HEV light, on the other hand, isn't so easy to detect. "There is real data that visible light could be one of the important factors in melasma," Dr. Swann says. His advice, at least until the science proving this rolls in fully, is to choose a sunscreen that has physical, not just chemical, blockers, like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. (Just check the label, as it will tell you what the active ingredients are.) He says that even tinted sunscreen or heavy makeup can help guard against these HEV rays, since they are physically blocking the light from reaching your skin. Just another reason to wear sunscreen every day.

"There is some evidence to suggest that tinted physical block sunscreens do a better job in the long haul for patients that have pigmentary disorders, as opposed to chemical sunscreens," he says.

As for the products mentioned above that claim to repel them sans physical barrier? "It's hard for me to believe that a sunscreen blocks IR unless they have some real science to show me," he says. Translation: Don't invest just yet, as the science isn't quite there.

The Verdict

You should never feel warmth coming from your device's screen, which is your body telling you to back away to avoid soaking up these IR rays — as we discussed above, this can damage your skin by creating inflammation. Dr. Swann notes the real issue with IR light is damage to your eyes — as if you needed another reason to add distance between you and your screen.

As for HEV light? While it could be something we'll need to worry about one day, Dr. Swann reminds us to stop and think before we spend money on products that are not backed by science, especially when we could simply sit further back from the computer.

"We’re really early in our investigations of what can be happening on the skin," Dr. Tanzi adds. "I’m a little skeptical on how much danger there actually is, but never say never — we didn’t think pollution was an issue until the past decade, when research proved how damaging it can be to the skin."