Solar elastosis is one of those conditions that tends to show up quietly over time. It’s not usually sudden, and it’s not something most people notice until they feel like their skin just doesn’t bounce back the way it used to.
For many patients, this concern comes up when skin starts to look thicker, rougher, or more deeply lined in areas that have seen a lot of sun. It’s common, it’s gradual, and there are ways to support healthier-looking skin moving forward.
Cumulative sun damage to skin structure
Face, neck, chest, forearms, hands
Improved texture, tone, and skin resilience
What Is Solar Elastosis?
Solar elastosis is a condition where collagen has been destroyed and there is an abnormal accumulation of elastic tissue in the skin. It refers to changes caused by long-term sun exposure.
Over time, UVA and UVB rays from the sun — and even tanning beds — damage collagen and elastin, the fibers that help skin stay firm and elastic. When these fibers break down, the skin becomes more wrinkled, dry, and less flexible.
How solar elastosis can appear:
Solar elastosis most commonly affects areas that receive frequent sun exposure, such as the face, neck, chest, and forearms.
Recognizing Early Signs
Early stages of solar elastosis are often seen in the cheeks first. A telltale sign is lines that remain in your cheeks even when you are not smiling.
Progression of solar elastosis:
If you’re seeing fine lines in your cheeks that don’t disappear when your face is relaxed, it may be time to start protecting your skin and seek guidance from someone with significant knowledge of skin health and treatment.
Why Solar Elastosis Develops
The primary cause of solar elastosis is cumulative sun exposure over many years.
Contributing factors include:
Chronic UV exposure — Both UVA and UVB rays damage the collagen in the skin. This damage builds slowly over decades.
Tanning beds — Indoor tanning exposes skin to concentrated UV radiation, accelerating collagen destruction.
Inconsistent sun protection — Years of unprotected or inadequately protected sun exposure add up.
Smoking — Smoking increases the speed at which we lose collagen in our skin, compounding sun damage.
Skin type and genetics — Some people are more susceptible to UV damage than others.
Natural aging — Age-related collagen loss combined with sun damage creates more pronounced changes.
This damage builds slowly. Even people who rarely burn can develop solar elastosis if their skin has been exposed to the sun repeatedly over time.
Preventing Further Damage
While existing sun damage cannot be undone, protecting your skin going forward is essential for preventing further deterioration and supporting treatment results.
Don’t smoke — Smoking accelerates collagen loss and worsens the effects of sun damage.
Avoid peak sun hours — It’s best to avoid sun exposure when rays are strongest, typically between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Cover up — Wear a broad-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants when outdoors for extended periods.
Use proper sunscreen — Wear a good sunblock of SPF 30 or higher daily. Look for zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as primary ingredients — these provide broad-spectrum protection. EltaMD sunblocks are recommended for their effective formulations.
Be consistent — Daily sun protection, even on cloudy days, is key to preventing further damage.
How Solar Elastosis Can Affect Appearance
Solar elastosis can change both how the skin looks and how it feels.
Patients often notice:
These changes often overlap with other concerns such as fine lines and wrinkles. Solar elastosis can also make age-related volume loss appear more noticeable due to reduced skin support.
What to Expect During a Consultation
A consultation at Lazaderm is focused on education and long-term skin health.
During your visit, your provider will:
The goal is to create a plan that supports improvement while respecting your skin’s limits.
Setting Realistic Expectations
Treatments for solar elastosis can improve skin appearance and texture, but they do not erase years of sun exposure.
Results develop gradually and vary based on:
Multiple treatments are often needed, and maintenance is important for lasting results. Your provider will help you understand what kind of improvement is realistic.
The goal is healthier-looking, more resilient skin over time — not perfection.
While solar elastosis cannot be reversed completely, treatments can help improve skin quality, texture, and overall appearance. A consultation allows your provider to assess the extent of sun damage and recommend appropriate options.
Medical-grade topicals can help improve the appearance of solar elastosis when used consistently.
Vitamin A derivatives — Retinols and tretinoin (prescription-strength) have been shown to be beneficial for solar elastosis. These ingredients support collagen production and improve skin cell turnover.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) — Products containing AHAs like glycolic acid can help improve skin texture and tone by encouraging exfoliation.
Medical-grade skincare — Your provider can recommend specific products suited to your skin type and level of damage.
Daily sunscreen — Essential for protecting your skin and maintaining treatment results. SPF 30+ with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide is recommended.
Topicals work best when combined with in-office treatments for more significant improvement.
Chemical peels remove damaged outer layers of skin to reveal healthier skin beneath and stimulate collagen production.
Important note: Light chemical peels will have little benefit on solar elastosis. Medium to deep peels are required to address this level of sun damage effectively.
What to expect:
Your provider will recommend the appropriate peel depth based on your skin type and the extent of damage.
Vivace RF Microneedling can show significant improvement in skin tone and texture affected by solar elastosis.
How it works: The device creates controlled micro-injuries while delivering radiofrequency energy into the deeper layers of skin. This combination induces new collagen production and tightens existing tissue.
Benefits for solar elastosis:
Multiple sessions are typically recommended for optimal results.
BBL uses intense pulsed light to target sun damage and stimulate collagen production in the skin.
How it works: Light energy penetrates the skin to address pigmentation, redness, and texture changes caused by chronic sun exposure. BBL also triggers the skin’s natural healing response, encouraging collagen renewal over time.
Benefits for solar elastosis:
Multiple sessions are typically recommended for cumulative improvement. BBL works well as a standalone treatment or in combination with other approaches.
Fractional lasers have the ability to improve skin tone and texture related to solar elastosis by treating a percentage of the skin at a time.
How fractional lasers work: These lasers create microscopic treatment zones while leaving surrounding tissue intact. This approach requires a series of treatments but offers less downtime and risk than full resurfacing.
Available fractional laser options:
Fraxel Laser — Fractional resurfacing for texture, tone, and sun damage correction.
Halo Laser — Hybrid fractional laser that addresses both surface and deeper skin layers for comprehensive improvement.
Profractional Laser — Ablative fractional treatment for more significant texture concerns.
Your provider will recommend the most appropriate laser based on your skin type and goals.
MOXI is a gentle fractional laser effective for improving pigmentation, sun damage, and overall skin tone.
How it works: MOXI delivers fractionated laser energy that promotes cellular turnover and stimulates collagen. This helps fade pigmentation while improving overall skin quality and texture.
Best for:
MOXI is often combined with BBL for comprehensive results — BBL targets pigment at the surface while MOXI works on texture and tone at a deeper level.
For patients with more advanced solar elastosis, full laser resurfacing provides the most dramatic improvement.
Sciton Erbium Laser — Can be used for full resurfacing of the face. This treatment ablates damaged skin layers and stimulates significant collagen remodeling.
What to expect:
This option is typically recommended for patients with significant sun damage who are prepared for a longer recovery period.
If sun damage or changes in skin texture are something you’ve been noticing, a consultation can help you understand your options. At Lazaderm, consultations focus on education, prevention, and helping you feel confident about caring for your skin long term.
