Go Magazine | Issue 54

Protect yourself Love natural light: Spend as much time as possible outside in natural light (even if it’s overcast) during the day. If you can position your desk near a window with natural light, do so. At lunch time, get out and walk with your face and forearms exposed. This will all help to improve your mood and focus during daylight hours, and your ability to wind down and sleep at night. See red: When installing night lights, use red globes or shades, because the red light wavelength is the least stimulating. If you work night shifts, put red bulbs in the bathroom. Investigate apps that filter blue light on electronic devices, especially if you use them at night for work or study. Some smartphones have a setting that disables blue light in favour of yellow light, making it easier on your eyes. If your phone has this feature, then use it all the time. Turn it off: If you do not need to use electronic devices at night-time for

work or study, turn off all bright screens at least two hours before you want to sleep. Support your skin: Research shows that protecting your skin against UVA and UVB rays is no longer enough, because the combination of the blue light or high energy visible light (HEV) emitted from the sun plus the extra blue light from digital devices and fluorescent lighting is even worse for skin. The effects of HEV exposure are the same as those caused by UVA and UVB exposure - uneven skin tone, pigmentation, wrinkles, dryness, premature ageing and impaired barrier function. However, the difference is that blue light rays – nicknamed ‘the silent agers of our generation’ – can penetrate further into the skin than either UVA or UVB rays. In fact, blue light can penetrate all the way into the dermis, where collagen and elastin are formed, and this can result in significantly more damage to skin.

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ISSUE 54 • 2019

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