The Damaging Effect of Infrared Light

Take Home Message: Skin Damage and Photocarcinogenesis can be induced with Infrared-Light (near infrared). Protection Strategies should be developed. (Study from Japan)

Comments:

-Infrared light consists of Electromagnetic Rays which (like visible light) not filtered by Sunscreens (To read more about the “safety” of sunscreens: click HERE). Any object with heat emits infrared rays.

-Infrared light (near-infrared) also has beneficial effects when:

• specific wavelengths induce skin rejuvenation by stimulating collagen and elastin, and can have beneficial vasculature effects by inducing widening of blood vessels (see Abstract)
• muscular relaxation=reduction of wrinkles and myalgia
• cancer and detection treatment

Abstract:

-In addition to natural near-infrared, humans are increasingly exposed to artificial near-infrared from electrical appliances. We have elucidated that the biological effects of near-infrared have both beneficial applications and deleterious effects. The wavelengths range of near-infrared is wide and the biological effect of the each wavelength range is still uncertain.

-Specific near-infrared (1100-1800 nm together with a water-filter that excludes wavelengths 1400-1500 nm) induces collagen and elastin stimulation, which achieves skin rejuvenation, and induces long-lasting vasodilation that may be beneficial for ischemic disorders. Near-infrared also relaxes dystonic and hypertrophic muscles to reduce wrinkles and myalgia. Near-infrared is an essential tool in cancer detection and imaging, and induces drastic DNA damage of mitotic cells, which may be beneficial for treating cancer.

-However, over half of the solar energy consists of near-infrared, and intensive or long-term near-infrared exposure induces photoaging and potentially photocarcinogenesis.

-To clarify the necessity to protect against near-infrared, we assessed cell viability of human fibroblast cells after near-infrared treatment using 2 sets of transparent polycarbonate plates, one to block ultraviolet and the other to block both ultraviolet and near-infrared. The cell viability was significantly decreased after 10 rounds of near-infrared irradiation at 20 J ⁄cm2 in near-infrared treated cells without a protective polycarbonate plate and near-infrared treated cells using the polycarbonate plate to block only ultraviolet, whereas both ultraviolet and near-infrared protected cells were not damaged. The results of this study indicate that protection from not only ultraviolet but also near-infrared should be considered to prevent skin damage.

Reference: Regional Congress of Dermatology (RCD) 2016 – Singapore. RCD16-0077 Photodermatology, phototherapy and photoprotection THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF NEAR-INFRARED AND THE NECESSITY OF NEAR-INFRARED PROTECTION Y. Tanaka1, L. Gale1 1Clinica Tanaka Plastic- Reconstructive Surgery and Anti-aging Center, Plastic surgery, Matsumoto, Japan