We’ve all been there: you’re on the umpteenth-episode of your favorite new Netflix show, and you know you need to turn off the TV and get on with life… but per usual the episode ended on a crazy cliff-hanger and it will take all of your self-control to walk away now…
Welp.
Fellow binge-watchers, we’ve got some bad news.
On top of eating up a whole lot of your time, too much binge-watching may also be doing some serious damage to your skin, according to new reports.
Per skin specialist Naomi Fenlin, “there seems to be increasing evidence that the light emitted from cell-phones screens, computer screens, and televisions (referred to as high energy visible [HEV] light) may be able to penetrate and damage the deeper levels of your skin.”
The deal.
Some reports are showing that HEV light (from computers, cell phones, and TVs) causes free-radical damage and collagen breakdown, leading to prematurely sagging skin, lines, wrinkles and aging skin.
Fenlin warns that if this turns out to be true — all that time spent staring at your cell phone and watching TV might result in what is being termed, “Netflix Face”: wrinkles, brown-spots, and dull texture.
Even worse?
If you’re using your device outdoors, you could potentially be exposed to a triple dose of UVA and UVB light.
Just consider; when you’re outside your poor skin is subjected to the natural UVA and UVB sunlight, the HEV light from your screen, and the sunlight that is reflected off your screen and back on to your skin. “This increased concentration of UV-light exposure is prompting experts to recommend even more adamantly than before — keep your skin covered as much as possible, and always wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen!” Fenlin explains.
If you?re still skeptical, consider this: ?While I think it remains to be seen whether HEV light is actually affecting our skin, I never say “never” because we find new cause-affect skin correlations all the time. It wasn’t until relatively recently that pollution was discovered to be damaging to the skin, and before that — there was a time when sun exposure was considered to be healthy for the skin!” says Philadelphia-based Nurse-Practitioner, Sarah Sidiqi.
At the very least?
We KNOW that these devices produce some infrared-light, which has been proven to break-down your tissue sooner. ?This is absolutely true. What I recommend as a great prevention product is the Total Defense + Repair Sunblock by SkinMedica. It’s one of the only sunblocks available that protects against infrared damage.” shares Naomi Fenlin. (Also, available in a sheer, tinted, and sport version!)
So what else can you do?
The solution is pretty simple, although completely unrealistic.
?Stop staring at a screen all day!? Sidiqi says.