If you’re reading this right now, blue light is shining on your face. This is the nature of life today. The average person spends about six and a half hours on the internet daily, on some kind of device. Of course, this varies by age: younger people (we’re looking at you, Gen Z!), spend an extra two hours on top of that on screens with that hypnotic blue light sinking into their skin cells. And while we could say plenty about the effects of spending that much time on screens, we’re just going to focus on this one question: How does blue light affect you and your skin health? And how can laser skin treatment help repair and mitigate the potential damage?
Today we dig into the blue-light skin effects with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Henry who works in the Avon office of Apex Skin. She developed a passion for skin health while in medical school and has treated everyone from infants to grandparents, focusing on educating patients about keeping their biggest organ healthy and vibrant.
Understanding Blue Light
What even is blue light, anyway? Blue light puts the “B” in “ROY G. BIV”, the fun preschool acronym that reminds us of the entire, visible spectrum of light radiating from the sun: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The sun provides us with the strongest source of blue light. Of course, the sun also beams light wavelengths we can’t see, including the UVA and UVB rays we know can cause premature aging and skin cancer. Artificial sources of blue light come from our phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, and the LED lights we flip on to light our way at work and home. Even though those blue light levels are considerably lower than those beaming down from the sun, the sheer number of hours we spend aiming that blue light on our faces and into our eyes has dermatologists like Henry worried.
“Blue light may affect our skin negatively by causing oxidative stress leading to accelerated aging, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, loss of elasticity, and collagen damage,” Henry explains. “It is unclear what dose, if any, is safe and we are constantly using our devices more and more.”
Now, there is some evidence that blue light, in short, clinically-administered doses can improve skin health. In fact, light therapy or “phototherapy” has been shown to help with conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, when administered in controlled settings. What Henry most worries about, however, is the long, unchecked hours of exposure to blue light that our skin receives every day.
“Most often, we think of protecting ourselves from the sun,” she says. “But do we think of protecting ourselves from the light exposure from our devices? The length of time a person sits in front of a screen for work, school, and fun can add up.”
So the trick is to use light wisely and protect ourselves from the dangers of overexposure. Some wise, helpful uses of light that can reverse sun damage and blue light damage specifically include skin laser treatment to reverse the damage that’s already happened.
How Does Blue Light Affect Skin Health?
So, exactly how does blue light affect you? Well, we already have years of evidence that excess blue light can cause eye strain and sleep problems. As for skin damage caused by blue light, that happens because of how it penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin.
Visible light, including blue light, reaches through the epidermis and into the dermis. Studies demonstrate that overexposure to blue light can trigger dysfunction inside of cells that damages DNA and causes oxidative stress to the skin through free radical action. This negative impact of blue light then stimulates inflammation in the skin cells, which can also disrupt and damage the skin barrier, which is especially troublesome to people who already have issues like eczema. All of this blue light activity can then damage collagen and elastin production—two of the especially critical proteins that protect and give structure to the skin. Some of the potential skin issues worsened by blue light overexposure include:
Other Harmful Effects of Digital Devices
Blue light isn’t the only health hazard that beams out at us from all the devices we use all day long. There are other forms of radiation that scientists are looking into that deserve our attention and caution: High-Energy Visible Light (HEV) and Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs). Our exposure to these increases with the long-term use of digital devices, and scientists are only now beginning to unpack the potential health effects. As for skin health, it seems that increased skin irritation, inflammation, sensitivity, and the worsening of existing skin conditions are definite concerns.
Prevention: Protecting Your Skin from Blue Light
The first step to mitigating blue-light skin damage is to protect your skin. The second step is to repair and reverse the damage, which we will discuss in a minute. As Dr. Henry insists, sunscreen is the most important first line of defense:
“The most important thing you can do to protect against blue light skin damage is sun protection. Always use an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, on all exposed skin,” she says. “Use it even when you don’t think you are going outside. The amount of time someone may be exposed to technology screens is upwards of 7 to 11 hours per day. So, look for tinted sunscreens with active ingredients like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to get the most protection.”
Dr. Henry also highly recommends using antioxidant-rich skin care products and moisturizers that protect and fortify the skin barrier. She also says that you can add another level of blue light protection by incorporating the following tools into your digital day:
- Blue-light-blocking screen protectors for computers and laptops
- Blue-light-blocking eyeglasses
There is some evidence that these tools can help reduce exposure to blue light, especially for people who have to use screens for many hours at work or at school. “Dimming your screens and limiting screen time may also be beneficial,” says Henry. Remember to stay hydrated, focus on healthy nutrition, and take regular rest and exercise breaks to “touch grass” away from the screens. These things are all important for overall health and wellness.
Repair: Skin Treatments and Recommendations
If you have been experiencing skin irritation or damage from blue light, or if you have been a little lax about applying sunscreen in the past, Apex Skin provides excellent professional laser skin treatment, chemical peel, microneedling, and antioxidant facial options that can repair skin damage and rejuvenate the skin at the cellular level.
Chemical peels, for instance, work by sloughing off and removing damaged outer layers of skin to reveal healthier skin underneath. Antioxidant facials infuse the skin with a burst of healing antioxidants that replenish nutrients and stimulate collagen and elastin production to rejuvenate the skin. Microneedling stimulates the skin’s natural healing process by creating tiny, controlled injuries that encourage collagen production, improving texture and firmness. And then there are laser skin treatment options that work wonders for all kinds of skin problems related to blue light overexposure.
Laser Skin Treatment Repairs Skin Damage from Blue Light
Laser treatments are the targeted use of beneficial wavelengths of light that can reverse blue light, sunlight, and other types of skin damage. These are the types of laser treatments skin loves because fractional lasers can improve texture and tone by targeting the deeper layers of the skin to stimulate regenerative processes.
“They can decrease pigmentation, improve skin texture, and exfoliate for brighter skin,” says Henry. “People with all skin types and tones can benefit from laser treatments.” Apex Skin locations use several different types of lasers, all tuned to perform targeted actions that help repair the skin. In addition to reducing sun and blue light damage, skin laser treatment can smooth out fine wrinkles and reduce the visibility of acne scars. “Laser treatments can also treat scars, acne, hair removal, red spots, and spider veins just to name a few,” says Henry.
For reversing blue light skin damage, Henry recommends: “Nonablative Resurfx and Fraxel are beneficial, as well as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) devices. These laser treatments can affect collagen production, skin tightening, and even out skin complexion to a much greater extent than over-the-counter skin care alone.”
Laser Treatments Skin Results: How to Get Rejuvenate Skin after Blue-Light Damage
Because everyone has a unique skin profile, it’s important to visit your dermatology provider before embarking on a course of laser treatments to reduce blue-light damage. Your dermatologist can examine your skin and discuss your medical history with you first, and then together you can plan a series of laser treatments that can revitalize your skin and repair damage and scars. Typically, a series of treatments produces the best results.
“Monthly treatments are the most helpful,” explains Henry. “Committing to 4-6 months of laser treatments and additional treatments improves and lengthens the skin repair, and patients are much more impressed with results and continued improvement.”
Henry adds that additional treatments that accentuate the benefits of laser skin therapy include strategically timed chemical peels like the Diamond Glow treatment and other medical-grade skin care products. It’s always important to consult with your dermatology provider so you can choose products that will provide the best results for your unique skin situation.
Try Laser Skin Treatment in Northeast Ohio to Combat Blue Light Skin Damage
With our hectic days of doing so much online for work, school, and entertainment, eliminating blue light from your life entirely is probably a bridge too far. But understanding its potential harms and the ways that you can protect yourself from them can reduce its damaging effects. Remember to apply sunscreen daily, take regular screen breaks, stay hydrated, try blue light-blocking screens and eyeglasses to protect yourself, and schedule a consultation with Dr. Henry at our Avon location, or with a different provider at your nearest Apex Skin location to discuss your skin rejuvenation and repair needs.
Dr. Henry is a board-certified dermatologist practicing at the Apex Skin Westlake office. Dr. Henry grew up in Medina, OH. From an early age she was influenced by her grandmother, an anesthesiologist who was one of only 4 women in medical school at her time. Dr. Henry observed how important and exciting her grandmother’s interaction with patients was, and the meaningful impact she had on their lives and knew that she would like to impact her community similarly.
After completing undergraduate and masters degrees from Boston University, Dr. Henry determined that her interests led her to a more hands-on application approach to health care. Early on during medical school, she fell in love with dermatology and was determined to go that route. She loves the direct patient care that includes both medical and procedural treatments and offers a diverse patient variety infants through adults.
