5 Signs of Sun Damage Miami Residents Often Miss

Living in Miami means constant low-grade sun exposure. You don't need a sunburn for the damage to add up — even the walk from the parking lot to the office, every single day, contributes. Here are the five early signs we see in our patients that often get dismissed for years:

1. Tiny brown spots on the cheekbones, chest, and shoulders

These are called solar lentigines or "sun spots." They're flat, evenly pigmented, and tend to multiply in your 30s and 40s. They're not dangerous, but they're a marker that your skin has stored UV damage — and that more is on the way unless you change something.

What works: Daily SPF 30+ (we recommend tinted mineral sunscreen for Miami's heat), prescription retinoids, and IPL or targeted laser to lift existing spots.

2. Sandpaper texture on the temples, scalp, and forearms

If you can feel a small rough patch but can't quite see it, that's often an early actinic keratosis (AK). AKs are the precursor to squamous cell carcinoma and they need treatment — usually liquid nitrogen, topical 5-fluorouracil, or photodynamic therapy.

These hide in the hairline, on bald scalps, and on forearms — places sun hits constantly. Bring them to your skin check.

3. Faint redness on the cheeks and nose with visible tiny vessels

This is photo-damage masquerading as rosacea. If you didn't have it in your 20s and it's appearing in your 30s/40s, sun exposure is a major driver. IPL is the most effective treatment, paired with daily mineral SPF.

4. Loss of elasticity around the eyes and lips

Crow's feet are partly muscle (Botox-friendly), but the *crepey* texture of the skin itself is collagen damage from UV. The good news: collagen rebuilds. Topical retinoids, professional treatments like microneedling with PRP, and laser resurfacing all stimulate new collagen. It's slow but it works.

5. Any new or changing mole

This is the one you don't try to fix at home. Use the ABCDE rule:

• Asymmetry
• Border irregularity
• Color variation
• Diameter > 6 mm (about a pencil eraser)
• Evolution — anything changing

If a mole catches your attention, schedule a skin check. The vast majority are nothing — but the ones that aren't are best caught when they're small.

Bottom line

Sun damage in Miami is essentially universal. The question isn't whether you have it — it's whether you're addressing it before it becomes a bigger problem. A 15-minute skin check with a board-certified dermatologist is the highest-leverage thing you can do for your skin's long-term health.