The New Neck Aging: Tech/Text Neck Syndrome

Check the neck - you'll almost always see it doesn't lie when it comes to skin aging. This week's post from Lisa Stewart of Solia Spa, courtesy of Skin Inc. delves into the phenomenon of "tech/text" neck and how to treat it.

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We start aging the minute we are born! The aging of the skin is an unstoppable progression. It becomes almost irreversible; however, this is why God made estheticians! This is what we are made for. Our magical hands and incredible knowledge of skin care is a treat for our clients. The more clients see us, the better they look and feel, period. With all this said, how do we care for the aging of the neck and décolleté? I see an increase in aging in this area. Let’s face it, necks don’t lie, and the décolleté always peeks through. Most people don’t take care of these areas until it’s too late. There are many ways to treat the neck region, from neurotoxin/hyaluronic injectable fillers to surgery. This article will discuss non-invasive treatments estheticians can do in our treatment rooms that provide results and are de-stressing.

Tech/Text Neck

I love to work on a client’s neck and décolleté, from easing tension in these areas to hydrating, tightening, and reducing sun damage to the skin. By far, this is one of my favorite areas to work in. Many people have fold lines on their necks. It’s natural for wrinkles to appear in the neck region due to the loss of collagen and connective tissue that holds this area tight. It used to be a concern area for mature women; however, this broadened to a younger demographic due to technology. I have noticed an increase in 20 to 30-year-old necks aging due to text/tech neck.

Text/tech neck is continuously looking down at our cell phones and laptops/iPads for many hours a day. What happens to the neck is that the constant looking down motion causes the skin to crease, increasing wrinkles and breaking down collagen. Constant repetition of the muscle will cause a wrinkle to form. By doing this every day, the skin on the neck creates horizontal wrinkles. These are the kind of wrinkles we see from smoking, sun damage, and decrease in estrogen within mature women; however, not within the younger generation. I have seen this in as early as a 15-years-old.

Our heads weigh anywhere from 8 to 12 pounds. That is a lot of weight bearing down on our neck, especially as we spend many hours looking down at our devices. A fix for this is to hold our devices at eye level instead of always looking down. Our bodies are not used to or meant to look down frequently, and you can see in the younger generation with their posture, their necks are protruded forward, causing stress on their cervical and thoracic spine.

Treatment for the Spa

I noticed my clients who work from home are experiencing an increase in neck issues from aging to muscle pain. This need led my staff and I to create a neck and décolleté treatment (Holistically Treat the Neck & Dec) that focuses on aging and healing. This treatment incorporates radiofrequency, cryotherapy, and massage techniques to ease the stress placed on their cervical spine.

If you cannot have a neck/décolleté treatment on the treatment menu, you can always allot more time to massage these areas to help ease the stress that exists there, and clients love it. Remember, the more you touch, the more you can charge. I foresee our industry focusing on the neck just as much as the face. Teaching our clients about skin care does not stop at the chin.

Renowned beauty industry expert Lisa Stewart is a trusted skin care expert whose passion and tireless efforts have earned her a place in the market as one of the most beloved and most sought after skin care professionals in the country. She is a repeat guest beauty expert for a local television show and serves on the Skin Inc. Advisory Board. She is also a regular guest speaker at Face & Body tradeshows.