Constant exposure to screens may be impacting more than just mental health; it could be prematurely aging your skin due to blue light exposure. The culprit behind this skin aging is blue light emitted from screens.Licensed esthetician Emily Tichy explained the process.”So that blue light that’s being emitted is actually stimulating the skin to create more pigment to also create more fine lines and wrinkles and just to age the skin prematurely,” she said.She compared the effects of blue light to those of UVA rays from the sun, noting that “the blue light waves that you’re seeing are more in that damaging wavelengths of like the UVA rays.”Beyond wrinkles, screens can cause various skin issues.”You’re going to have more issues with skin circulation, more redness. You’re going to have a less collagen production. So you’re just going to see overall maybe a dullness,” Tichy said.However, there are ways to combat these effects. Tichy highlighted the benefits of common skincare ingredients, stating, “niacinamide, vitamin E. All of those are in some of the most common skin care products today.” She also recommended vitamin C, which “protects against that blue light aging” and “helps stimulate the cells.”Sunscreen is another effective tool, as it doesn’t just protect against the sun but also blocks blue light. Tichy advised using “a sunscreen that has zinc oxide and or titanium dioxide. Those are physical mineral sunscreens that will help protect and block that blue light.”Finally, Tichy suggested applying vitamin C before bed, especially if you plan to spend time on screens after washing your face.”When you’re going to bed, if you commonly wash your face, and then sit on a screen for hours, you should be applying that vitamin C right after you cleanse your face,” she said.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
Constant exposure to screens may be impacting more than just mental health; it could be prematurely aging your skin due to blue light exposure. The culprit behind this skin aging is blue light emitted from screens.
Licensed esthetician Emily Tichy explained the process.
“So that blue light that’s being emitted is actually stimulating the skin to create more pigment to also create more fine lines and wrinkles and just to age the skin prematurely,” she said.
She compared the effects of blue light to those of UVA rays from the sun, noting that “the blue light waves that you’re seeing are more in that damaging wavelengths of like the UVA rays.”
Beyond wrinkles, screens can cause various skin issues.
“You’re going to have more issues with skin circulation, more redness. You’re going to have a less collagen production. So you’re just going to see overall maybe a dullness,” Tichy said.
However, there are ways to combat these effects. Tichy highlighted the benefits of common skincare ingredients, stating, “niacinamide, vitamin E. All of those are in some of the most common skin care products today.” She also recommended vitamin C, which “protects against that blue light aging” and “helps stimulate the cells.”
Sunscreen is another effective tool, as it doesn’t just protect against the sun but also blocks blue light. Tichy advised using “a sunscreen that has zinc oxide and or titanium dioxide. Those are physical mineral sunscreens that will help protect and block that blue light.”
Finally, Tichy suggested applying vitamin C before bed, especially if you plan to spend time on screens after washing your face.
“When you’re going to bed, if you commonly wash your face, and then sit on a screen for hours, you should be applying that vitamin C right after you cleanse your face,” she said.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
