Blue light has been linked to premature aging and dark spots. Here are 3 ways to protect your skin from screens.

You probably do your best to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays by slathering on sunscreen before going outside (and if you haven’t been, now’s a good time to start). But many people aren’t aware that the blue light from your computer and smartphone can also do a number on your skin.

Research suggests that blue light, aka high-energy visible light, or HEV, could damage your skin like UV rays. And, if you spend hours every day parked in front of a computer or scrolling through your phone, you could be raising your risk of developing fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots on your skin, Dr. Ife Rodney, founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics, tells Yahoo Life.

That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to have older-looking skin if you have a desk job or a date with Instagram every night. But dermatologists say it’s important to take certain steps to protect your skin from your screens, just like you would from the sun.

What is blue light?

Blue light is on the visible light spectrum. It has a short wavelength and high energy, which can impact your eyes, stimulate your brain and influence how much your body secretes melatonin, a hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle. But blue light can also impact your skin.

Sunlight is the biggest source of blue light, although blue light can also be emitted by screens, fluorescent light and LED light, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

“Since we're spending so much more time in front of the computer working from home, we may be putting ourselves at increased risk for blue light exposure,” Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells Yahoo Life.

How does blue light affect your skin?

The biggest potential impact of blue light is that it can age you. “Fortunately, blue light is not associated with skin cancers, but it has been shown to lead to premature aging and the development of dark spots,” Zeichner says.

Blue light can also break down collagen and elastin, which help give skin its firmness and elasticity, Rodney says. “That can lead to fine lines and wrinkles over time.”

While blue light doesn’t affect your skin as much as UVA, the light rays linked to premature skin aging, it “can penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB,” says Dr. Gary Goldenberg, a dermatologist in New York City. (UVB rays damage the outermost layers of the skin and are responsible for sunburns and are linked to skin cancer, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center.)

A scientific review of research on the impact of blue light on skin concluded that this type of light could cause more general skin damage, which could speed up the aging process. “Skin protection may be crucial for protection against blue light,” the researchers concluded.

How to protect your skin from your screens

While dermatologists agree that blue light poses a real threat to your skin health, they also stress that there are things you can do to combat it. Here’s what they suggest.

Wear sunscreen daily, even if you’re planning to be inside

It seems weird, but there’s a reason for this. “A lot of patients ask me if they need to wear sunscreen if they work from home, and I explain that, yes, the blue light from computers can cause aging and discoloration of your skin,” Rodney says. Goldenberg suggests using a broad-spectrum physical sunscreen, such one that contains zinc oxide, that are especially good at blocking blue light.

If you rely on makeup that contains sunscreen, you’ll still want to look for something that’s broad-spectrum. In a perfect world, though, you’d put on sunscreen and layer your makeup on top. “Reapply throughout the day,” Rodney says.

Use a blue light filter on your devices

There are filters or panels that you can put on your screens to help block blue light. “I think these are very helpful, especially if you’re spending extended time in front of a screen,” Rodney says.

While these probably won’t be the most expensive devices you own, they also aren’t cheap. Ocushield’s anti-blue light iPhone screen protector, for example, is $47, while the bestselling VizoBlueX anti-blue light computer monitor protector is $50 on Amazon.

Still, this shouldn’t be the only thing you do to protect your skin from blue light. “Blue light filters reduce light exposure by adjusting the screen's color temperature,” Goldenberg says. “However, it does not completely eliminate skin exposure.”

Dim your devices

Most phones and computers allow you to customize the brightness to a level that feels right for you. While it won’t get rid of all blue light exposure, dimming the brightness a little can help reduce the blue light intensity you’re exposed to, Goldenberg says.

Can you counteract blue light skin damage?

Dermatologists say that using skincare products that contain antioxidants may help. Zeichner suggests applying an antioxidant product like a vitamin C serum to your face each morning. “Antioxidants like vitamin C help neutralize the free radicals caused by blue light exposure,” he says. (Free radicals break down collagen, raising the risk of wrinkles, Zeichner explains.)

While antioxidant skincare won’t block out blue light or keep your skin from being initially damaged by the light, Rodney says, it helps work against the damage that’s been done.

While you can only do so much about sitting in front of a screen if it’s your job, Goldenberg suggests cutting back on your exposure whenever you can. That may mean choosing to read a book instead of using your tablet or making an effort to put your phone away a little more than usual. “Decreasing screen time is highly effective for skin health,” Goldenberg says.