Could your iPhone be making you look older?
It’s no secret that being glued to our electronic devices can have some unfavorable side effects, such as eye strain, higher stress levels and insomnia. What is less commonly known, however, is that spending too much time looking down at your cell phone or tablet can be making you look significantly older.
Constantly bending your neck to stare down at a screen can lead to “tech neck,” a new term referring to the deep horizontal lines and wrinkles across the neck. Especially alarming is how even my youngest patients are now starting to develop wrinkles on their neck at such an early age.
Similarly to the way that years of squinting or frowning can cause deep lines around our eyes, persistent motion of the neck bending downward results in a dynamic wrinkle that appears in response to movement. If not addressed, the dynamic wrinkle can become a static wrinkle - one that is always there whether you are performing the motion or not.
Remember the skin on your neck needs to be taken care of, like the skin on your face. Invest in an ingredient dense anti-aging serum (like the KAPLAN MD Neck Sculpting Serum) that stimulates collagen production to firm the skin and re-volumize deep lines.
As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To be truly proactive about preventing Tech Neck, simply take a break from your smartphone and tablets regularly during the day. Or try using these devices more at eye level so you are not always looking down. I have also found yoga and pilates exercises to be helpful in correcting posture and elongating the neck.
