Blue light can damage eyes and skin; see how to protect yourself

The modern world is marked by the presence of screens. They’re everywhere: on cell phones, TVs, car dashboards, and even smartwatches. There is no escape, we are exposed to them all the time.

They may seem harmless at first, but the glow they emit can damage our eyes and skin. This is because a large part of it is made up of color. blue, a very energetic range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Know the evils of the call blue light Why and how can you protect yourself?

According to physicists, light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that we can see. It has two important properties that will determine other properties: frequency and wavelength, both of which are related to each other.

For example, it is the different frequencies that determine the colors we can see. It also determines a certain amount of energy carried by the radiation.

Such is the case with ultraviolet light, for example: it is high-frequency, but also very energetic, and can damage our skin if we spend a lot of time in the sun without sunscreen. In the long run, this radiation can even lead to skin cancer.

Is blue light harmful to the skin?

this blue light It also has a high energy, but does not reach ultraviolet radiation levels. Therefore, it does not cause any health problems on a daily basis: our skin evolves to cope with the natural levels of this color.

However, problems arise when this exposure is too much. This is our situation today, when we spend hours in front of screens at work or in our spare time.

There are already studies on the phenomenon showing that this radiation causes oxidative stress, increased cytokine concentration, acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other skin damage.

On average, the results show that only one hour of contact with LED lights at night is harmful to health. Therefore, looking for ways to limit exposure time can be a good way to protect our skin.

What are the benefits of blue light lenses?

It’s not just the skin that suffers blue light, the eyes are also susceptible to damage caused by them. Evidence suggests that this type of radiation can cause permanent damage to vision.

One of the problems this causes is macular degeneration, a disease that affects the central area of ​​the retina. The arrival of light in this area triggers the emergence of molecules that damage the tissue and cause vision loss.

An alternative to avoid the consequences of exposure is to use blue lenses. Increasingly popular with eyeglass wearers, these eyeglasses are also available for those who don’t need it.

Does blue light disrupt sleep?

Despite the harms of long-term exposure, blue light It is necessary for a very important process in our body: the circadian cycle. This way, our skin knows how to tell the brain whether it is daytime, time to stay awake, or time to rest at night.

But with the advent of the 21st century and the spread of artificial lights, our bodies are bombarded with mild stimuli and it’s hard to tell if we’re going to sleep – remember that these processes are unconscious.

Therefore blue light It can disturb our sleep. Experts recommend avoiding it overnight, at least an hour before bed. It is also possible to use light filters to stop the problem. Software such as f.lux regulates the brightness of computers at certain times of the day.

The problem was particularly worrisome during the coronavirus pandemic. coronavirus. Due to the isolation measures, many people around the world have increased their screen time. And then the internet came up with reports of the craziest and weirdest dreams possible.

Scientific research has also shown that blue light It affects the natural production of melatonin, the hormones involved in sleep, and can cause sleepless nights. This problem can also have other health implications.

Reducing exposure by reducing the usage time of electronic devices, using filter glasses and using sunscreen daily are good practices to be adopted to protect our skin, eyes and sleep from its negative effects. blue light.