HEVL Exposure & Skin Cell Damage
Increasing consumer awareness regarding the dangers of excessive UVA and UVB exposure has worked in the industry’s favor by boosting demand for sun-protection products. Sun-protection products continue to be increasingly popular with consumers.
Globally, sun protection products represent the largest segment in the sun care products market. Rising concerns about exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the need to prevent skin damage are contributing to the increased demand for sun protection products with requisite SPF levels. The market for after-sun products is driven by the growing demand for products with skin care, anti-aging and relaxation properties.
The future looks bright for the Sunscreen Manufacturing industry. The industry’s performance over the next five years will be underpinned by growing per capita disposable income and heightened demand from drugstores.
Misconceptions About HEVL and Skin Damage
A persistent misconception is that visible light is safe for the skin. In reality, visible light can damage melanocytes through melanin photosensitization and singlet oxygen (O2) generation, thus decreasing cell viability, increasing membrane permeability, and causing both DNA photo-oxidation and necro-apoptotic cell death.
Although melanin can protect against cellular damage induced by UVB, exposure to visible light leads to pre-mutagenic DNA lesions (i.e., Fpg- and Endo III- sensitive modifications); these DNA lesions may be mutagenic and may cause photoaging, as well as other health problems, such as skin cancer.
When the cells were pigmented and treated with 36 or 72 J.cm2 of visible light, both cell lines exhibited substantial decreases in viability (50% for H36, 25% for M36 and 40% for M72), which clearly demonstrates that the presence of melanin increases visible light.