# Treatment for sun-damaged skin? I HAVE A CURE! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 22, 2020, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612 "2020-12-22T08:05:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/1 "2020-12-22T08:05:54Z")
Let me preface this with…my skin is shit. It’s fair to the point of translucent, it freckles, I live in Australia and I also inherited my mother’s propensity for skin cancers. I’ve had umpteen basal cell and squamous cancers removed, but still my face looks like shit. Eight days ago I finally went to the doc because my face was red, scaly and inflamed. He prescribed a Vit B3 lotion (plus doxycycline antibiotics because of the inflammation)…and eight days later, my skin is already massively improved. It’s an Aus product, called SolarCare B3 by Bernier. Def try it…I have no shares or other interests in the company, but my skin is rejoicing for the first time in fucking ages. Oh, and just as a moisturiser, it’s brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/2 "2020-12-22T08:40:35Z")
At the risk of stating the obvious, why wasn’t it the antibiotic? Have you previously taken a course of dox alone that did not do anything for you? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/3 "2020-12-22T08:45:44Z")
Yeah, it may have been the dox alone. But with the severity of my skin inflammation, and the nastiness of the lesions, I’m banking on a combo of the lotion and the dox. Most people wouldn’t have the level of skin damage that I have, and probably wouldn’t need the dox. But the B3 lotion is a fucken godsend regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/4 "2020-12-22T21:59:01Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > It’s an Aus product, called SolarCare B3 by Bernier. Not restricted to just that brand – lots of other people making products with the same ingredient (B3, niacinamide). This is, I think, the same Niacin you get listed on the side of your breakfast cereal box, but in a form suitable for plumping up your skin, stimulating collagen, dealing with sun damage, and reducing skin cancer. I’ve always assumed it was just another miracle cosmetic, so interesting to hear that it was prescribed and that it worked. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/5 "2020-12-22T23:51:01Z")
Interesting. I will read up on this. I have serious problems with sunlight too and react badly to a lot of chemical products. I can’t use most sunscreen. Even some titanium dioxide products cause allergy reactions. I research everything before I try to minimize problems (not that it always works). So, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/6 "2020-12-23T03:33:41Z")
They put doxycycline in a product intended for sun sensitivity? That is one of the most notorious drugs for CAUSING it, although IDK how it would act topically vs. internally. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/7 "2020-12-23T03:50:16Z")
She didn’t say the doxycycline was _in_ the lotion. It looks like it was a separate Rx. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treatment-for-sun-damaged-skin-i-have-a-cure/928612/8 "2020-12-23T05:56:42Z")
Yeah, the dox is an oral application, with the intended benefit being an easing of the generalised inflammation that I have at the moment. Saw my doc yesterday and he was amazed at the improvement just 8 days into treatment.