Fight the effects of 'digital dependence' on skin

Given that we spend more time staring at screens than sleeping, a beauty tech survival guide is in order. Perdita Nouril reports in London.

With pollution and stress levels at an all-time high, beauty does not need a new battleground. However, we have got one nonetheless.

Called "digital dependence", our constant desire to be "switched on" and attached to our phones, tablets and laptops is having an overwhelmingly negative effect on our skin.

In fact, just the light emitting from the screen you are reading this on is said to be more toxic to your complexion than sunlight.

These digital skincare disorders have not escaped the beauty industry.

So before you pack away your phone and laptop in a panic, swot up on our beauty tech survival guide.

Tech neck

This is the digital disorder you have most likely heard of. Bandied about by dermatologists and cosmetic doctors, tech neck refers to the increase of sagging jowls due to the repetitive motion of quick-drawing your smartphone like a Wild West gunslinger and gazing down at it.

"This position applies an excess pressure of up to 50 pounds (about 23 kilograms) on bones and muscle around our neck, which are only meant to handle 10-12 pounds," explains Ada Ooi, international facialist.

"Incorporating a daily 10-to-15 minutes facial massage when applying your skincare products to your neck and jawline is a great way of training muscles to prevent sagging," she says.

Of course, prevention is better than cure, so get into the habit of looking at screens at eye level, says Maryam Zamani, a doctor. It will save you time and money, which is far less of a pain in the neck.

Digital pollution

Staying indoors may avoid the onslaught of outside air pollution. But if you are staring at a screen for eight hours plus, you are replacing it with a different kind.

"The blue light and electromagnetic radiation from screens wreaks havoc with our aging process," reveals Howard Murad, a dermatologist and founder of Murad Skincare.

"The light emitted has a wavelength of 380-500 nanometers making it one of the shortest, highest-energy wavelengths. A type of 'visible light', it penetrates skin more deeply than UVB and UVA and has been shown to generate more ROS (reactive oxygen species) than both UVB and UVA combined."

And if that was not bad enough, excessive blue light also accelerates the oxidation process, as it affects melatonin, causing hyperpigmentation and eliciting inflammation.

Vitamin C is your savior here as it helps to counteract the effects of dullness.

"You also need to take hydration seriously to help cope with the inflammation and keep the skin's barrier strong," says Murad.

For facialist Annee de Mamiel, dullness caused by smartphones is so prominent that she can tell just by looking at your face which side you press your phone on. It is one of the reasons she has developed her Atmospheriques range, which uses natural ingredients, mostly antioxidants, and is designed to tackle digital pollution.

Alongside this she advocates her clients undergo a digital detox as often as possible. "Use a landline at home and at work where possible, and make good use of your headphones when you take a call on your iPhone," she says.

Bacteria breakouts

When was the last night you cleaned your cellphone? If your mind draws a blank, the chances are it is harboring more bacteria than your toilet seat. Touch screens contain large numbers of bacteria on their surface precisely because you are constantly touching them.

Added to this, placing your phone against your cheek creates pressure that may activate your oil-producing or sebaceous glands.

Combine this with heat generated from your phone and bacteria on the phone surface, and you have the perfect recipe for acne.

"Fight this by keeping some antibacterial cleansing wipes handy to clean the phone surface regularly," says Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson.

Soothe tired eyes

Over the years Ravi Jain, a doctor, has noticed a sharp increase of patients who suffer from eye fatigue. What shocks him more, however, is that these patients are unable to identify the signs of screen strained eyes.

"We have turned patients away from botox or more strenuous treatments purely because it is related to digital beauty disorders and not aging. There are plenty of topical solutions and facials that work well enough to alleviate the problem so you should not need to embark on more advanced procedures," he explains.

How can you tell the difference between screen strain and simple aging?

"Sore eyes and a general look of tiredness are caused by moisture loss around the eyes which is the result of staring at screens. Aging tends to be the fine lines that appear around the eyes such as crow's-feet, but moisture loss can accentuate these lines," Jain warns.

"Turn off all screens after 7 pm and do not look at them first thing when your eyes are adjusting to waking up, it will cause extra stress."

Daily Telegraph