Digital devices not only cause damage to posture and vision but also to the skin from the effects of blue light.
Why does blue light cause skin damage? And what is blue light? We will explain each in this article.
What is blue light?
Sunlight consists of many wavelengths, including ultraviolet (A and B), visible light, and infrared. You often hear about ultraviolet A and B in discussions about sun protection and sunscreen, but it is generally accepted that ultraviolet A causes skin aging and ultraviolet B causes redness and dark black.
About 10% of solar radiation is ultraviolet radiation, 40% is visible light, and 50% is infrared radiation. A small fraction of visible light is called high-energy light (HEV).
Blue light is part of the color spectrum of light, has a high energy, wavelength between 380nm and 500nm. It is blue or blue in color and is produced by a variety of sources including sunlight, lights, phone screens, computers, televisions, and other electronic devices.
Things that emit blue light in our lives
The blue light emitted by sunlight has existed for a long time. However, over the past decade, this has become a topic of increasing interest. The reason for this is due to the increasing number of artificial objects emitting blue light in life, leading to the potential risk of being affected by blue light.
Smartphones and game consoles have twice as much blue light as LCD TVs, which means we are constantly exposed to blue light in our daily lives.
Next, consider the negative effects of this daily exposure to blue light.
How does blue light affect our body?
Blue light plays an essential role in our lives in regulating the body clock. However, this is the blue light we are exposed to during the day. When we live with the sun, we are only exposed to blue light during the day and have no problems.
However, today with the prevalence of smartphones, game consoles and computers, we are exposed to blue light for longer periods of time. Have you ever used your smartphone or played a game until bedtime?
Blue light plays a role in regulating the body's internal clock by reaching the retina, but that's not its only role.
In fact, it also affects body temperature regulation and hormonal balance.
Today, people are exposed to blue light even after sunset through the use of smartphones, game consoles, and other devices. Because we are exposed to bright light even at night, when we shouldn't be exposed to blue light, our hormonal balance rhythm is also disrupted.
When the internal rhythms of the body are disturbed, sleep disturbances will occur, such as difficulty falling asleep and not sleeping well. This makes it difficult to wake up refreshed and tired in the morning.
Continued sleep deprivation and chronic fatigue can even lead to various diseases such as obesity, depression, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
It is currently unknown to what extent and how long exposure to blue light causes adverse effects.
However, it is a fact that people's daily lives are starting to be affected by the increasing number of smartphones and game consoles they own and how long they spend using them.
Does blue light cause sunburn?
The answer is no. Blue light does not cause sunburn. However, some studies have shown that high-energy light can destroy collagen (a protein needed to keep skin plump and firm), causing aging, wrinkled skin. wrinkling with hyperpigmentation and skin discoloration.
At this point, you're more likely to be exposed to the visible rays emitted by the sun than to your phone, so don't panic just because you're on your phone!
Most of the blue light we are exposed to in a day is most likely brought by sunlight and not by smartphones or computer screens. But chances are blue light destroys collagen, leading to sagging and other signs of aging. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the skin from blue light as well as ultraviolet A and B rays.
But if you usually use sunscreen and wear UV-protective clothing when you go out, then you won't need to worry too much about applying sunscreen indoors. Instead, it is better to take measures that can be easily applied.
If you want to learn complete solutions against blue light, read this article 8 ways to protect skin from blue light
More information at: World Health Organization