We spend many hours in front of a screen. A lot of them. Especially in the last few months, we have almost all spent more time than usual in front of the computer, the TV or the mobile phone. There are people who have to spend a large part of the day in front of the computer for work, many others have had to stay at home without being able to go out and have spent more hours than usual on social networks, YouTube, surfing the internet, or watching series and films. And the question that arises is: is the light that these devices emit harmless? What consequences can be caused by spending so much time in front of a screen? Learn more about Digital Ageing.
Well, it all depends on how long we are exposed to it, the intensity of each light, if we do it every day… but in short, the consequences of this exposure are similar to exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, although with less intensity. What sunlight does to us in 5 minutes, screens can do between 5 and 10 whole days but not because it is softer you have to stop paying attention to it. Many people spend 8 hours a day in front of the computer and to that we must add the hours of TV and the hours we spend looking at the mobile phone.
HEV light (High Energy Visible) penetrates the layers of the skin generating free radicals and accelerating the process of skin ageing. Moreover, continuous exposure to this radiation sets off the production of melanin in a disorderly way, giving rise to spots and hyperpigmentation in areas of the face, the most common being the cheekbones, the forehead.
Until now, the spectrum of visible light had not been considered harmful to skin health but that is changing in recent times. It has been demonstrated that overexposure to these radiations causes a decrease in the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid and as a consequence we suffer a loss of elasticity and firmness in the skin of the face prematurely.
The hydration of the skin is also affected by these electromagnetic waves. Have not you noticed that in these months your skin is tighter and has a much duller appearance and a less smooth skin feeling? This is because the visible light that these devices emit damages the cell membranes of our facial skin giving us a tired skin look. And as I said before, it can lead to the appearance of new spots and all the problems that result from them.
Nowadays it would be impossible to pretend to live in a world without screens to avoid this damage to the skin, but it is in our hands to be responsible and protect ourselves from all this radiation that reaches the skin just as we do when we expose ourselves to the sun.
It is essential to use a sun protection factor daily in the morning before we go to work even when we are at home or at the office, this will prevent DNA damage and alterations that could end up in cell death.
There are cosmetics that already have a bluescreen filter and prevent this radiation from penetrating our skin. Many of them are also reinforced with antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin A or vitamin E to prevent premature skin aging.
Also, due to the use of mobile phones, the skin on our neck is more flaccid because we bend the neck down much longer than we should, thus favouring the appearance of jowls and pain in the cervical area.
As far as possible, we should do our part and use computers, tablets, mobile phones and television with common sense. The damage to our skin now will have consequences later on, so it does not cost anything to change our habits a little and introduce a routine to protect our skin on a daily basis, even at home or at the office.
Did you know that this radiation was so harmful? Tell me in the comments if you have noticed something on your skin after all these months at home and if you have put a remedy to it to get back a beautiful and healthy skin.
