Aisling McDermott on Beauty: Don’t succumb to tech neck

Many of us find life without our smartphones hard to countenance. We text and check our email inboxes constantly on our phones, and work on our laptops while we are watching television or eating lunch. When we are out meeting friends it doesn’t stop there: selfies need to be taken and edited, food shots uploaded to Instagram, and no night out is complete without Google to answer every question the group needs to know.

Bad news, however: this constant use of electronic devices is not clever multitasking. It is the quick route to “tech neck”.

Consistently peering down into our screens means that we are putting more and more pressure on our necks. As the head tilts forwards, the amount of weight it puts on the neck multiplies, leading not only to possible neck pain and back problems, but also adding to the appearance of ageing. Dermatologists report that signs of tech neck, such as jowls, chin and neck wrinkles, plus sagging skin, are being seen in the 18-35-year-old age group. These signs of ageing previously only appeared in an older demographic.

We are not likely to give up our small-screen lovers, and so we need to improve our posture. Stop hunching over that laptop or iPad, keep your shoulders back and prop your device up as high as you can so it is close to eye level. Get gurning: facial massage and exercises help to firm the jaw line.

Good neck creams, together with SPF, will help too, and the neck can cope with much richer creams than the face, so try Clarins and Prevage Neck and Decollete Cream, while thick moisturisers such as Nivea Soft will also do the job nicely.

YSL Forever Youth Liberator Y-Shape Concentrate holds out the most hope for tech neck. It contains concentrated glycan, a sugar naturally produced by our skin that stimulates collagen renewal. As glycan production declines from the age of 30, the addition of this substance to the upper levels of skin has been found to deliver noticeable results. Independent studies, as well as those commissioned by L'Oréal, have found that glycans really might hold the key to unlocking, if not the fountain of youth, the path to smoother, younger-looking skin.

Apparently, tech neck will first manifest as a line above the collar bone, but, before you panic and throw your iPhone away, consider this: it may be that some of us are simply more prone to developing neck lines earlier than others. A straw poll of friends who are constantly glued to their iPads revealed that the mid-40s digital marketing exec didn’t have the ring above her clavicle that the twentysomething graphic designer did. Both of them suffer from neck pain, however, so it looks as though, lines aside, the real danger of tech neck may be the damage we are doing to our joints.

Twitter @aismcdermott

beauty@irishtimes.com

AISLING’S PICKS OF THE WEEK

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush (€11.49) These baked blushers are available in six different colourways and mimic Mac's iconic Mineralize blushers. My favourite is Lovely Pink, not only because of the name, but because the subtle wash of colour is suitable for even the palest skin.

Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo

(€3.99) Oh yes, yes, yes. Get ready to have an orgasm outside the shower this time: Herbal Essences has recreated its shampoo in three dry formats, which smell delicious and will refresh limp and greasy hair.

Darphin 8 Flower Nectar

(€127) Anyone who knows skincare recognises Darphin as one of the best luxury brands around. With a blend of eight concentrated flower extracts, this is not just an ordinary face oil: it is probably the best one they have ever made. Fans of Decléor will find this heaven in a bottle.

Giorgio Armani Luminessence CC

(Brown Thomas from April, €40) Just the thing for the morning after. This little tube of ultra-light foundation is unbelievably good at camouflaging uneven tone and adding a soft sheen to even the most tired and – dare I say – hungover complexions.

AISLING LOVES . . .

SuperValu Pure + Kind Anti-Wrinkle Serum

(€4.50) This is a very decent hydrating and moisturising serum from an unexpected source. It contains Q10, which studies have shown helps to repair sun-damaged skin (I find it works best to soften the look of lines). Don’t expect it to have the concentration of active ingredients of more expensive serums, but for €4.50, where would you be going?