Your smartphone is your lifeline. It’s the first thing you look at in the morning, and you’re probably even looking at it to read this blog post right now! But did you know that it could be causing some serious damage to your skin?
Smartphones and Acne
A study conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine took 780 swab samples (half from smartphones and the other half from the hands of their owners) and found that 92 percent of the subjects’ hands and 82 percent of their phones had some kind of bacteria on them. When heat mixes with this bacteria it becomes a breeding ground and can cause blemishes.
To minimize smartphone related breakouts, use headphones whenever you are talking on the phone, and always wipe it down with a microfiber cloth.
Smartphones and UV Radiation
In a study published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology it was suggested that using your smartphone outdoors is likely more detrimental to your skin’s health than using it indoors. This study looked at the reflectance of UV light off the phone’s surface and how that contributes to increased UV exposure. Researchers found that smartphones can increase the amount of UV radiation your skin receives, which puts you at an increased risk for photoaging and skin cancer.
This is another reason you should wear SPF every single day, even in winter!
At Art of Dermatology, services are available to improve both medical (acne, for example) and cosmetic issues (such as photoaging), regardless of how they developed. Dr. Jessica Krant has expertise in treating a wide variety of conditions. You can initiate a consultation here.
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