Too much addicted to your smartphone? Chances are high that you will soon get a brand new wrinkle on your neck.
Prolonged use of gadgets can lead to the development of 'tech neck' wrinkles or a line around the neck and chin, experts warn.
People who bend down constantly for long hours while using any handheld electronic devices like smartphones, tablet or computers are more likely to get the wrinkles. The occurrence is mainly because "excess use of handheld devices strengthen neck muscles and firms the jawline," Mirror UK, reported. However, the wrinkles are not permanent.
A UK-based company on non-surgical facelifts, named CACAI International, reported a recent surge in the number of enquiries treating these neck wrinkles. They said that the wrinkles can be fully cured by a treatment known as Microlift. "We noticed a surge in enquiries for our product, specifically to combat lines around the neck area," Dean Nathanson, Managing Director of CACI International, told Mirror, UK. "We've identified a correlation between the rise of technology in recent years and the growth of the tech neck."
Apart from the wrinkles, overuse of modern devices and gadgets can cause some other severe health problems in users. Excessive use of electronic devices and texting has long been blamed for causing an extremely damaging physical condition known as Text Neck. Dr Dean Fishman, founder and pioneer of Text Neck, said that the bending position while texting on mobile phones can cause neck, back and shoulder pain, apart from headache, numbness, tingling in the upper limb and pain in hands, arm, elbows and wrists.
"The frequent forward flexion causes changes in the cervical spine, curve, supporting ligaments, tendons and musculature, as well as the bony segments, commonly causing postural change," a statement on The Test Neck Institute read.
Concerned with the unhealthy trend, experts urged tech obsessed people to take the necessary steps to avoid any health risk. "Our bodies are not designed to be in the same position for long periods and many people also get into bad postures when using these devices," Josh Catlett, Chartered Physiotherapist, told Daily Mail.
"As a result, physiotherapists are seeing patients with neck, back and shoulder problems and also pain in the hands and wrists. It is important that people recognise the need to take regular breaks from using such devices and also to consider their posture at all times," he added.
