Tech Neck

Tech neck describes horizontal creases across the front of the neck along with a crepey, slackening texture. The name attributes it to hours spent looking down at a screen, and repeated flexion does contribute — skin creased in the same place thousands of times eventually holds the crease.

But the popular story overstates its share. Neck skin is thinner than facial skin, has fewer sebaceous glands and less structural support, and it receives daily incidental ultraviolet exposure while being the area people most reliably leave out of their sunscreen habit. Horizontal neck lines also appear in people who predate smartphones entirely, which is the simplest evidence that posture is a contributor rather than the cause.

Treatment is the facial protocol extended downward, with lower tolerance. Sunscreen every day, including the sides and back. A retinoid at a lower strength or frequency than you use on the face, because neck skin irritates easily. Peptides and hyaluronic acid help the surface look better without changing structure.

Set expectations: established horizontal lines are creases in thin skin over a mobile structure, and topicals soften rather than erase them. Microneedling, radiofrequency and injectable treatments are the tier that changes them meaningfully, and even then the neck responds more slowly than the face.