Texas Sun Is Different: What Your Skin Needs After Moving to DFW
Published 2026-02-27 • Summer House Editorial Team
Moving to Dallas from California, Colorado, or the Northeast often comes with an unexpected skin reckoning a year or two in. The sun here is different — not just hotter, but biologically more intense for longer stretches of the year. If your skin is changing faster than you expected, or your old routine has stopped working, Texas UV is likely the variable you're not accounting for.
Why Texas UV Is Harder on Skin Than Most People Expect
Dallas sits at a latitude of 33 degrees north — similar to Los Angeles — but with significantly different weather patterns. Unlike LA, Dallas has limited coastal marine layer and frequent clear skies that maximize UV transmission. The UV index regularly reaches 8 to 10 (very high to extreme) from April through September and stays above 5 for most of the rest of the year. UV above 3 is enough to cause cumulative skin damage with unprotected exposure. Altitude also matters: Denver (5,280 feet) actually delivers higher UV than Dallas, but many other transplant origins — Chicago, New York, Seattle, the UK — have significantly lower UV loads.
The surprise factor for most newcomers is winter. In Chicago or New York, December through February is genuinely low UV risk and many people abandon SPF entirely. In Dallas, the UV index in December averages around 3 to 4 — still enough for cumulative damage on regularly exposed skin. Moving here and maintaining a winter SPF hiatus from a northern-city habit means your face is unprotected at a time you've been conditioned to think is safe.
How to Adjust Your Skincare Routine
The immediate priority is upgrading your sun protection. SPF 30 is a floor in Texas; SPF 50 is more appropriate for daily use, and a physical blocker (zinc oxide-based) is more effective for consistent, broad-spectrum coverage. Reapplication matters if you're outside for more than two hours — especially during spring and summer. A good SPF product should be the last step in your morning routine before leaving the house, every day of the year.
If you moved from a more humid climate, you may find Texas dry seasons (fall and winter) more drying than expected, while spring humidity can make oily-skin issues worse. A simple two-product adjustment — lighter moisturizer in spring/summer, richer barrier cream in fall/winter — and a consistent retinoid applied in the evening will address most of the routine recalibration needed. Give your skin three months with any new routine before judging it; the climate adjustment takes time.
Treatments to Consider After Establishing in Texas
If you've been in Dallas for two or more years and haven't been vigilant about sun protection, a baseline skin assessment is worth scheduling. IPL (intense pulsed light) is the most efficient treatment for addressing accumulated pigmentation and vascular changes — it targets both brown spots and redness in a single session. A provider can assess the degree of UV damage and create a realistic plan. Many patients who've relocated find this a natural starting point.
Ongoing maintenance in Texas typically involves IPL or laser once or twice per year to stay ahead of new pigmentation, combined with a strong at-home routine. This is a different maintenance schedule than what most people needed in lower-UV climates, and it's worth factoring into your budget and planning. Think of it as adapting to a new climate's demands — similar to how you'd adjust your home maintenance for Texas weather.
FAQ
I've been in Dallas for a few years without good sun protection. How much damage is done?
The encouraging answer is that skin has significant repair capacity, and the most important driver of future damage (ongoing unprotected exposure) is entirely controllable from today forward. The UV damage that's already occurred can be addressed with professional treatments — IPL and laser for pigmentation, Morpheus8 for structural changes — and consistent at-home use of SPF and retinoids will prevent new damage from accumulating. Starting now produces meaningfully better long-term outcomes than starting later.
Is tanning still possible with proper sun protection, or will SPF 50 prevent any color?
SPF 50 blocks about 98% of UVB rays (the burning rays) and a significant portion of UVA. In practice, most people using SPF 50 correctly can still develop some color from extended outdoor exposure — it significantly reduces but doesn't eliminate UV interaction with skin. The goal isn't a zero-tan aesthetic requirement; it's preventing the cumulative UV-driven damage that causes premature aging and melanocyte changes. Gradual incidental color while wearing SPF daily is a very different exposure profile than direct sun tanning.
Need help now?
Book a skin assessment at Summer House Medspa if you've relocated to Dallas — we'll give you an honest baseline and a practical plan.