Tech Neck - How Staying Connected is Aging You and How You can Fix it

February 19, 2015

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, our smartphones, laptops and tablets are constant companions. They’re our windows to the world and our links to family, friends and colleagues. But the connection and convenience they offer unfortunately comes with a downside – premature aging.

Backing up the findings of researchers involved in multiple studies, skincare specialists nationwide are seeing an increasingly frequent incidents of “tech neck,” a growing phenomenon of wrinkles and sagging of the neck and jowls appearing in patients as young as 18. Once relegated to those in their 40s and older, neck and jowl sagging and wrinkles now are affecting younger generations for one primary reason – the frequent and long-term tilting forward of the head to read screens on our mobile devices. In fact, those most at risk for tech neck are 18 to 39-year-olds, a demographic of people who own an average of three devices.

The issue of tech neck increasingly is popping up in magazines, web publications and television programs, including a recent Good Morning America segment. It’s more common in women because their wardrobe choices more often leave their necks and collar bones exposed, making the skin in those areas prone to the effects of sun and wind exposure, including premature aging. Keep in mind that the skin in the neck area is finer than in other areas, and is quickly thinned even further by sun exposure. Yet, most people’s skincare regimens focus solely on their faces, ignoring the neck and collarbone area.

The good news is that tech neck can be prevented and treated. Here are three helpful tips from Central Florida’s Associates in Dermatology:

• Limit your time spent on your mobile devices and, when using them, position the screens at eye level with your chin held at a 70- to 90-degree angle to help avoid development of tech neck to begin with.
• Maintain a daily skincare regimen that includes Steppie MD’s Ethereal Beauty™, an organic-based anti-aging serum that has proven highly effective for our patients.
• Talk with an Associates in Dermatology skincare specialist about our new take-home product developed specifically to target the aging neck and clinically proven to visibly reduce sagging and wrinkles that betray your age. This breakthrough wrinkle repairing treatment is available for sale in all 12 Central Florida locations.

Don’t let staying connected cost you your looks – and remember that tech neck can affect both women and men. Call 800-827-SKIN to schedule a consultation with a dedicated skincare specialist at the Associates in Dermatology location nearest you today.