Yes, Blue Light from Your Phone Can Harm Your Skin, Dermatologist Explains

Robina (Australia), July 25 (The Conversation) Social media is full of claims that everyday habits can be damaging to your skin. It is also full of recommendations or advertisements for products that can protect you.

Now social media is targeting the blue light emitted by our devices.

Can scrolling through our phones really damage our skin? And will applying creams or lotions help? Here’s what the evidence says, and what we should really be focusing on.

Remind me what blue light actually is? Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. The strongest source is sunlight. But our electronic devices—phones, laptops, and TVs—also emit it, albeit at levels 100 to 1,000 times lower.

Given that we spend so much time using these devices, there have been some concerns about the impact of blue light on our health, including our eyes and sleep.

We are now learning more about the effects of blue light on our skin.

How does blue light affect the skin? Evidence about the effects of blue light on the skin is still emerging. But there are some interesting findings.

1. Blue light may increase pigmentation Studies suggest that exposure to blue light can stimulate the production of melanin, the natural skin pigment that gives skin its color. So too much blue light could potentially worsen hyperpigmentation—the overproduction of melanin that leads to dark patches on the skin—especially in people with darker skin tones.

2. Blue light can cause wrinkles. Some studies suggest that blue light can damage collagen, a protein essential to skin structure, potentially accelerating the formation of wrinkles. Laboratory studies suggest this can happen if you hold a device within one centimeter of your skin for just an hour.

However, for most people, if you hold the device more than 10 cm from the skin, that will reduce exposure by a factor of 100. So it is much less likely to be significant.

3. Blue light can disrupt sleep by affecting the skin If the skin around your eyes looks dull or puffy, it’s easy to blame blue light directly. But as we know, blue light affects sleep, so you’re probably seeing some of the visible signs of sleep deprivation.

We know that blue light is particularly good at suppressing the production of melatonin. This natural hormone normally signals to our bodies when it’s time to sleep and helps regulate our sleep-wake cycles.

Exposure to blue light before bed suppresses the secretion of melatonin, disrupting this natural process. This makes it harder to fall asleep, and the quality of sleep can deteriorate.

The stimulating nature of screen content further disrupts sleep. Social media feeds, news articles, video games, and even work emails can keep our brains active and alert, making it harder to transition into sleep.

Long-term sleep problems can also worsen existing skin conditions such as acne, eczema or rosacea.

Sleep deprivation can raise levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that breaks down collagen, a protein responsible for skin firmness. Sleep deprivation can also weaken the skin’s natural barrier, making it more susceptible to environmental damage and dryness.

Can skincare protect me? The beauty industry has seized on concerns about blue light and is offering a range of protective products, including mists, serums and lip glosses.

From a practical standpoint, it’s likely only people with the more severe hyperpigmentation known as melasma should be concerned about the blue light emitted by devices.

This condition requires that the skin be well protected from visible light at all times. The only products that are completely effective are those that block all light, namely mineral-based sunscreens or some cosmetics. If you can’t see through them, they will be effective.

However, there is a lack of rigorous testing of opaque products outside of labs. This makes it difficult to assess their effectiveness and whether they are worth adding to your skincare routine.

What can I do to minimize blue light? Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize your exposure to blue light, especially at night when it can disrupt your sleep: – Use the “night mode” setting on your device or use a blue light filter app to reduce your exposure to blue light in the evening – Minimize screen time before bed and create a relaxing bedtime routine to avoid sleep disruptions that can affect the health of your skin – Keep your phone or device away from your skin to minimize exposure to blue light – Use sunscreen. Mineral and physical sunscreens containing titanium dioxide and iron oxides provide broad protection, including against blue light.

In short, blue light exposure has been linked to some skin problems, particularly pigmentation in darker-skinned individuals. However, research is ongoing.

Although skin care products that protect against blue light show promising results, more testing is needed to determine their effectiveness.

For now, the priority is good sun protection with a broad-spectrum sunscreen that not only protects against UV radiation but also against light. (The Conversation) NSA NSA

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a feed.)