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Everybody knows about the harmful effects of UV light, but did you know there’s another type of light that is having a negative impact on your skin? While it is not as harmful as UV light and not linked to cancer, visible light does have its own set of drawbacks - it is responsible for causing premature skin ageing, irritation and flare ups. Visible light is the light that humans can see that is not being absorbed by objects. For example, green plants look green because the plant absorbs all of the colours of the visible spectrum except the green colour (or green wavelengths).
Reactions from visible light are often wrongly blamed on the sun. People will often think they are just very sensitive to the sun, but since most sunscreens protect from UVA and UVB, if people are being very diligent about applying their sunscreen and still getting a skin reaction that looks like sunburn, they should see their doctor or dermatologist about being sensitive to visible light,” says scientific affairs manager Dr Kerryn Greive.
Just like UVA and UVB rays, the fair skinned among us tend to be the most affected by visible light. While not everybody is sensitive to visible light, too much can still contribute to skin ageing prematurely even for those not particularly sensitive to it.
Despite visible light being something that is around us all the time, there are ways to reduce the damage caused by it. Much like protecting ourselves from UVA and UVB light, covering up can help protect from visible light, staying out of the sun during midday and using a sunscreen such as that has been designed to protect from visible light can all help,” explains Grieve.
Visible light can also be responsible for causing a number of skin issues, such as solar urticaria. Solar urticaria is a reaction that sees skin swell within minutes of exposure to natural sunlight or an artificial light source emitting visible radiation. As a result, skin can get a rash and become itchy and swollen, often with red patches. The reaction may subside within a few minutes or it may persist for up to an hour or more where it can become very disabling. Patients have been known to suffer from this condition in both winter and summer.
Solar urticaria is often caused by ultraviolet light, but can be caused by visible non-ultraviolet light for which conventional sunblocks will not be effective. Solar urticaria can be triggered by any wavelengths of light from sun, UVA, UVB and visible. Some people may react to all these wavelengths or just one of them, i.e. visible light,” reveals Greive. In rare cases, some solar urticaria patients may show a delayed reaction to sunlight.
But while the rash may be uncomfortable, solar urticaria does not have long-term effects. Upon cessation of sun exposure, the rash quickly disappears (within minutes to a few hours, rarely lasting more than 24 hours). The solar urticaria clears away completely without leaving a mark,” explains Greive. Patients with solar urticaria must take measures to avoid or minimise sun exposure by following sun protection strategies including covering up and using a sunscreen such as SUNSENSE Sensitive Matte that has been designed to protect from visible light.”
Another condition caused by visible light is erythropoietic protoporphyria. It is a rare genetic disease which causes problems from childhood onwards. With erythropoietic protoporphyria, exposure to spring or summer sun causes a burning pain, especially on the backs of the hands, tops of the feet and face. This often lasts for two to three days, usually with nothing more to see than a bit of mild swelling. Other conditions in which visible light sensitivity is a factor are porphyria and polymorphous light eruption. People undergoing photodynamic therapy also become sensitive to visible light for a few days after treatment due to the drugs involved.
Now you know some of the havoc that can be caused by visible light, ensure skin is protected by using a high pigment, physical sunscreen with ingredients such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, like SunSense Sensitive Matte.
Image via Lena Dunaeva @ The English Group.