Move over carpal tunnel, it turns out phone overuse can mess with your skin as well as your nerves.
In what’s being billed as bad news for smartphone, tablet and laptop users (i.e. all of us), one top US facial plastic surgeon says a device-driven physical condition is proving to be a real pain in the neck.
It’s what happens when the head is kept tilting downward for long periods. It seems poring over Wordle on the way home from work can leave deep, horizontal lines in the neck and double chins.
“Tech neck is the new carpal tunnel syndrome, a repetitive use injury that can lead not only to headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and tingling in the hands, but also deep wrinkles,” said Dr Richard Westreich, whose practice, NewFaceNY can be found on Manhattan’s swanky Upper East Side.
Guess which of those symptoms he’s offering to fix for you.
The Back Page notes that “tech neck” is actually not that new around these parts – Aussie physios have been kicking the term around for at least four years – but Dr Richard seems like a nice bloke so let’s let that one slide.
Dr Westreich suggests bundling more than one procedure into the appointment – a neck lift along with a facelift and blepharoplasty, for example.
While that might smack of upselling, the doctor does seem to be taking a more scrupulous approach to cosmetic surgery and its promotion than some of what we’ve seen here lately.
“My best advice to people is to go back to the mindset before the Zoom boom,” he tells potential patients, meaning a time before telehealth sped up the consultation process. “There is no substitute for face to face. Your health doesn’t belong in the bargain bin.”
But here’s what may seal the deal: this guy is also an artist and musician. His band, Big Rich Energy, is currently touring, so check him out if you’re going stateside.
Send your selfies taken from unflattering angles to penny@medicalrepublic.com.au. She doesn’t care about your Wordle streak.
