Your Selfies Could Be Aging Your Skin, Apparently

Kim Kardashian's latest nude pic was the selfie viewed 'round the internet. Well, it turns out her NSFW snap might cause a lot more damage than just pissing off a couple of celebrities. According to U.K. blogger Mehreen Baig, the photo-taking habit could also wreak havoc on your skin. Baig takes about 50 selfies a day for her blog and Instagram, but she told The Daily Mail that when she heard the light from her smartphone and computer could potentially be affecting her skin negatively, she started to worry. She decided to visit a doctor to see if it could be the reason she'd started developing trouble spots on her skin. "From freckles on my cheeks to larger pores than usual to dark circles under my eyes — it was time to stop relying on makeup to paint over the reality," she writes. Baig consulted Dr. Simon Zokaie, a cosmetic dermatologist at the Linia Skin Clinic in London, for some answers. She found that the blue light our screens emit — known as High Energy Visible light (HEV) — can cause damage, along with UVA and UVB rays. "The combination of these three factors cause heat and inflammation under the skin, slowing down the skin's ability to heal and protect itself," the article reads. Dr. Zokaie confirmed that Baig's appearance of freckles and brown spots was, indeed, a direct result of her computer and telephone use. Reportedly, a lot of the damage caused by HEV light is present under the skin, and not visible to the naked eye. Even more unnerving is that sunscreen doesn't stop HEV. Instead, Dr. Zokaie recommends investing in an antioxidant serum during the day and an antioxidant cream or gel at night. Beauty brand MAKE also recently came out with a primer that specifically protects against HEV and infrared light. So, it looks like you don't have to give up on your selfie habit just yet. Stay tuned for a more detailed breakdown of what you should know and how you can protect yourself from these sneaky rays.