The Potential of Early Morning Bright Light

Thought Leadership Series

The Potential of Early Morning Bright Light Exposure in Managing Chronic Inflammatory Skin Disorders

Authors: Payton L. Smith, B.S. Phoebe Bruffett, B.S. B.A

ABSTRACT

Bright light exposure can positively modulate circadian rhythms, enhancing metabolic health, psychological well-being, and sleep quality. Notably, research reveals significant benefits, including improved phase adjustment of circadian rhythms, higher glucose tolerance, reduced body and heart weight, and lower anxiety and depression-like behavior.

Furthermore, the connection between circadian rhythm regulation and skin health is underscored by findings that link circadian rhythm disruptions to skin aging and immune system dysregulation, crucial in the pathology of chronic inflammatory skin conditions.

These insights suggest that leveraging early morning bright light exposure could offer a novel, non-invasive strategy to complement existing treatments for chronic inflammatory skin disorders, warranting further exploration in clinical settings. These key findings suggest a holistic view of the utility of light as a potential therapeutic agent in dermatology.

The interplay between environmental factors and human health is a subject of intense research, particularly in the context of circadian rhythms and their influence on various physiological processes. Recent studies have revealed the potential benefits of early morning bright light exposure, not just on general well-being and metabolic state but also on skin health, a domain where chronic inflammatory disorders pose significant challenges.

Leveraging early morning light exposure could offer novel therapeutic avenues for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory skin disorders like psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema.

Early morning bright light exposure has been shown to profoundly affect human circadian rhythms, essential in regulating physiological processes across the body, including skin function. A previous study reveals that subjects exposed to bright light (about 2000 lux) from 0500h to 0700h significantly advanced the phase of circadian rhythms, manifesting in increased motor activity, enhanced subjective alertness, and improved performance in cognitive tasks among normal adults.

These alterations in circadian rhythms were linked with physiological modifications, such as the phase advancement of peak cortisol secretion and body temperature to earlier times from 0800h to 0600h. These shifts are essential indicators of the health and functionality of the circadian system1.

The role of light in regulating circadian rhythms extends to metabolic and psychological well-being, as illustrated by Bilu et al. In a diurnal animal model, daily exposure to high-intensity light in the morning was associated with improved diurnal activity (p = 0.002), reduced insulin levels (p = 0.0008), reduced heart weight (p < 0.001), and reduced heart/body weight ratio (p < 0.001).

Notably, the animals exposed to morning light also demonstrated reduced anxiety and depression-like behavior (p = 0.008), highlighting the systemic benefits of regulated circadian rhythms influenced by light exposure2.

Moreover, the importance of morning light exposure in enhancing sleep quality and alertness further underscores its potential therapeutic implications. A study on college students showed that morning bright light exposure led to higher sleep efficiency (p = 0.02), earlier sleep onset (p < 0.05), and lower morning sleepiness (p < 0.05).

These findings suggest that morning light exposure can enhance nocturnal sleep quality, regulate levels of cortisol, and lower inflammatory cytokines, aspects crucial for skin health and well-being3,4.

"The study5 identified key circadian rhythm genes associated with skin aging and their involvement in crucial signaling pathways."

In the context of skin health, one study links circadian rhythm disruption to skin aging and chronic skin conditions. The study identified key circadian rhythm genes associated with skin aging and their involvement in crucial signaling pathways.

Furthermore, the expression of these genes was correlated with the infiltration of immune cells, suggesting a link between circadian rhythms, skin aging, and immune system function. This connection is particularly relevant for chronic inflammatory skin disorders, where immune dysregulation plays a significant role.5

The intersection of these studies underscores the potential of early morning bright light exposure as a non-invasive strategy to modulate circadian rhythms favorably, with implications for improving metabolic health, psychological well-being, and sleep quality, possibly mitigating the impact of chronic inflammatory skin disorders.

Future research should explore the direct effects of light exposure on skin health and its utility as a non-invasive, complementary approach to managing such conditions.

Article type: Editorial

Title: The Potential of Early Morning Bright Light Exposure in Managing Chronic Inflammatory Skin Disorders

Authors: Payton L. Smith, B.S.1,2†, Phoebe Bruffett, B.S., B.A.2†, Chandler E. Johnson, B.S., B.A.1, Kathryn Haran, B.S.1, Faranak Kamangar, M.D., M.A.S.3

1Department of Dermatology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

2Department of Dermatology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

3Sutter Health - Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA, USA

†These authors contributed equally to this study.

Corresponding author:

Payton Smith, B.S.

2340 Sutter St., Box 0808, Floor 04, Room N426

San Francisco, CA, 94115

Phone: 415-944-7618

Email: payton.smith@ucsf.edu

Key Words: circadian rhythms, bright light exposure, chronic inflammatory skin disorders, metabolic health, sleep quality, immune system function, skin aging, non-invasive therapy

ORCiDs

PLS, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6505-9773

PAB, https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2883-3406

CEJ, https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5818-8710

KRH, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8166-4826

FK, https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8518-4314

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

No funding organizations were involved in the design and conduct of the study, collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS STATEMENT

All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship for this manuscript, take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and have given final approval for the version to be published. Conception: PLS, PAB, CEJ, KRH. Writing—original draft preparation: PLS, PAB, CEJ, KRH. Writing—review and editing: all authors. Supervision: FK.

REFERENCES

1. Clodoré M, Foret J, Benoit O, et al. Psychophysiological effects of early morning bright light exposure in young adults. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1990;15(3):193-205. doi:10.1016/0306-4530(90)90030-d

2. Bilu C, Einat H, Zimmet P, Vishnevskia-Dai V, Kronfeld-Schor N. Beneficial effects of daytime high-intensity light exposure on daily rhythms, metabolic state and affect. Sci Rep. Nov 13 2020;10(1):19782. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-76636-8

3. He M, Ru T, Li S, Li Y, Zhou G. Shine light on sleep: Morning bright light improves nocturnal sleep and next morning alertness among college students. J Sleep Res. Apr 2023;32(2):e13724. doi:10.1111/jsr.13724

4. Gupta MA, Gupta AK. Sleep-wake disorders and dermatology. Clin Dermatol. 2013;31(1):118-26. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2011.11.016

5. Xiao X, Feng H, Liao Y, et al. Identification of key circadian rhythm genes in skin aging based on bioinformatics and machine learning. Aging (Albany NY). Oct 30 2023;15(20):11672-11689. doi:10.18632/aging.205155