Healthy ageing

NH’s Talking About: Blue Light Damage

This new research is sure to make you re-think your technology usage

How many times a day to you flip out your phone and tap the screen to submit yourself to the digital sphere? If you’re like us, the number is probably quite high.

While getting your phone out to check pending notifications, texts, and emails, or to take a sly selfie, might seem pretty harmless, but new research is urging us to be wary. Apparently, your phone, and other technological devices, have the potential to do damage to your skin. To find out more, we caught up with Debbie Thomas, an advanced skin and laser specialist.

Debbie told us that we should be aware of, blue light, specifically “high-energy visible light (HVE) and infra-red light (IR), which is produced by phones, tablets, and monitor screens, as well as LED and florescent light bulbs. These lights actually penetrate the skin more deeply than UV rays from the sun, causing similar damage.”

“This light emitted from your seemingly harmless screens can break down the skin’s DNA, which can inhibit the skin from repairing itself, and can cause oxidative stress on cells, which results in free-radical damage, equating to loss of collagen, weaker skin, redness and pigmentation: all the signs of premature ageing.” Sounds like something we’d rather avoid!

Luckily, Debbie told us that there’s a thing or two we can do to avoid the damage. “The less you use these devices, the less exposure you will get – so step away from spending hours scrolling through your social media feeds, because it’s ageing you.”

Avoid using screens outdoors, too, because the screen actually reflects extra UV light from the sun onto your skin, giving you double the damage. Take a high strength antioxidant every morning (and night, if you use screens in the evening or have LED lights at home), and use modern triple defence sunscreens which block some of the IR rays, as well as traditional UVA and UVB rays.”

If you’re concerned about the potential damage your tech can do to your skin, it would be a good idea to invest in a protective face cream. We recommend HEVL SPF 50 Face Crème. It protects the skin from blue light and can be bought for £19.95 from the skinshop.co.uk.