Blue light damaged skin is going to be the most common skin complaint post lockdown. Vaijayanti Bhalachandra explains.
The global lockdown has meant that our communication is mainly through mobiles and laptops which emit blue light. We have been on more chats, emails andvideo-conferencing than ever before. All these gadgets emit blue light detrimental to our skin.
SSWEEKLY asks Vaijayanti Balachandra, Co-Founder YLG India, and HBS Skinpro Competition Jury Member, for her expert inputs.
Does blue light exposure really accelerate skin ageing? How?
Blue light is established to affect the circadian rhythm of a person more strongly than any other wavelengths. Blue wavelengths which are beneficial during daytime are disruptive at night, and can cause loss of sleep which could eventually lead to skin ageing over a period.
What should working professionals know about the impact of blue light exposure on skin, especially during this lockdown?
The lockdown has made companies get on to virtual platforms to manage work. While screens may not be excessively harmful during the day, it’s important to understand how long you’re exposing yourself to blue light emissions.
Blue wavelengths during night time are most powerful in preventing secretion of melatonin (almost twice as much as green light) and shifts
circadian rhythms by almost 3 hours, leading to lack of sleep. Blue light from gadgets in the night, penetrating into the skin contributes to the development of wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation, and premature ageing.
“Blue light from gadgets in the night, penetrate into the skin and contribute to the development of wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation, and premature ageing.”
What treatments can aestheticians offer to minimise the damaging effects of blue light?
Hydration, Moisturisation, Anti-ageing and De-pigmentation are some of the treatments. They can be any kind of facials. The important part is using right products for facials and subsequent retail for care at home. As far as LED light treatment is concerned, it slows down the ageing process, hence has been used for various skin treatments, one of which is to counter acne. It also helps in conditioning the skin and getting rid of free radicals.
A quick tip you would like to give?
Hydration of skin is the surest way to counter skin damage due to excessive blue light exposure effects.
