Beware of the effects of blue lighton your skin

Dr Vikas Sharma

Till date almost everyone is familiar with the sun’s ultraviolet radiations and its effects on skin, like tanning, premature skin-ageing, pre-cancerous skin lesions and skin cancers, and the methods to protect themselves from these harmful radiations. We all have to be aware of the long-term effects of UV radiations, but now a new name has been added to the list — blue light.

What is blue light?

Blue light rays are the short-wavelength, high energy visible light rays in the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelength ranges from 380 to 500nm. Due to shorter wavelength, they can penetrate into the skin up-to the depth of 1.5 mm and scatter more easily because of high energy. Due to shorter wavelength, they can penetrate into the skin up-to the depth of 1.5 mm and scatter more easily because of high energy. Long-term exposure to blue light can cause serious damage to our skin.

Major sources

Sunlight is the most significant natural source of blue light. Artificial sources include electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, computers, tablets as well as energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs (CFL), LED lights and flat screen LED televisions.

Impact on the skin

Some preliminary research shows that blue light can prompt the formation of free radicals, which break down collagen and cause inflammation, leading to redness, dark spots, early wrinkling and premature skin ageing. Too much blue light may also darken skin leading to skin hyper-pigmentation, especially in genetically susceptible.

Guard yourself

1. Use sunscreen: Not all sunscreens provide protection against blue light. It is advisable to use newer broad spectrum sunscreens with advanced nano-particles that provide better protection against both UVA, UVB as well as visible light. Look for the labels like broad spectrum, nano-technology with newer filters such as zinc-oxide, titanium-dioxide or iron-oxide.

2. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid can be used in conjunction to enhance the effectiveness of sunscreen.

3. Use blue light screen protectors if you spend most of the time working in front of a computer.

5. Turn on the night mode in case of cellphone or laptop.

6. Always take rest in between long working hours.

(Dr Sharma is a Chandigarh-based

dermatologist)