Selfies are as damaging to skin as sunbathing, experts warn

As all experienced selfie-takers will know, getting the perfect photo usually involves taking about fifty snaps of yourself until you find one that’s just right.

But according to experts, our tried-and-tested technique could actually be speeding up the aging process — and it can be as bad for your complexion as both sunbathing and smoking.

Nurse and beauty therapist Sara Cheeney has revealed that electromagnetic rays emitted from our phones can accelerate aging at an “alarming” rate.

Cheeney — who runs the Pure Perfection Clinic in Wrexham, Wales — has noticed a sharp rise in the number of patients suffering from selfie-induced skin damage and claims “the results are quite alarming.”

“I get a lot of bloggers and patients who take selfies every day coming to me and complaining about the issue, and it’s an issue which seems to be getting worse,” Cheeney said.

“The blue rays from smartphone screens can do more damage than too much sunshine, so I would urge youngsters in particular to be extra careful.”

The clinician warns that selfie-induced skin damage will become increasingly commonplace in the future with the rise of social media apps Instagram and Snapchat.

She added: “Women, in particular, have problems with sensitive skin and tend to be the ones who use more products.”

But before you stock up on moisturizers and sunscreen, Cheeney says that ordinary skincare products “won’t reverse the harm that’s already been done.”

Instead, the clinician claims that dehydrating the skin from within and using sunscreen, which protects against High Energy Visible (HEV) light and Infra-Red, are key for treating a damaged complexion.

Dermatologist Zein Obagi, the founder of ZO skin and the Obagi Skin Health Institute in Beverley Hills, claims he can tell how his clients use their phones to take a selfie by examining their damaged skin.

He said: “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.”

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