We have talked “tech neck” over the years, especially when people began working remotely the last 5 years, but we are still seeing it more and more, and happening younger and younger! Now we see teenagers with tech neck starting. “Tech neck” refers to the premature development of horizontal lines across the neck caused by the position of our faces as we look down at technology. If you are looking down at your phone or computer screen for many hours throughout the day, there will be changes that happen to the neck from positioning- namely, horizontal wrinkles.
Horizontal lines on the neck have always been prevalent and a typical sign of aging, just not to this degree, that’s all. In fact, looking down at technology isn’t the only thing that can cause tech neck—your sleeping position can too. Back sleepers and people who sleep with their heads elevated on multiple pillows cause a 45-degree bend in their neck as they sleep, leading to lines and wrinkles from that as well.
With that being said, neck lines have certainly been exacerbated by the use of technology. It seems that as screen time increases, so does the development of premature folds and wrinkles.
How Can I Prevent Tech Neck?
Tech neck was developing as early as your 20s or 30s, now we notice it starting in teens. It’s difficult to get rid of once it appears, so prevention is key.
Be Mindful of Your Posture
The best way to prevent tech neck is to be mindful of your posture and positioning throughout the day. If you spend hours looking down at a computer or phone, you want to adjust that. Instead of looking down at your screens, keep your screens at eye level. This will keep your neck straight throughout the day, preventing premature lines and wrinkles from forming in the first place. Holding the phone higher or propping the computer up, having a chair that promotes better posture, all can help.
Sleep on One Pillow
Multiple pillows can be detrimental to the appearance of the skin on your neck because it can cause your neck to remain bent at an angle. Whenever your neck remains bent for long periods of time (such as when you sleep), it can encourage lines and wrinkles to form. Luckily, the fix is to try to sleep on one pillow (the thinner the pillow, the better) so your neck remains in a more neutral position. It may not sound like much, but given that we spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, the effects really add up.
Use Sunscreen
UV rays= premature aging, which is why consistent sunscreen application is paramount. Make no mistake. This goes for the skin on your neck, too. We can’t tell you how many times we have seen someone apply sunscreen to their face, take whatever was left on their fingers, and bring it down to their neck. Or forget to reapply the neck at all!
Moisturize Every Day
Dry, damaged skin is more likely to develop early signs of visible aging, which is why it’s important to give your skin the moisture it needs, and this includes your neck!
Retinol
Retinol has been proven to stimulate cell regeneration, boost the production of collagen, and promote skin elasticity, among other things. BUT it can be very irritating, particularly to the sensitive neck skin. So you need to start SUPER slowly with an OTC strength retinol just a couple nights per week to see if your neck will even handle it at all
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are another way to try to prevent signs of premature aging. This is because they prevent free radicals (unstable electrons that attack healthy cells and change their composition) from oxidizing molecules. Much like the skin on your face, the skin on your neck can come into contact with damaging free radicals daily, whether that’s from UVA and UVB rays, pollution, or other environmental stressors. When exposed to these, the DNA, lipids, and proteins in our cells are susceptible to damage. What happens next? The production of collagen and elastin slows down, which can lead to loss of firmness and wrinkling. Protect your neck from free radicals by using an antioxidant-rich serum daily. It can be layered with the retinol or used alone.
What If You Already Have Lines on Your Neck?
Proper skin care and habits will certainly help lessen the appearance of neck lines and wrinkles, so those should be continued indefinitely. At the very least, this will help prevent lines and wrinkles from deepening, becoming even more stubborn and noticeable.
Professional Treatment Options!
Professional options include Sofwave, non-invasive ultrasound therapy, as well as Fraxel laser. Sofwave two use ultrasound technology to lift the neck, chin, and brow and improve lines and wrinkles. Sofwave is typically an annual treatment, though it depends on the person of course. Fraxel laser can resurface the skin’s texture by promoting collagen and typically takes a series of treatments over months. Book a consultation for either or both if you are interested in neck options!
SO make sure to treat your neck as an extension of your face. That means you should be caring for the skin on your neck as well as you do the skin on your face. The neck is one of the first areas to show visible signs of aging, and that includes the horizontal lines and wrinkles that we now call “tech neck!”