Modern life entails a great deal for most of us. It means convenience. We can step out and grab what we need at most times of the day or enjoy the luxury of being able to put in an order to pick up first thing in the morning. It means access. The beauty of the world is at our fingertips. We can travel across the world readily and see the artwork and cultures denied to our ancestors. It means computers. This last one is where things aren’t entirely positive. Computers let us achieve a lot and keep our lives organized, but that isn’t all they do. OROGOLD thinks you should be aware of another downside beyond the ones associated with a sedentary lifestyle: light from monitors may be harming your skin.

Lights
Everyone knows they need to wear sunscreen before heading outside. The sun’s rays are made of UVA and UVB radiation. These each cause different impacts on the skin that lead to sun damage. This is why we advise the use of broad spectrum sunscreen constantly. Broad spectrum sunscreen protects against both of these. What it doesn’t protect against is the high-energy visible (HEV) light from your computer monitor and similar devices. This blue-tinged light comes from most modern electronic devices thanks to the use of LCD and similar technology. The readability of the devices is certainly improved and it lets us carry on our business and lives from anywhere. Our skin may be suffering for it though.

The Research
As it stands, researchers looking into HEV light and its effects on the human body have discovered only a few things. One of these is that exposure to the light seems to have the potential to disrupt some people’s sleeping patterns. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, then this is one reason to try to cut out doing any late night work on your computer and to turn off your smartphone after a certain hour. However, this isn’t the biggest issue. OROGOLD has found out some researchers have noticed that HEV light is capable of penetrating deeper into the skin that either UVA or UVB rays and might be causing similar damage to the skin. The sun you can avoid most of the time, but most of us simply can’t avoid sitting in front of a computer routinely. Your favorite device for organizing your life may very well be the worst enemy your skin has ever faced.

Not Quite Doomed Yet
The key word to remember from things is that it “may” be your skin’s worst enemy. Researchers are relatively sure about HEV light penetrating deeper into the skin, but they still need to do more research on the long term effects of exposure. It also doesn’t account for people who try to have a healthy approach about their computer use and life. The alarmist approach to negative health impacts at sitting at a computer turned out to not be worth the worry as you can deal with negative effects from sitting too long simply by getting up and taking ten minutes walking breaks throughout the day. HEV light may very well end up having similarly simple rules for avoiding any truly lasting damage. Until then, some beauty and skincare companies are looking into ways of blocking HEV light just to be on the safe side.

HEV light is one of the unpredicted aspects of modern life. With current generations being exposed more and more to computers, it is little wonder that research regarding the effects of computer light would eventually begin to surface. OROGOLD advises caution when it comes to alarmist reactions to the technology though as some companies will attempt to profit from provoking fear. Keep an ear open for further research and maintain your normal skincare routine.