While plenty of creams and serum are sold across drug stores for damaged skin treatment, more pronounced cases usually require the use of medication only doctors can prescribe.  Physician-grade topical preparations, while containing largely the same ingredients as their over-the-counter equivalents, usually work better for those with deep-seated problems.

Two types of products generally figure in when it comes to physician-grade topical creams for damaged skin treatments.

Tretinoin

Tretinoin treatments have long been a staple when it comes to reversing sun damage.  Delivered in high doses as with dermatologist-grade creams and gels, skin improvements can come in as little as a few weeks.

Tazarotene

Another retinoid product (as with tretinoin), Tazarotene is a relatively new damaged skin treatment.  Initially used in the care of psoriasis, it has recently been shown to be effective in reversing severely-damaged skin, as well as acne and wrinkles.

For more deep-seated damage that topically-applied products can’t manage, cosmetic procedures are usually needed.  Chemical peels and laser surgery are popular first options, being less intrusive than other surgical options.  Different levels of damage skin treatment will be required for each individual, depending on the type of skin condition you have.  Make sure you find a qualified dermatologist or cosmetic doctor who can help you through your options.

1. Stay away from the sun

The sun is one of the biggest environmental causes of skin damage and premature aging.  As a result, preventing sun damage by staying away from its rays during the afternoons, wearing sunscreen and protective clothing may do more for your skin than any other skin care activity you can engage in.

2.  Sleep on your back

Gravity pulls your skin down non-stop during the day.  Over the long-term, this contributes greatly to sagging and wrinkles.  Sleeping on your back allows your skin to take a break from this constant pulling force.

Just as importantly, sleeping on your back keeps your face away from the pillow, a possible cause of eye puffiness and skin irritation.

3. Wash your face gently

Washing your face strips oil and dirt away.  While it’s fine to do once or twice a day, excessive washing, especially with harsh detergents, can strip your skin of crucial moisture.  Even those with oily skin need not wash more than twice as stripping away oil lipids can spur the skin to become even oilier as a result.

4. Quit smoking and drinking

There never seems to be a shortage of reasons to quit both cigarettes and alcohol. You can include long-term skin damage along with that unending list.  Smoking generates a flood of free radicals that do plenty of damage on your skin. Alcohol, on the other hand, increases the leaking of capillaries, which results in faster wrinkle formation and puffiness.