Is your screen time ageing your skin? Dermatologist Dr Ajay Rana reveals how modern living affects your complexion

How do modern lifestyles, including screen time, stress, and urban pollution, accelerate skin ageing? Learn effective tips for healthier skin.

For today’s women, skincare has evolved far beyond the traditional routine of cleansing and moisturizing. Excessive working hours, screen exposure, urban pollution, disrupted sleep patterns, and the mental overload of juggling jobs, family, and personal commitments are slowly but surely accelerating the skin’s aging process.

Is your screen time ageing your skin? Dermatologist Dr Ajay Rana reveals how modern lifestyles are affecting women (Pixabay)

By Tavishi Dogra

Tavishi Dogra is a Deputy Chief Content Producer, Health & Wellness, at Hindustan Times. She has over 9 years of experience writing about fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, translating medical research and expert insights into practical advice readers can trust.

Career journey and experience
Tavishi began her health journalism journey in 2017, and has since reported for RSTV, Financial Express, Jagran, HT Media Labs and Zee. She joined Hindustan Times to simplify wellness subjects by cutting through jargon.

From decoding health trends and interviewing doctors to testing fitness routines herself, Tavishi always approaches content with one filter: “Will this help someone make a better decision today?”

Subject expertise
With 9+ years tracking India’s health conversations, Tavishi knows the gap between clinical advice and daily life. She knows fads from fundamentals and curates science-backed, expert-recommended solutions.

In fitness, she breaks down bodyweight training, recovery, and posture fixes for desk-bound readers. In nutrition, she translates guidelines into affordable, desi meal tweaks. In mental well-being, she focuses on stigma-free, actionable tools — all backed by research, expert input, and lived context.

Education and professional background
Tavishi holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and began her career reporting on public affairs for broadcast. Those early years in policy and TV shaped how she writes today: fast, factual, and human-first.

Editorial Philosophy
I write with one single goal: To simplify health in a world full of noise by finding what’s actually doable, safe, and evidence-based for my readers. I test claims against research and user experiences. When all else fails, I speak to the expert who sees 50 patients a day, not the one with the most followers.

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What does skin with hormonal imbalance look like?

Most women notice it before it becomes obvious: persistent lackluster skin, uneven pigmentation, excessive dryness, hints of breakouts, or fine lines creeping in years earlier than they expected. "Hormones and genetics still contribute, but environmental and lifestyle factors have also become equally meaningful contributors to skin health," Dermatologist Dr Ajay Rana, Founder & Director of ILAMED, and President of the Indian Society of Aesthetic Medicine (ISAM), tells Health Shots.

Does blue light permanently damage eyes?

One of the hottest topics these days is long exposure to digital screens. While the blue light emitted by phones and laptops is substantially lower in energy than ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight, newer studies suggest that cumulative exposure to blue light could lead to a buildup of oxidative stress in cutaneous cells, especially in women with darker skin tones who are prone to hyperpigmentation. Studies have linked extended exposure to blue light with increased hyperpigmentation and accelerated skin aging through free radical generation.

1. Stress

Another elusive but potent villain is stress. Chronic psychological stress triggers elevated cortisol release of cortisol, which may disrupt the skin barrier, increase inflammation, and impair repair mechanisms. It commonly presents as breakouts, increased sensitivity, eczema flare-ups, rosacea, and oily skin. Many women also experience stress-related hair fall and delayed wound healing, which can make skin look fatigued and less elastic.

2. Urban living compounds these concerns

Daily exposure to air pollution, dust, and particulate matter leads to oxidative stress that damages collagen and elastin (the engine of youthful skin). The results are even more evident when combined with insufficient sleep, irregular eating, dehydration, and low activity.

3. Sleep deserves special attention

Deep sleep is when your skin repairs itself the most. If you sleep less than the recommended amount for extended periods, it can reduce collagen production, weaken your skin, and cause dark circles, puffiness around the eyes, and a dull complexion. Regrettably, late-night scrolling and work-related screen exposure also reduce both the quantity and quality of sleep.

4. Healthy lifestyle habits

You can avoid most of this damage with healthy lifestyle habits instead of fancy skincare products and complex routines. Getting seven to eight hours of good sleep, taking breaks from screens, exercising regularly, eating a nutrient-rich diet, managing stress through mindfulness or exercise, drinking plenty of water, and protecting your skin from the sun help keep your skin healthier in the long run.

At the end of the day

Healthy skin is simply an external manifestation of internal health. In a world that constantly adapts to contemporary lifestyles, ladies need to understand that caring for their skin is not only for aesthetics but also part of preventive health. Small, sustainable daily changes you make today can protect your youthful, resilient, and strong skin for decades.

(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.)