Do you have a smartphone face?

Are you hooked to your smartphone or laptop all day? Well, even as you connect to your world, you might get aged before your time without even realising it.

Are you hooked to your smartphone or laptop all day? Well, even as you connect to your world, you might get aged before your time without even realising it.



According to a recent study conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, ‘chinplants’ or chin implants are the fastest growing cosmetic surgery trend among people below the age of 30, and the reason behind such premature wrinkles is the constant use of smartphones, laptops and similar gadgets. Experts have dubbed this phenomenon, the ‘smartphone face’.



Why and how

While using smartphones or laptops, people often tend to keep their heads bent for hours. "Bending constantly is a postural issue and any repetitive or constant movement or muscle contraction and relaxation leads to wrinkling," says Dr Ajita Bagai, dermatologist, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket.



"Due to prolonged bending of the head, the folding pressure on the neck and the face make epidermal cells thinner, leading to sagging of the skin," says Dr Sachin Kashinath Maurya, dermatologist and cosmeto-aesthetic surgeon, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.



So, while using your smartphone or laptop with your neck bent down, your skin experiences continuous folding, leading to lower production of collagen — a fibrous protein that connects bodily tissues. "Due to decreased collagen, the elastin fibers that provide elasticity, wear out, resulting to scaffolding of the skin causing it to wrinkle and sag," adds Dr Maurya.