SPOTLIGHT ON: EYE work

As home and work-life meld, we’re experiencing more screen time than ever – and research shows that our eyes are taking the brunt of the load. Sally Hunwick looks into the effects of fatigue on our eyes and how to manage it

- Sally Hunwick

In a world where we’re increasingly seeing our homes as the HQ of not only our personal lives but also our work and social lives, the reliance on our devices to connect has increased to levels never see before. And there have been some knock-on effects to our complexions.

With late-night scrolling of Instagram, deep dives into TikTok and our new obsession with Zoom, the stress of being in front of a screen for hours at a time is coming with a price tag. After seemingly countless weeks of lockdowns, many of us are experiencing a complexion that’s dehydrated, dull, and lined. And much of it has to do with the spike in screen time that goes on well after we have clocked off from work.

By now, we’re across the concept of blue light affecting our complexions (it can break down collagen and make us age faster, much like sunlight can). But what the science is telling us now is that the skin around our eyes is taking the lion’s share of the damage, in the form of dehydration, puffiness, lines, and wrinkles.