Kourtney Kardashian
While our smartphones help us stay connected and offer 24/7 news and communication, the constant crouching, squinting, and hunching come with side effects. Enter tech neck, an electronic-induced condition that causes alignment issues, fine lines and wrinkles on your neck, and stiff pain. Today we’re tackling the cosmetic side of the problematic posture and sharing ways to reduce and reverse the unpleasant creases.
Thanks to innovative skincare companies and professionals like Dr. Jason Diamond and Melissa Haloossim of Skin Thesis, there are a plethora of creams, lotions, and treatments to help reduce wrinkles caused by a day’s worth of staring at your phone catching up on family group text threads.
The skin on our neck and chest—the area affected the most by tech neck—is incredibly thin and delicate, which is why it’s especially important to care for this gentle section of your body. By applying neck cream each night, you’ll prevent wrinkles and fine lines from deepening and slow down the aging process. To apply, be sure to create upward and outward strokes so that the cream is massaged toward the jawline and back of the neck. We also suggest using the creams on your chest, since that area is thinning and damaged by tech neck as well. If you’re in a pinch, a simple everyday cream will work as a backup option, but we highly recommend updating your beauty routine with one of the below neck creams for the best results.
If you’re interested in something more powerful than a daily serum, we tapped Dr. Diamond, whose clients include Kourt and Chrissy Teigen, and Melissa Haloossim, whose clients include Kim and Khloé Kardashian, to share their take on treating tech neck.
“Tech neck is the term used to describe the functional and cosmetic changes that occur from the constant flexion of the neck while using devices such as mobile phones and iPads. Functionally, people will complain of frequent stiffness and pain in the neck region and many associated symptoms, including headaches and numbness, to name a few. Cosmetically, people will complain of increased horizontal neck creases (“lines”) and an overall decline in the cosmetic appearance of the neck and chin region. I like to use the analogy of an accordion—the more you compress and expand it, the more the pleats and grooves deepen, and the more readily you see them even upon full expansion.
I have noticed a rapid increase in the number of people who complain of this problem over the last 10 years as the amount of device usage has increased exponentially.
Prevention is key, and the more we can change our habits, the better we will become at curbing the problem. Bringing your device to your eye level as opposed to looking down and keeping your chin parallel to the floor can help prevent the lines from forming. The goal is to always prevent, and then correct.
Once the problem occurs, there are several techniques to help combat the cosmetic neck issues. The most effective technique, and my favorite to perform, is the Diamond InstaFacial to the neck. This involves lasering the skin as well as injecting the subcutaneous and intradermal space to improve the creases. There is also a superficial infiltration of either platelet-rich plasma or nanofat or a combination of both, depending on the patient’s anatomy. At times, I will use dermal fillers to inject the creases, should the patient’s anatomy and skin quality call for it.
I will also perform a minimally invasive neck lift procedure to support the underlying muscles to maximize the contour to the submental (under chin) region.
The above techniques will address both the skin and underlying muscle and can significantly improve tech neck. Stay tuned for exciting news I have about a device I have developed to significantly reduce both the cosmetic and functional problems caused by tech neck.”
“We have many patients of all ages who come in with concerns about their necks. Depending on their issues or complaints, we recommend certain treatments. In the age of technology, more and more people are looking at their screens, especially down at their phones. After evaluating the patient’s skin and texture, we start working on deep and superficial tightening.
We begin with our TightLase treatment, which uses dual technology to penetrate to the deeper collagen, causing contraction, which then triggers new collagen growth. This type of skin tightening improves the skin’s texture and tone, resulting in smoother skin. We then use our Intensif treatment, which combines radiofrequency and microneedling to work on the deeper layer and superficial elastin fibers to help plump the lines occurring on the neck. We recommend one to three treatments for both procedures.”
