Is Your iPhone Ruining Your Skin?
If you spend most of the day staring at a screen, take heed: there's news that light from mobile devices ages your skin. Terrifying, we know. Before you start swearing off electronics for good, however, allow some experts to clear things up.
"It's not really talked about in the U.S. yet, but among beauty-conscious people in Japan, there is a lot of information," Kyoko Hayashi, Mirai Clinical founder and esthetician, said, pointing to findings she's read here and here. They all explain that "blue light" or high-energy visible (HEV) light emitted from your phones, computers, and tablets penetrates more deeply into layers of skin than the sun's UV rays, thus accelerating aging. "It damages really worse than UVB or UVA, [hitting the] skin deeper, where collagen or hyaluronic acid or elastin resides," Hayashi claimed.
Beauty companies have already taken note, marketing products promising to shield your skin from HEV light like a primer by MAKE, a sunscreen by Soap & Glory, and a Lancôme lotion only available, of course, in Japan.
Howard Sobel, NYC-based dermatologist and founder of DDF skincare, said that there is potentially reason to worry. "One of the more striking scientific discoveries is that skin damage caused by high energy visible light may be as harmful as the damage caused by UVA and UVB light combined," he said, adding that we still lack extensive scientific research.
After some digging on our end, there's little more information available aside from this oft-cited 2013 article (paid for by skincare company). One 2008 study concluded blue light delays skin barrier recovery after exposure, and another 2014 study said that, compared to UVB radiation, blue-violet light resulted in more pronounced hyperpigmentation, but there's really no further concrete evidence of the extent that HEV exposure may cause in the long run.
Bottom line: no need to freak out about your electronic devices causing wrinkles. Sobel suggests SPF is still your best bet against skin damage from all sources of light. But consider this a cue to put your phone down. It may not be totally wrecking your skin, but that blue light is still definitely taking a toll on your sleeping pattern. SIGH.
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