Fond of a selfie? Doom-scrolling for hours every day on social media? Think again – it could be turning your hair grey and giving you wrinkles.
Scientists have found that the specific type of light emitted by mobiles may trigger premature ageing, including hair loss, wrinkles, and circles around the eyes.
The average Briton spends more than three hours a day on their devices – but the research, based on young adults, suggests those glued to their phones for more than double that time are seven times more likely to have grey hair than more moderate users.
Nearly three quarters also had dark circles around their eyes. The problem stems from the light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, within the display screens of modern smartphones which produce high-energy visible light – often known as ‘blue light’ – to create bright colours.
These LEDs are also contained in the camera flash of most devices, suggesting social media stars who are most keen to ‘pose up a storm’ might be doing themselves no favours. While curbing the habit will undoubtedly help, applying sunscreen before using a phone or adding an ultraviolet filter to the screen might also lower the risk, say the team of scientists and dermatologists at Bahria University of Health Sciences in Islamabad.
The excessive use of mobile phones is increasingly being linked to side effects, including tinnitus, attention problems, sleep issues and so-called ‘tech neck’ which causes neck and shoulder pain because of the angle at which people use their devices.
While some previous research has suggested blue light may be linked to premature skin ageing, associations between LED devices generally and ageing have not previously been investigated.
The research involved 450 adults, of whom nearly half admitted to using their devices for up to seven hours a day, while one in ten spent longer than that.
Fond of a selfie? Doom-scrolling for hours every day on social media? Think again – it could be turning your hair grey and giving you wrinkles (stock image)
The heaviest users were seven times more likely to have grey hairs compared to those on their phones for just two hours a day, and other signs of ageing – such as dry skin, wrinkles, dark circles and even hair loss – were also much more common in the group who used devices the most.
The study was not designed to explore why LED devices could cause such ageing effects. But other studies have found blue light penetrates the skin deeper than UV rays from sunlight, triggering the production of toxic particles which break down collagen and elastin, which are responsible for the skin’s firmness and elasticity.
Writing in the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, the experts say: ‘This underscores the importance of educating about the potential risks associated with excessive screen time.’
