Have you ever had this happen to you? You've never spent a second thought thinking about a new concern or topic but now that you're aware of it, you cannot stop but obsess over it. That's us with tech neck. It's not a new trend in skincare and aesthetic beauty but with months spent at home staring at multiple devices and screens, we can't not obsess over a few extra lines along our neck.
Caring for the neck has always been something our President, Ann Marie, has been telling us to practice for years over at the Miracle 10 office. She would always advise us to bring down our face cream to treat the neck and décolleté at the end of our skincare routine (that is if we didn't already have a designated neck cream. And if we didn't, why not?!). Now that we're experiencing the consequences of neglect, we cannot help but run to Ann for some major skincare advice. So, here are our hot tips on caring for the skin on your neck and chest area and how to reverse signs of tech neck.
Step 1 - Improving posture
One of the key reasons why so many Millennials and Gen Z'ers are dealing with tech neck is because of poor posture. By simply raising your phone or device to eye level, you will help prevent wrinkles from forming along the neck as well as improve unnecessary strain along the spine. So, rather than tilting your head toward your device, bring your device up to you. Couple that with a straight spine (shoulders back, chin in) to help align your backbone in a proper neutral position. Proper posture limits the ability to tilt your head forward (thus, causing folds in your neck).
Last but certainly not least, take frequent breaks from your devices. We know, easier said than done but your posture isn't the only thing that will benefit from a break. By limiting your screen time, you'll help relieve increasing eye strain as well as overall mental health and wellness. Try setting up an alarm or app to keep track of your digital intake. We could all benefit from a break from our digital devices! So, let this be your first reminder to take a break... right now. Stop reading, close your eyes and roll your shoulders back. Doesn't that already feel better?
Step 2 - Don't neglect your neck
Be honest. How many reading this blog actually uses a designated neck cream? What is it about taking that extra second to care for the neck and décolleté? It literally adds 2 minutes to our total skincare routine and yet, we always neglect it. Even the simplest task of bringing our face cream down to the neck seems unnecessary. Well, if those lines could talk, it would tell you that it is quite necessary. You see, the skin around your neck is thinner and more fragile than that of your body. It's why it should be seen as an extension of the face rather than a part of your body care - It needs a little extra love.
Before we jump into our incredible neck treatment, we need to address an important step in everyone's skincare routine that we might be forgetting when it comes to the neck: SPF. Yup, one of the main culprits of early signs of ageing around the neck/chest is actually sun damage. Think about it. Just like your face, it is constantly exposed to the elements and yet, unlike our face, we seem to always forget to care for it. So, when applying your Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 to your face, bring it all the way down to your neck and chest area.
Just like your face cream, you'll want to look for a neck cream that is infused with active ingredients. Yes, hydration is super important (which is why you'll want to opt for a cream rather than a lotion as it will have a thicker, more occlusive consistency) but does the formula truly improve fine lines or is it just another moisturizer? That's why we love Neck Lift. Ann made sure to infuse it with EMC 10™, the key peptide formula in our Platinum Collection. It has been proven to stimulate your skin's production of collagen and elastin. We're talking about thicker and smoother skin around your neck and décolleté area. Not to mention it's shown to reduce sun damage!
Step 3 - Non-surgical treatments
For some, the damage has been done and while skincare and improved posture can certainly stop it from getting worse, reversing ingrained wrinkles is going to take a little extra oomph. Thankfully, our good friends over at MD Beauty Clinic have recently introduced Thread Lifts to their line of expertise.
A Thread Lift is a minimally-invasive treatment that uses surgical threads just under the skin’s surface to lift tissue on the face and neck. Not only does it physically firm and tighten the appearance of your skin but it has been proven to stimulate your body's natural production of collagen. This is due to your body recognizing the threads as a foreign substance, thus kicking things into overdrive to help "heal" your skin. Always do your research and consult with highly-trained medical aestheticians and doctors, like the team at MD Beauty Clinic.