Oh me, oh my. If you’re like me you have a little something called TECH NECK.
Never heard of it? Well, it’s real. And the struggle is REAL, real.
So many women forget that the first place we age is the neck. And guess what? The cell phone sitch is REALLY not helping. I mean it’s making it so much worse than it has to be, you know? Now instead of being hunched over the computer like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, we’re crouched over our cell phones. All of us.
Like SELF Magazine says, “carpal tunnel is SO five years ago.”
So ya, now TECH NECK is everywhere.
What exactly is it?
According to Florida chiropractor Dean L. Fishman, D.C.: “it’s an overuse syndrome or a repetitive stress injury, where you have your head hung forward and down looking at your mobile device for extended periods of time,” he explains. “Don’t get me wrong: I love technology, but this is a global epidemic not just from texting, but from using all sorts of wireless media.”
Well, UGH. Another day, another discovery.
Sometimes TECH NECK will give headaches, shoulder/neck pain, & increased curvature in the spine.
But good news: I feel like I’m ahead of the curve here. Only because I am CONSTANTLY on my phone for work though. I noticed little lines on my neck a while ago & recognized the importance of fixing this QUICKLY.
Here are 3 easy tips anyone & everyone can do. Ready? K:
1.) Exercises. That’s right. I’ve actually been talking about neck exercises since 2012…remember this post on “how to get rid of your turkey hanger?” We talked about how important it is to stretch your neck.
The best one in my opinion is BABY COBRA. Try it now, you can do it anywhere:
1. Begin by lying face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you. Keep your legs down and position your hands directly under your shoulders.
2. Keep your chin tucked, looking down on the floor, then slowly take your hands off the ground and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Lower your upper body while staying in that position, then raise up and contract your glutes. Do this motion 10 times.
I’ve been so into yoga lately & I feel like it’s REALLY helping with my tech neck. Yoga has opened me up ( literally & figuratively ). Seriously I cannot say enough good things about the practice. I like non-heated yoga because I find a heated room VERY distracting. Yoga flow is more my style. Recently I’ve noticed my posture improving from taking my bi-weekly yoga class.
If you can, I love a good chiropractor too. He’s constantly stretching my back & it relieves a lot of neck pain. My chiropractor loves giving me at-home exercises to open up and prevent that hunched over look.
2.) Tip two is one I discovered recently. As you guys know I try a lot, a lot of products. Constantly the human guinea pig because I’m on the hunt to discover the best of best. This new skincare brand, NIA, sent me some of their products to try. First off, I immediately liked their branding…why? Well NIA stands for NOT INTO AGING. Yes plz.
Secondly the product is created for millennials, by millennials for millennial skin. ANOTHER YES PLZ.
The goal of the brand is focus on situational issues…AKA tech neck.
They get it. Our lifestyle involves the phone. So instead of telling us to get off the phone, they have a little solution: TECH NECK LINE SMOOTHER.
This is a perfect serum ( I love a serum ) packaged in an on-the-go massage roller ( I also love a roller ). Basically you just roll it on your neck to firm & smooth the skin. It helps get rid of those pesky tech neck lines we’re all trying to avoid.
For the record I also tried their serum for the face & really liked it too. It was great for hydration & to smooth lines. Another fave ( if you’re on the market for a new mask ) was their whipped clay peel-off mask. Very into it because it’s a FOAM mask. It comes out of the bottle as this mousse ( like hair mousse consistency ) & you rub it on your face to draw dirt out of the skin. Here’s what I did the other day: I put the mask all over my face AND NECK & then after I washed it off, I used the tech neck serum. Using a mask on your neck is normal right? If not, I’m on a mission to make it cool.
Don’t forget about your neck!
You can find all these products at Ulta Beauty…be careful though there are SO many good finds at Ulta you may…hate me?
3.) Lastly, you know what I’m going to say here: sunscreen & a hat! Here’s the thing: prevention is KEY. If you have the option to keep your neck out of the sun- DO IT. I feel like the sun only makes my tech neck horizontal lines worse so I make it my MISSION daily to avoid the sun by using caffeinated sunscreen & rocking a hat…every single day. Kind of absurd, but so important.
Doing this makes all the difference & it’s so anti-aging in general.
Is anyone else with me here?
♡ | ♡ | ♡ | ♡
PROTECT THE SKIN!
With that, I’m off to rub some neck serum on my neck & chest and watch the latest episode of Real Housewives Beverly Hills ( living for Dorit’s outfits this season ).
Are you guys into taking care of your neck? The sooner, the BETTER. You know how I love prevention…; )
Happy Tuesday!
X lauryn
+ DEFINITELY listen to the latest episode of TSC Podcast. LadyGang is on…we talk laser, vaginas, spray tans, fake hair, skincare, etc.
++ palm print PJ’s ( << similar ).
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SHOP THE POST:
Thank you for reminding me to take care of my neck! I always forget to put my sunscreen there grrr. Loved this post 🙂
It’s SO easy to neglect but SO important to take care of! xx
Great post! I need to try some of the neck exercises you mentioned. My chiropractor is currently working on my tech neck. The neck pain is annoying but it is nice to get to go in for adjustments and e-stim on my rhomboids.
ALSO, thank you for mentioning Dorit’s amazing outfits. I was just saying last night that she is not my favorite housewife but she, by far, has the best style.
Briana
http://www.youngsophisticate.com
The chiropractor helps SO much. I appreciate all of the support Briana! xx
Neck and chest! I kind of cringe when I see women my age (28) with the chest of a 40 year old. I am just not into baking in the sun anymore. I put the same product that I put on my face, on my neck and chest. I’ve found oils work really well.. the only issue is I have thin, fine hair and then my hair soaks up the oil and looks kind of greasy. I have Strivectin’s neck cream and I like it but it’s very strong and sometimes leaves me red/irritated.
Love the concept behind NIA.. the name is perfect lol
It’s not just ‘get off your phones” like… it’s a part of our lives, we can;t not have it so this (combined with diet, sunscreen and exercise) is a perfect way to combat aging.
http://thedianaedition.com
Omg I need to get this immediately. I already took your tip and got a laptop stand so I’m not looking down all the time, but I need the neck cream too!
Such a great post, Lauryn! This NIA brand looks amazing and right up my alley – what awesome branding! I will def be checking out. I am ALWAYS on my phone, and I’ve noticed strain in my neck & back so I’m going to add the neck exercises to my fitness routine today. Thanks so much for sharing! Loving the BHH palms on you!! x Shannon
I super love that this is made by millenials for millenials!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I’ve been focused on retraining my rhomboids to keep my shoulder blades back further. I’m going to add this exercise to my list. Thank you.
This article is actually a good one it helps new the web people, who are wishing in favor of blogging.
Lauryn, you always have just what I need. Saving the neck is key. I’d been ignoring it and just st realized that I need to pay as much attention to my neck/chest as my face so I don’t have a young face and old rest of the stuff..
Hi Lauryn, I have suffered neck and back pain multiple times, and I discovered that most common causes of neck pain include: Too much time hunched over…for example hunched over a steering wheel or your laptop or your smartphone which is very common today; Sleeping in a position that causes strain in the neck such as sleeping on a pillow that is too firm or too high; Carrying a heavy object like a suitcase on one side of your body; Any trauma that causes a strain in the neck such as falling and landing on the top of the head. However, simple remedies at home like applying ice packs, use of epsom salt and apple cider vinegar or even a nice massage over a hot shower can help to alleviate the pain.
This article is actually a good one it helps new the web people, who are wishing in favor of blogging.
I super love that this is made by millenials for millenials!