Staring At Your Phone All Day Is Making Your Skin Look Like Sh*t

If you have bad skin, your cell phone may be to blame.

By now you've probably heard that your precious phone harbors a huge amount of dirt and bacteria that can cause you face to break out on the reg, but it turns out that pressing that grimy iPhone screen against your face isn't the only way your phone can make your skin look shitty.

That's right. New research just found that the light from your phone screen may also be wrecking havoc on your complexion.

Most phones emit "blue light," which falls in between UV rays and infrared rays on the light spectrum.

While scientists have done extensive research on the harmful effects of UV rays, they are just now delving into the possible consequences of chronic exposure to blue light.

Dermatologist Dr. Patricia Ceballos told Bustle,

Blue light itself, unlike solar UV radiation, does not contribute to skin cancer, because it doesn't induce DNA mutations the same way the sun does. But one study detected increased pigment production in skin exposed to blue light, which means that it's theoretically possible that chronic exposure to our smartphones and other electronic devices carries an increased risk of pigmentary disorders such as hyperpigmentation.

If that's not bad enough, other studies suggest that blue light may emit infrared radiation, which can damage your skin and, in some cases, even cause premature aging.

Now, before you toss your phone out a window or invest in a facekini to keep your skin looking fab, you should know there is still some speculation on the validity of these findings.

It's always better to be safe than sorry, though, so it might not be a bad idea to take some precautions against this possible threat.

Dr. Ceballos told Bustle,

Notwithstanding the lack of solid evidence to the contrary, it is prudent to protect the skin with antioxidants such as vitamin C serum and mineral/physical sunscreens containing Zinc oxide and/or Titanium dioxide, or makeup foundation as a barrier between our skin and the HEV and Infrared energies emitted by modern devices.

If you're looking for another layer of protection, you can also buy a filter that goes over your phone screen that helps to reduce the blue light emissions.

Or if all else fails, you can always just use one of those photo-editing apps to restore your selfies back to your pre-smartphone appearance.

Citations: Is The Blue Light From Your Screen Damaging Your Skin? Here's What A Dermatologist Has To Say (Bustle)