Everyone knows that they need to protect their skin from ultraviolet radiation, but knowing how visible light affects the skin is equally as important. Visible light is the spectrum of light (400 nm to 700 nm) that people can detect. It is emitted from the sun and artificial light sources such as light bulbs and digital screens. Visible light penetrates deeper into the skin than ultraviolet light, contributing to oxidative stress, inflammation, and the production of free radicals that can damage skin cells.

 

Hyperpigmentation from Visible Light

Hyperpigmentation, or the darkening of skin areas compared to surrounding tissue, can be induced by visible light. Visible light stimulates melanocytes, or cells responsible for producing melanin, and the increased melanin production can lead to uneven skin tone. For individuals with hyperpigmentation conditions like melasma, visible light can worsen the appearance. Hyperpigmentation from acne can also be aggravated by exposure to visible light.

 

Impact of Visible Light on the Skin

Red light is able to penetrate the full thickness of the epidermis and dermis. Blue light, with higher energy, penetrates the skin less, but increases pigmentation. The absorption of visible light is mediated by the health of the skin barrier and the Fitzpatrick skin type. Visible light leads to the production of free radicals that affect skin health by inducing proinflammatory cytokines and matrix melanogenesis. Approximately 50% of free radicals are induced by visible light and infrared radiation. They degrade carotenoid antioxidants, and the excess free-radical formation leads to DNA damage and melanogenesis. 

 

Protection Against Visible Light

To protect your skin from visible light, wear tinted sunscreen. Tinted sunscreens use different concentrations of iron oxides and pigmentary titanium dioxide that can reflect the visible light. Unlike other sunscreens, the particles are not nanosized and thus block absorption of visible light. Additionally, the range in shades allows individuals to find a product that can act as a light foundation coverage for uneven skin tones. 

 

Visible light is emitted from items we use everyday and it is important to protect our skin against it as we do with UV radiation.