Recently, many netizens who have worn sports bracelets and smart watches for a long time have discovered that the skin on the wrist covered by the watch body is obviously white, dry and rough, and some are even hard and thickened, showing signs of aging.
Many people speculate: Could it be the light emitted from behind the watch that causes skin aging? Or is the watch leaking and causing skin burns? In this regard, National Emergency Broadcasting conducted an exclusive interview with Liu Jing, deputy chief physician of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, to provide a professional interpretation.
"White Circle" on Wrist
What exactly causes this?
Physician Liu Jing said that the above speculation lacks reliable medical support. The real causes of these changes may be the two major types of skin problems: irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.
Irritant contact dermatitis
It can happen to anyone, and generally attacks relatively quickly, but different people have different tolerances. For example, if sweat is covered for a long time, children may have local dipping symptoms in a relatively short period of time because their skin is relatively thin and tender, while it may take a relatively longer time for adults.
allergic contact dermatitis
It is a delayed-type allergic reaction that requires a sensitization period, which may last several hours or days. Some people may even develop allergic contact dermatitis only after long-term, chronic and repeated exposure. That is to say, when an allergic substance comes into contact with the skin, there will first be a process of contact sensitization, and then dermatitis will appear on contact.
Contact dermatitis has occurred
How to handle it correctly?
If there are mild symptoms such as whitening and wrinkles, mild erythema, itching, or a small amount of papules and desquamation, take off the watch or bracelet as soon as possible and stop wearing it. At the same time, use cold compresses or calamine lotion to relieve local itching and erythema.
Notice! Don’t ignore these misunderstandings
1. Do not apply ointments and try folk remedies at will. On the one hand, the ingredients are unclear, and on the other hand, it may cause further allergies.
2. It is not recommended to use powerful glucocorticoid ointments at home, as corresponding adverse reactions may occur.
3. When redness, swelling or even blisters occur, it is not recommended to use oily erythromycin ointment and petroleum jelly ointment, which can easily aggravate the skin reaction.
If the itching persists and is particularly severe after suspending wearing, you need to go to the dermatology department of the hospital for treatment. After the dermatitis improves, a patch test will be performed at a scheduled time to find specific allergenic substances to avoid allergy caused by contact with allergens when purchasing similar products in the future.
If a local skin reaction is accompanied by systemic allergy symptoms, please seek medical attention promptly; if systemic symptoms are prominent, it is recommended to go directly to the emergency room.
How to prevent skin damage when wearing a smart watch?
Physician Liu Jing reminds that when wearing it daily, you should pay attention to protecting the skin from the following three aspects:
Watch strap material: People with a history of allergies to metal, rubber or silicone should avoid watch straps containing corresponding ingredients. For people with relatively sensitive and thin skin, such as children and women, you can choose materials with better breathability to wear.
Wearing habits: Do not wear it for a long time; do not wear the watch strap too tightly; after sweating during exercise or washing hands, take off the watch and wait until it is dry before wearing it.
Pay attention to sun protection: avoid local uneven skin color (white circle) in the wearing area caused by sun exposure. If inflammation has already occurred in the wearing area, you should pay more attention to sun protection to reduce the possibility of pigment changes after the inflammation subsides, and at the same time facilitate the repair of skin pigment changes.
National emergency broadcasts remind you not to be careless about signs of red or wrinkled skin. Choose the right strap, wear it loosely, and dry it after sweating and washing your hands before wearing it. If the symptoms persist for a long time and the symptoms are not relieved, you need to seek medical treatment in time. By doing this, smart watches are still a good helper for monitoring health, so you can wear them with confidence.
Source: National Emergency Broadcasting WeChat Official Account
