Aging in a modern world: Dr. Joel Schlessinger discusses “tech neck” with Yahoo! Beauty

Is your phone or iPad making your neck look old?  Here’s the story on what these devices do to us and how to avoid problems!

Staring down at your phone could lead to premature signs of aging in the neck area, Dr. Joel Schlessinger explains.

Looking down at your cell phone, laptop or tablet can cause a loss of firmness in the neck called “tech neck.” The skin on the neck is much thinner and more prone to wrinkling. Constantly looking down at your phone creates folds in the skin, which eventually become deep wrinkles. Dr. Joel Schlessinger recently sat down to discuss this aging concern with Yahoo! Beauty.

“On average, people stare at their cell phones for almost three hours a day,” Dr. Joel Schlessinger shares. “It adds stress on the muscles and nerves, which can do damage over time.”

You may not notice it at the time, but your neck works hard to support your head, especially when it’s held at an angle.

“The head normally weighs about 10 pounds when the spine is straight,” he explains. “However, when you’re holding your head at a 45-degree angle to look down at your phone, the head weighs about 49 pounds.”

Dr. Joel Schlessinger suggests holding your device higher than normal, which can make a big difference in preventing unnecessary signs of aging.

Try to hold your head in a neutral position whenever possible and limit the time you spend on your phone or tablet. If you’re working on a laptop, sit at a desk and place the monitor at eye level to encourage good posture.

If you’re already seeing signs of “tech neck,” the good news is there are treatments that can help. Dr. Joel Schlessinger suggests finding a firming cream with active ingredients that help stimulate collagen and elastin production. His favorite treatment for the neck area is NeoStrata Skin Active Triple Firming Neck Cream, which builds volume, firms sagging skin and creates a more even tone with active ingredients like Pro-Amino Acid, NeoCitriate, NeoGlucosamine and apple stem cell extract. Dr. Schlessinger even acted as principal investigator in an exclusive study on the efficacy of this neck cream and the results were impressive!

For more modern aging concerns and what you can do about them, check out the rest of the article on Yahoo! Beauty.

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