For people who believe that selfies are the ultimate display of vanity it may seem like poetic justice.
Dermatologists now believe that regularly exposing the face to the light and electromagnetic radiation from smartphones can damage the skin, speeding up ageing and promoting wrinkles.
Doctors even claim they can tell which hand a person holds their phone in just by looking at which side of the face is most damaged.
Speaking ahead of the FACE, Facial Aesthetic Conference and Exhibition, in London Dr Simon Zoakei, Medical Director of the Linia Skin Clinic in Harley Street, said: “Those who take a lot of selfies and bloggers should worry.
“Even the blue light we get from our screens can damage our skin.
“I think there is a gap in the market for products which protect because I know there are people who take lots of selfies, and bloggers who come to me and I have seen that there is damage there and there ageing taking place. It's a different wavelength of radiation so sunscreen will not block it.”
Renowned dermatolgists Dr Zein Obagi, who founded the Obagi Skin health Institute in Beverley Hills, added:“Your cell phone will damage your skin.
“It’s not documented, but in my clinical observation, I can tell whether someone uses their right hand or left hand to hold their phone. You start to see dull dirty looking texture that you cannot identify on one side of the face.
“I think we need to create a defence mechanism, light has some sort of magnetic think that is happening to the skin.
“This magnetic field is altering the minerals in the skin. A sunscreen will not protect you. But if you saturate your skin with anti-oxidants it can help prevent DNA damage from electronic devices.”
Some experts think that electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones ages skin by damaging the DNA. It can cause breaks in the DNA strand which can prevent skin repairing itself and place oxidative stress on cells.
The experts also argued that most over-the-counter moisturisers and oils do not work and may make skin worse, and that ‘a good scrub’ is the best way to keep skin healthy.
Dr Obagi added: “You cannot hydrate the skin from the outside. We have to stimulate the skin to bring back hydration from within.
“When you put your hand in the water for half an hour you see it white and crinkly you don't see any more hydration. There is a reason that women have more problems with sensitive skin than men. It’s because women use products."
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