Even the blue light we get from our screens can damage our skin, said researchers.
Selfie-addicts, take note! Constantly exposing your face to the light and radiation from smartphones may damage your skin, speeding up ageing and promoting wrinkles, dermatologists have warned.
Doctors can tell which hand a person holds their phone in just by looking at which side of the face is most damaged, they said. “Those who take a lot of selfies and bloggers should worry. Even the blue light we get from our screens can damage our skin,” said Simon Zoakei, Medical Director of the Linia Skin Clinic in the UK.
Experts feel that electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones ages skin by damaging the DNA. It can cause breaks in the DNA strand which can prevent skin repairing itself and place oxidative stress on cells, ultimately promoting wrinkles, the Telegraph reported.
“You start to see dull dirty looking texture that you cannot identify on one side of the face,” said Zein Obagi, who founded the Obagi Skin health Institute in the US. “I think we need to create a defence mechanism, light has some sort of magnetic think that is happening to the skin. This magnetic field is altering the minerals in the skin. A sunscreen will not protect you,” said Obagi.
Selfies are as damaging to skin as sunbathing, experts warn
“The blue rays from smartphone screens can do more damage than too much sunshine, so I would urge youngsters in particular to be extra careful.”
The clinician warns that selfie-induced skin damage will become increasingly commonplace in the future with the rise of social media apps Instagram and Snapchat.
She added: “Women, in particular, have problems with sensitive skin and tend to be the ones who use more products.”
But before you stock up on moisturizers and sunscreen, Cheeney says that ordinary skin care products “won’t reverse the harm that’s already been done.”
A specific product to protect from blue light containing organic jojoba and aloe vera should be use apart from sunscreen.