These days, it seems like we can’t go an hour without craning our necks to check our smartphones. We’re so busy downloading apps, texting friends, responding to emails, and reading the news that we may not have noticed all this texting has coincided with a dreaded cosmetic issue… Turkey neck!
This condition – in which the skin of the neck and jowls appear loose and saggy – can be exacerbated by constant use of one’s smartphone. Whenever you text or check your smartphone, your neck stretches and cranes in a downward motion, which can create significant pressure. Not only can this result in neck pain, but it can also affect the neck’s skin, which is the thinnest skin on your body.
When done often enough, all of this smartphone use can lead to wrinkles and sagging; in other words, turkey neck.
So what can you do to fight back against turkey neck? Take a look at a few suggestions from Sean Doherty, MD, a Boston-based board-certified plastic surgeon:
- Hold your smartphone up to eye level. This eliminates the need for you to jut your neck forward, which can create and deepen neck wrinkles. It may feel odd to do at first, but your smooth neck will thank you for the extra effort.
- Invest in powerful skin creams and serums. Prescription treatments like Retin A contain retinols, which can stimulate the production of collagen synthesis. Even over-the-counter skin creams that contain retinols can help you minimize the look of neck wrinkles.
- Make sure you get plenty of antioxidants in your diet. Eating fresh fruits and veggies, taking a multivitamin, and wearing sunscreen can provide you the protection you need against wrinkle-producing free radicals.
- Laser skin tightening treatments can help minimize the appearance of deeper neck wrinkles and bands. The heat energy from a laser treatment can kickstart collagen production, while heating up the dermis to produce a tightening effect.
- Botox and other similar skin injections can help improve the appearance of some horizontal neck lines, as well as vertical bands. The latter are often associated with text neck, due to the significant pressure placed on the neck muscles during texting.
- Liposuction is also a viable option for patients with significant sagging around the jawline. Liposuction can produce a contouring effect, which helps highlight and strengthen the appearance of your jaw.
Ready to fight back against text neck? Kiss those turkey jowls good-bye and schedule a consultation with Dr. Doherty at his plastic surgery practices in downtown Boston, MA (617) 450.0070 or Brookline, MA (617) 735.8735.