On my way back from work the other day, I noticed something that just looked so funny. I was walking down the sidewalk and saw a bunch of people waiting for their company bus (Not a public bus. There’s no way people would wait in a line at a bus stop) all staring down at their phones. Like ducks in a row, all evenly spaced, all straining their neck forward to stare and scroll. After prolonged use, this can cause serious muscle strain as well as neck pain, weak or tight muscles, and result in loss of curvature of the neck (not to mention that double chin…hey there😉).
With the average human head weighing around 11 pounds, the strain of looking down for hours can cause a pretty kinked neck. Doesn’t sound like much? Imagine having a gallon of paint hanging from your neck for hours. “The average U.S. consumer spends a whopping 5 hours a day on [smartphones and tablets.” According to the study infographic above, if you’re looking at your phone at a 45-degree angle for 5 hours a day, that means you could be putting up to 49 pounds of stress on your neck for almost a whole workday. Ouch!
Not only can this end up causing you a lot of pain and a hunched neck when you’re older, but it can also cause neck wrinkles. Yes people, neck wrinkles. Ever notice horizontal lines on people’s necks? It’s from the repetition of your neck skin folding over as you look down (and possibly sun damage). They’re becoming more and more common now and people are moving to cosmetic fillers to help them once they realize the lines aren’t going away.
Are you starting to notice some fines lines on your neck after watching Youtube videos on your phone for too long? There are a few things you can do to help.
1. Stop looking down at your phone. Not a realistic ask but hold your phone up at eye level so you’re not straining your neck.
2. Wear sunscreen. These neck wrinkles are caused by the same things that cause all wrinkles: time, repetition, and sun damage.
3. Continue your skincare routine down your neck. At the beginning of the day, make sure to moisturize and apply SPF on your face and down your neck. At the end of the day, make sure to wash your neck to remove any dirt, sweat, makeup, and/or sunscreen from the day and moisturize. Moisturize it and protect it just like your face.
4. Use a retinoid or retinol. Again, the gold standard in skincare with decades of research to back it up. These vitamin A derivatives are pretty much the only thing that can help minimize and prevent further wrinkles by increasing collagen production and exfoliating the skin. Here are a few studies if you don’t believe me.
Phones are a part of our lives like never before and our necks are showing it! Our phones won’t be going away anytime soon so help yourself out and put your phone down.
¹ Hansraj, K. K. (2014). Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head. Surg Technol Int, 25(25), 277–9.
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