Tips for Reducing TECH NECK — Dr. Steven Mackey, MD

Board-Certified Doctors Share Their Tips For Reducing “Tech Neck”

By Allison McNamara | October 13, 2019

This is an exert from SPOTYTE. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL STORY

You see it everywhere, from the office to on the subway and at the dinner table: people staring down at their mobile devices. We are constantly using electronic devices, scrolling through Instagram®, chatting in a group text, or calling an Uber®, and this keeps our necks flexed forward for extended periods of time. This habit — and the lines, wrinkles, and sagging it can cause — has been coined as “tech neck.”

What exactly is tech neck?

Many people have heard of tech neck in the context of cosmetic concerns: the repetitive motion of looking down can create unpleasant, early-onset wrinkles and sagging in the neck region. However, it is also linked to a bevy of serious issues with the cervical spine and musculoskeletal system. Think about it: the human head is heavy (about 10 to 12 pounds), so the slightest shift in how its positioned can result in pain and medical concerns. These consist of everything from inflammation in the area and shoulder pain to headaches and even the development of a “dowager’s hump.”

Tech neck is unique in that it affects all age groups — including children and young adults during major developmental stages — and its prevalence has increased dramatically as we have become more and more dependent on our mobile devices. If you find yourself hunched over at your computer or looking down at your cell phone constantly throughout the day, chances are that you’ve already started reaping the nasty side effects of tech neck — regardless if you feel pain or not.

How can I prevent tech neck?

Although the buzzy blue light (HEV) emitted from our screens has been recognized as a major cause of skin damage, board-certified Los Angeles-based dermatologist Ronald Moy, MD says the repeated action of looking down at cell phones definitely causes more wrinkling and sagging of the skin than HEV. It’ll also lead to musculoskeletal soreness of the neck over time. The most natural, but not-so-easy way, to prevent tech neck and horizontal neck banding (a.k.a. wrinkling of the neck) is, of course, limiting screen time. For many, this isn’t an ideal or even feasible option.

Luckily, we can control how we look down. Dr. Moy suggests keeping your cell phone at eye level to decrease the wrinkling, sagging, and musculoskeletal issues, and sitting upright with a straight back whenever possible. “The only way tech neck [may] go away is with consistent attention to the position of the head and neck,” he explains. “All other modalities, like creams and laser, are mostly preventative — and some reverse [damage] if you invest in the treatments and care.”

visit www.thespotlyte.com to see this entire story and many other great cosmetic tips.