What harm does infrared ray do to human body

Infrared rays are everywhere in the environment we live in. Under normal circumstances, infrared rays do not have serious effects on the human body. Many visible lights contain infrared rays. Appropriate use of infrared irradiation can also help us promote blood circulation, and infrared rays also play a great role in medical treatment. So what harm does infrared light do to the human body? Let’s take a look at the introduction.

Except for objects with absolute temperatures close to 0 degrees and celestial black holes, all other objects will emit infrared rays. Infrared rays are a general term for a section of the spectrum of light. It has the general properties of light, but its ability to penetrate humans is relatively weak. The harm to humans is mainly manifested in surface burns, and the degree of damage is proportional to the light intensity and the exposure time.

The thermal radiation caused by infrared rays penetrates the skin more than ultraviolet rays. 25% to 65% of its radiation can reach the epidermis and dermis, and 8% to 17% can reach the subcutaneous tissue. Infrared rays have direct adverse effects on the skin through its thermal radiation effect, which causes the skin temperature to rise, capillaries to dilate, congestion, and increased evaporation of epidermal water. Its main manifestations are red papules, premature skin aging and pigmentation disorders. Increased skin temperature, dilation and congestion of capillaries, and increased evaporation of epidermal water directly have adverse effects on the skin.

Infrared rays can also enhance the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays on the skin and accelerate the skin aging process. When using the same sunscreen product and the same energy of ultraviolet rays, the SPF value (sun protection factor) measured outdoors in natural sunlight is significantly lower than the sunscreen effectiveness measured under artificial light in the laboratory. This is because under natural sunlight, the skin is exposed to the dual effects of ultraviolet rays and infrared rays. Infrared and ultraviolet rays have the same effect in accelerating tissue degeneration. Infrared rays can also promote the development of skin cancer caused by ultraviolet rays.

After reading the above introduction, I believe everyone already knows that the main harm of infrared rays to the skin is skin burns, and the degree of this burn is complementary to the intensity of the infrared rays and the exposure time. Although infrared light is a common type of light, exposure to a large amount of infrared light will have adverse effects on our skin and eyes.