Take a look around - do you spot at least one person in your vicinity hunched over their smartphone? Probably. Smartphones are everywhere and the widespread use is causing a malady called “tech neck” with alarming (and aging) changes to our face, body and skin. Here's everything you need to know about tech neck symptoms and what you can do about it:

ACHES AND PAINS
According to Digital Trends, Americans use their phones for an astounding 4.7 hours a day. When you spend that amount of time each day peering downwards at a screen, don’t be surprised to feel neck and shoulder pain beyond what an average person your age should be feeling. When your spine is in a neutral position, the head usually weighs just 10 pounds. Tilt your head downwards and your spine, muscles and nerves will need to support 60 pounds of weight, causing great strain to several areas of your body (WebMD).

LINES AND WRINKLES
Spending hours each day texting emojis?  The bad news is that while you're sending heart symbols and smiley faces, you're potentially damaging the quality of your skin at the same time. With your head tilted downward, the angle of the neck constantly creases the neck skin (Harper's Bazaar). Since the skin in the neck area is already especially thin, the folding action increases the visible signs of aging with "tech neck wrinkles."

POOR POSTURE
Remember when your mom warned you not to make an ugly face because it'll freeze that way? Unfortunately, she was kind of right about that. The worst thing about tech neck is that it could be permanent. Medical experts find that the posture you adopt when using the smartphone can change your body. The action of looking down for hours can actually cause the neck muscles to shorten and the shoulder muscles to round, leading to a completely changed and aged-looking posture. 

Here are some "tech neck solutions" for battling these unpleasant symptoms :

1. LIFT YOUR PHONE
Instead of huddling over your screen, make sure that you lift your phone up to your face. The different positioning of the screen will ensure that you’re not bending your neck in a harmful or damaging way.

2. TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN AT HOME
Skin in the neck area is incredibly delicate. Don’t forget to hydrate and nourish this layer of skin to keep it elastic and less prone to lines and wrinkles. Our Monoi Age Corrective Night Cream For Face & Neck not only features the incredible monoi ingredient, it's especially formulated to nurture this area and promote beautiful and youthful skin. 

 3. TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN AT THE SPA
Sometimes you need to enlist a professional to stop skin issues like encroaching tech neck. Many of our spa partners offer organic skin care services that include the fragile neck area, like the following:

Le Rêve Organic Day Spa and Boutique in Santa Barbara offers their signature Age-Defying Facial which is designed to promote a youthful-looking complexion. Using our Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel as well as other Éminence products, the treatment not only focuses on the eye, lip and decolleté areas but also the neck. By providing care for the delicate neck area, the facial targets the visible signs of aging.  The Burke Williams group of spas in California is another Éminence spa partner that tackles tech neck. They have incorporated an enhancement to combat all tech-related aches and pains called the Dot.com Enhancement. The massage enhancement is described as the ultimate solution to living with technology (LNE & Spa).

Are you a victim of the tech neck epidemic? Let us know in the comments below. 

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