DIGITAL LIFE

Wearables and your skin: everything you need to know

Wearables measure your health throughout the day through complex sensors. They are always in direct contact with the skin. Can this hurt? In this article you can read all about wearables and your skin.

Have you ever looked at the bottom of your wearables? This can feel pretty intense because of all the sensors. These are in direct contact with your biggest organ throughout the day: the skin.

Our skin protects us from external influences, but it can also be quite vulnerable. Not just for wounds and bruises, if you're a little clumsy, but also the sun's radiation is really too intense for us. So what about wearables?

Are wearables bad for your skin?...Let's start with the good news: Research shows that using small electronic devices does not increase your risk of getting cancer. However, we have been using these devices for such a short time that it cannot be said with certainty that there is no long-term effect. However, the World Health Organization says there is no reason to assume this.

Skin irritation...It can happen that a wearable irritates your skin. It may become red or itchy. If this continues, there is a chance that you may be allergic to a component of the wearable.

At this point, the question is whether you are allergic to the material of the device or the brace. You can easily change the bracelet to another material. For example, if you don't respond well to a silicone wristband, you could try a fabric wristband and see if that fixes the problem. Otherwise, you can consult a dermatologist.

Do wearables work well with tattoos?...If you have tattoos, it may prevent the wearables from working properly. Many wearables use light to gather information about your health. Light reflects better in lighter colors. With black tattoos or other dark colors, the wearable may have trouble recognizing your pulse and seeing your heart rate.

One way to avoid this problem is not to get a tattoo on your wrist. At least not on the wrist where you wear a watch.

If you already have tattoos on your wrists and want to wear a wearable on your wrist, you can try putting cheap 'epoxy stickers' on the bottom of the wearable, as the Galaxy Watch Reddit advises. Please note that other functions may not work due to this sticker, such as an ECG measurement.

You can also choose to use a smart ring instead of a smartwatch. Or if your heart rate is important during exercise, wear a band around your chest. This band does not use light, so you can also use it if your chest is tattooed in black.

Does skin color affect how wearables work?...But if light works better with lighter colors than dark, what about skin tone? Unfortunately, wearables may actually work worse for people with darker skin tones. Research done in 2022 shows that the results that wearables provide are less accurate for black people.

In particular, heart rate measurement and detection of cardiac arrhythmias are not always correct. Heart rate is usually measured by illuminating the skin and then measuring how much light is absorbed. A skin with more melanin, therefore darker, absorbs more light.

Tips to Protect Your Skin...Although smartwatches and fitness trackers are meant to be worn day and night these days, it's not advisable to do so all the time. If you always cover your skin, you are more likely to get irritated. Your skin needs time to breathe and recover.

Don't over-tighten the wearable either. During exercise, it's smart to place your watch or fitness tracker very close to your skin so that your activity and heart rate are measured as accurately as possible. Then let go of the wearable a little.

Also think about hygiene. Just because the device is so close to your skin, it can get a little dirty. Clean your device and band regularly.

Source: Android Planet