Our eyes are the windows to our soul and to our smartphones that we check up to 150 times a day. All this screen time is also opening our eyes to premature crow’s feet and other eye aging conditions thanks to High Energy Visible light (HEV) or ‘blue light’. As well as smartphones, it’s emitted from computers and tablets on which we rack up ten hours of eye time daily. and let’s not count how many additional hours we just spent binge-watching or surfing.
Prolonged exposure to blue light also causes symptoms of eyestrain, eye fatigue, migraines, and dry eyes. Less well known is that HEV causes oxidative stress on the skin and create free radicals which threaten the integrity of collagen structures deep within the epidermis. According to a study by Unilever Skincare Research, four eight-hour workdays in front of a computer exposes the skin to the same amount of energy as 20 minutes in the mid-afternoon sun.
The fragile skin around the eyes is already under the strain of 22 muscles in perpetual motion to help coordinate 10,000 blinks per day. As one of the first areas of the face to age naturally due to the lack of sebaceous glands, HEV light can exacerbate the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles sagging, and what researchers have dubbed ‘screen face’ — when melasma pigmentation occurs around the eyes due to exposure to blue light from our phones and laptop.
Before banking yet more screen time browsing for the nearest Botox doctor to combat looming crow’s feet, make an appointment with EXYRA glasses instead. Unlike glasses which simply coat the lens with a protective film, innovative EXYRA eyewear is made using a photochromic dye which absorbs and blocks high-frequency blue light wavelengths from entering the retina and damaging the delicate skin around the eyes.
“Blue light silently assaults the skin,” says EXYRA founder, Raymond Seubelan. “Blue light initially goes unnoticed but can, over time, weaken our skin’s barrier function and accelerate photo-ageing.”
This lens innovation which is exclusive to EXYRA also protects from UVA and UVB damage by the sun and ensures perfect optical clarity and full colour perception in all conditions. They filter 50% of all Blue Light and 90% of the highest range without distorting colour.
They are also super stylish, which is a relief when the first thing you think about protective eyewear is wraparound safety glasses at your local Bunnings. There’s an extensive range of gender-neutral styles and colours available. For those who are sensitive, EXYRA eyewear is made using a high-grade hypoallergenic acetate to prevent skin irritation and bacterial build up which can lead to redness and acne blemishes.
“Although topical antioxidants such as vitamin C and E prove fruitful in remedying dark spots and boosting collagen levels, prevention, much like our approach to sun protection, is the best cure when it comes to anti-ageing and EXYRA fills this gap,” says Raymond Seubelan.
Assembled in Brisbane and available globally in prescription (single vision) and non-prescription options, EXRYA glasses retail from $98 RRP and can be purchased online at www.exyra.com.au.
