YIKES! Your phone could be ageing your skin!
Want to stay looking young and fresh-faced for as long as possible? Then step away from your mobile phone, girlfriend!
Yep, that’s right. Apparently, our devices could be contributing towards ageing our skin.
How your phone could be ageing your skin!
We’ve all heard the scaremongering about how mobile phones and tablets may be bad for our health, but they may also be doing harm to our looks – and that isn’t good news for our selfies!
According to skin experts and dermatologists, the high-energy visible light (HEV) our devices emit, also known as blue light, may potentially be penetrating our skin more deeply than UV rays causing damage to our elastin and collagen.
In fact, studies show that HEV decreases the number of carotenoids found in the skin which can lead to discolouration and age spots.
“I don’t think we’ve reached the point where HEV light is an emergency yet,” Elizabeth Tanzi, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at George Washington University Medical Center. Derms tells Shape.
“We know the effects of the sun are so much more damaging than anything else, so it’s crucial not to forgo sunscreen in favour of an HEV guard.”
And if that wasn’t bad enough, how we hold our phones can also give us wrinkles! If we’re looking down then it can cause the neck and chin area to sag.
What’s more, looking at your phone too often may cause your eyes to strain, especially in the glare of the screen, and this can cause problems with your eyesight as well.
Lastly, mobiles might be the reason we get breakouts on our skin, as our phones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilets seats.
“Anything that causes repeated friction if you’re acne prone can produce blemishes,” adds Dr. Tanzi.
“If you’re sticking your phone up against your face all the time and pushing it into your cheek, it can irritate and clog pores.”
So there you have it! But until more research is done, we say don’t throw your phone in the bin just yet!
