Screens have become an unseverable part of our lives. In this digital era, most of us are spending over 12 hours on our screens daily. Consider this, you are reading this article on your mobile, laptop or other digital device and it is affecting your skin.
We all know that being glued to screens is bad for your eyes. But were you aware that the blue light emitted from these devices is also harmful to your skin? We will explain how. What is blue light? Blue light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, with wavelengths ranging from 400 to 490 nanometers.
Also known as high energy visible (HEV) light, blue light is visible to the human eye, unlike ultraviolet (UV) light which is invisible. “The sun is the main source of blue light, but digital screens such as TVs, laptops and mobile phones are additional sources, as well as LED and fluorescent lighting,” cosmetic dermatologist Dr Connie Yang told HuffPost. Besides impacting eyes, blue light exposure can disrupt sleep cycles.
Blue light’s impact on skin Blue light can penetrate the skin and cause several problems such as premature ageing and hyperpigmentation. It damages collagen through oxidative stress, as per a New York Times (NYT) report. As blue light can create oxidative stress destroying skin cells, collagen, and elastin fibres, this can result in the skin losing its elasticity and firmness, contributing to premature ageing, Dr Deepali Bhardwaj, a dermatologist and anti-allergy specialist, wrote for ThePrint.
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