lips. This is why we also tell our patients to protect the lips with sun block. There are also squamous cell carcinoma in situ. Most of these are usually found in sun-exposed areas or areas that patients neglect to protect.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776683402835pexels-jenna-hamra-248942-1138531.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via Pexels</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>5. Photosensitive Dermatoses or UV-Triggered Diseases</strong></div><p>“Also quite common are drug-induced photosensitivity reactions. Acne patients on isotretinoin, doxycycline are more prone to this reaction so it is really important to protect judiciously or avoid sun exposure while you are on these meds. </p><p>There are also a lot of patients suffering from immune disorders like cutaneous lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, porphyria cutanea tarda where sun exposure can be outright dangerous.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776683358814pexels-angela-roma-7479572.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via Pexels</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>6. Skin Cancers</strong></div><p>“Pre malignant lesions can convert to real skin cancers like basal cell CA which is the most common and this is linked to intermittent UV exposure. While squamous cell carcinomas</p><p>are due to cumulative UV exposure. Melanoma on the other hand (the deadliest one) can be from intense intermittent UV exposure, especially in early life. I get especially paranoid with melanomas because sometimes they are in covered areas of the body, on the feet or nails. It has a high mortality rate so it’s scary.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776683464555Moleskincancer-2880w-e1749516921163.webp" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via skincancersa.com.au</span></span></span></div><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>HOW TO AVOID SUN DAMAGE</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Sunblock</strong></div><p>Sunblock will always be a staple to protect yourself from sun damage. But, there is a right way to apply it and what level of SPF is required. “Always the rule of two. Sun protection 2 finger-lengths every two hours using a broad band sunblock. SPF 50 or higher with a UVA protection of +++. There are new formulations now that also protect from blue light.” </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776683536693pexels-anntarazevich-7466775.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via Pexels</span></span></span></div><p>Sunblock is also not a one and done habit, you do have to reapply it. “Apply 30 minutes before going out then reapply every 2 hours. If you are swimming, sweating, dry up a bit then apply again. They come in so many forms now to make application easy, convenient, and elegant that honestly, you have no excuse not to use it. Apply and reapply, thickly.”</p><p>One more tip, don’t just apply it on the larger perimeters of your body. Don’t forget other body parts like your ears and lips. They also need protection!</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Oral antioxidants</strong></div><p>Another layer of protection are antioxidants that you actually take orally. But Dr. Windie reiterates that you still shouldn’t skip sunblock over these capsules. They’re meant to add to replace. “There are also oral antioxidants like polypodium leucotomos that you can take. It is NOT a substitute for topical sunblock or protective clothing but you can also take it as an addition especially if you are going to be out in the sun a lot, you have melasma or you have been diagnosed with PMLE, just had a procedure or you already have some precancerous lesions. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776683600955Heliocare_Oral_Capsula_Ultra_01-e1690942745642.png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via heliocare.com.sg</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Sun-Block with Accessories</strong></div><p>Think of your accessories as your armor this summer season. More than adding to an outfit, they can actually help you when you really have to be under the sun. “Hats, umbrellas, rash guards, or full body suits with UPF50 or higher are good options. Stay out of the mid-day sun.”</p><p>Also, your skin might be the highest priority when it comes to sun damage concerns but don’t forget about your eyes too, as too much sun exposure can also contribute to developing eye problems. “Don’t forget to protect your eyes. Sunglasses are your friends. You can have photokeratitis, pterygium, or cataracts from sun exposure.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776683641114pexels-anfel-lanane-2356529-27817317.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-rounded" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo via Pexels</span></span></span></div>

6 Different Kinds of Sun Damage to Watch Out for and How to Avoid Them

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6 Different Kinds of Sun Damage to Watch Out for and How to Avoid Them

Chin Ann Obiedo

Published April 21, 2026 01:30 PM PHT

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Updated April 21, 2026 02:26 PM PHT

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