Looking Back…..Dr. Angela’s Tips On What To Do With Tech Neck…..

Is our prolific use of devices, primarily smartphones and laptops increasing the loose skin under our necks sooner than before? Read on to find Dr. Angela’s insight into what is becoming known as TECH NECK and some of her tips on how to lessen neck stress, pain and sagging skin.

When people refer to tech neck it is usually the pain, soreness and stiffness in the neck we get from looking down at phones, tablets and laptops. This can also refer to the creases on the neck that could be caused by this posture. These have also been called “necklace lines”.  It’s honestly difficult to tell if this is truly the cause of these lines.  I see young people that have always had them. I see it run in families.  Because our use of devices is so pervasive, it’s really difficult to tell.  Are they getting worse because of more phone useage or worse because of simply time passing? It’s hard to know.

A concern that has been put out there is that people are experiencing loose skin at younger ages. I have to wonder, are we really? Does bending over at the waist cause loose skin on the abdomen?  Does bending your fingers as you do every day cause loose skin, probably not.  We most likely notice this more now than we ever have before.  Before smartphones, when did you ever look at yourself in a mirror leaning over, probably not very often if ever.  It’s the least flattering way to see yourself.  Think about scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and you accidentally swipe right instead of down.  That camera pops up and chances are you are looking down at it.  I have to resist the urge to throw the phone at that point.  Seeing oneself this way may make you see yourself differently.  It’s an unfortunate fact that we get more loose skin on the neck and jawline with time, but I have to ask are we seeing it more now and earlier and is it really the phone causing it?

Nonetheless, there are some preventative measures you can take that can only help your neck skin and may help your neck in general.

1. Hold your phone higher. This way you aren’t repeatedly bending the neck skin in the same places.
2. Stretching exercises. Particularly ones stretching your head back, the opposite direction that you have been holding your head and also adding a “chewing-like movement” with your head back.  There are specific “tech neck” excercises or things like upward facing dog and cobra positions during yoga can help.
3. Don’t forget your neck with skin care. The skin is more delicate, so you will need to be more gentle than on your face. However, don’t forget to exfoliate with a scrub like Zo exfoliating polish 2-3 times a week, hydrate with a good neck-friendly moisturizer (click there)  (so many new and very good ones on the markets daily…..my favorite, Roz here, at the moment is Dr. Perricone’s Cold Plasma Sub-D) and consider a retinol product, if recommended by your Dermatolgist, Plastic Surgeon or Facial Plastic Surgeon.
4. Consider skin tightening treatments, like Ultherapy, FaceTite or other procedures, as suggested by a physician.
5. The horizontal lines can be addressed a few different ways. Although I will tell you they are stubborn.
   1. Resurfacing the neck with a fractionated laser, combined microneedling and RF treatment or combined ablative and nonablative fractionated laser can help. These make the skin smoother.
   2. The lines can be filled with a really smooth filler, like Restylane Silk or Volbella.Anything too thick can be visible or bumpy.  A collagen stimulating injectable, like Sculptra can be used, but the results can vary by each person’s ability to stimulate collagen.
6. Give the technology a break. This is good for your skin and the muscles in your neck that continuously hold tension when you are in that position.  So, it can relieve neck pain, headaches and make your neck skin smoother.   It’s also good for your mental health.  There have been a studies correlating screen time and mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as atrophy of certain areas of the brain.

Be kind to yourself and your neck!

feature photo courtesy of StyleCaster.com

Dr. Angela Sturm courtesy of drangelasturm.com