Do You Have "Tech Neck"? Tips for Sagging Skin

IF YOU’RE LIKE MOST OF US, YOU’RE SPENDING MORE AND MORE TIME EACH DAY — ABOUT FOUR HOURS, ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY — HUNCHED OVER YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET OR COMPUTER. YOU MAY ALSO HAVE THE TELLTALE SIGNS OF TECH NECK: PAIN, DISCOMFORT AND POOR POSTURE. (YOU KNOW THE LOOK: ROUNDED BACK, SHOULDERS CAVING INWARD, HEAD PITCHED FORWARD AT AN UNNATURAL ANGLE.) BUT YOU MAY NOT REALIZE THAT YOUR EXTENSIVE SCREEN TIME IS ALSO HAVING A SERIOUSLY AGING EFFECT ON YOUR NECK.

NECK SKIN IS THINNER THAN THE SKIN ON YOUR FACE, WITH FEWER SEBACEOUS GLANDS AND LESS COLLAGEN, SO IT’S NATURALLY MORE PRONE TO WRINKLES AND SAGGING. THOUGH SUN EXPOSURE IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF AGING NECK SKIN, REPEATEDLY TILTING YOUR HEAD DOWN TO STARE AT A SCREEN CAN SPEED UP THE PROCESS BY EXACERBATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF HORIZONTAL LINES, SAYS RODAN + FIELDS PRODUCT-EXPERT-IN-RESIDENCE MARY RADFORD, RN.  

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THIS EXTRA-UNFORTUNATE SIDE EFFECT OF TECH USE? HERE ARE SOME TIPS:

PREVENTION

PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE 

GIVING IT UP COMPLETELY IS UNLIKELY, BUT TRY DIALING IT BACK A BIT. MANY DEVICES NOW TRACK YOUR USAGE SO YOU CAN TELL EXACTLY HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME YOU’RE RACKING UP AND CAN ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS FROM YOUR SCREEN(S), AND EXERCISE REGULARLY. GENTLE STRETCHES FOR YOUR BACK, NECK AND SHOULDERS WILL HELP, TOO. 

PAY ATTENTION TO POSTURE   

INSTEAD OF GAZING DOWN AT YOUR PHONE OR TABLET, BRING IT UP TO YOUR FACE. INVEST IN A STAND THAT ELEVATES YOUR COMPUTER TO A HEIGHT THAT KEEPS YOUR HEAD ABOVE YOUR SHOULDERS AND YOUR CHIN PARALLEL TO THE GROUND. YOU CAN ALSO PRACTICE GOOD POSTURE AT YOUR DESK BY PLACING A TENNIS BALL BETWEEN YOUR SHOULDER BLADES AND SITTING BACK INTO YOUR CHAIR. IF THE BALL ROLLS DOWN, YOU’RE SLUMPING, WHICH SUGGESTS YOUR HEAD IS DROPPING AND YOUR NECK IS WRINKLING, TOO. 

TREATMENT

DON’T NEGLECT YOUR NECK 

PEOPLE TEND TO PAMPER THEIR FACE BUT STOP AT THE CHIN. MARY RECOMMENDS USING THE RODAN + FIELDS REDEFINE REGIMEN TO MINIMIZE THE APPEARANCE OF FINE LINES, VISIBLE PORES AND LOSS OF FIRMNESS ON YOUR NECK (AS WELL AS YOUR FACE), AND LAYERING IN RODAN + FIELDS  ENHANCEMENTS ACTIVE HYDRATION SERUM FOR EXTRA HYDRATION. SHE’D COMBINE THAT WITH THE RODAN + FIELDS AMP MD DERMA-ROLLER; ITS MICRO-EXFOLIATING TIPS HELP ENHANCE THE PENETRATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR SKINCARE REGIMEN AND WILL LEAVE THE SKIN ON YOUR NECK VISIBLY FIRMER OVER TIME. “START SLOWLY,” SHE CAUTIONS. “ONE OR TWO ROLLS, ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK — SINCE THE NECK AREA CAN BE EXTRA-SENSITIVE.”   

SLATHER ON THE SPF 

YOU’VE HEARD IT BEFORE: SUNSCREEN IS A CRITICAL STEP IN ANY SKINCARE ROUTINE, AND THAT GOES FOR THE SKIN ON YOUR NECK, TOO. MARY RECOMMENDS APPLYING SUNSCREEN EVERY MORNING BEFORE LEAVING HOME AND RE-APPLYING IT EVERY TWO HOURS IF YOU’RE OUTDOORS, SWIMMING OR SWEATING.  

Customer Quotes of the Month!

"The new Spotless is amazing! 

I can see a huge difference in just the little he's used it so far." 

"My son said he loves the new acne regimen. 

He said he could tell a difference just after the first use!"

These are just a couple of examples of all the positive feedback I've gotten so far from the Dermatologists' latest innovation for teen acne. After 1 week, 100% of participants saw a reduction in blemish size and visible redness.  

Just 2 steps - 2x a day!!! Spotless features the next generation of benzoyl peroxide. Called BPO2 technology and exclusive to Rodan + Fields, it's a stablized, liquid form that travels past the microbiome, deep into the pores, causing less irritation and dryness while being a LOT more effective. At the same time, oxygen - another antimicrobial is whooshed into pores to stop the P. acnes from shifting into Hulk desctructive mode. "This 2-step approach accomplishes more than just traditional benzoyl peroxide along, " says Dr. Fields. "Getting oxygen down into the pores normalizes the microbiome there, which in turn, stops the inflammatory response that leads to pimples." Your teen can have clear skin and their confidence back before Easter! 

Exfoliate for Spring

As we age, our skin's own natural ability to generate and shed skin cells slows down. You can overcome this challenge by using our best-selling Micro Dermabrasion Paste to exfoliate your face and neck 2 or 3 times a week! Your moisturizers will penetrate the skin more plus it can help with dry skin, clogged pores, pigmentation, ingrown hairs and keratosis pilaris! I use it before shaving too in the shower on my legs and feet and my whole body! Bonus: Your skin feels baby soft after - best exfoliant scrub ever! 

Product Spotlight: Redefine Regimen

I use our Redefine Regimen every single night and I LOVE it! It minimizes the appearance of fine lines, visible pores and loss of firmness. It also defends the visible signs of aging for noticeably firmer, smoother, and healthier skin! Plus, it just feels go good!

Potent Ingredients:

• Daily Cleansing Mask: Kaolin Clay in our mask draws out impurities and gently exfoliates for smoother skin.
• Pore Minimizing Toner: Polyhydroxy Acids in our face toner exfoliate the skin to reduce the appearance of pores.
• Triple Defense Treatment SPF 30: Our daytime moisturizer features potent Peptides that smooth lines while providing broad spectrum SPF 30 protection.
• Overnight Restorative Cream: (My favorite) Our best selling night cream replenishes the skin while you sleep with Vitamin A, C, and E, and helps repair the skin's moisture barrier with Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin.

Kaolin Clay is sometimes called china clay or white clay. The word "Kaolin" actually comes from the name of where it originated, on the Kaoling Hill in China. It is one of the oldest cosmetic ingredients around and has stood the test of time, still producing excellent results! It has lots of beauty benefits while being gentle, so it won't strip your skin of natural oils.Using it as a mask for 1-2 minutes and letting it dry increases blood circulation. It also purifies, eliminating toxins, white heads or black heads; while also boosting your cell renewal. Another benefit of kaolin clay is that it's rich in phytonutrients that help nourish and soften your skin too! A pix of me using my mask last night, below - 

Did You Know?

Happy April!

The days are getting longer and it is officially Spring! Many of you are planning summer beach trips or recently returned from Spring Break to warmer climates. While you are reversing the sun damage on your face and erasing lines and wrinkles with these amazing products - the LAST thing you want to do is let your face be in the sun. I know this is a hard concept as it "feels so good" to get "just a little color" on your face. But believe me, you will thank me later if you start the practice this year of wearing sunscreen EVERY day. That dullness over time from the sun shows more damage than lines and wrinkles. There are so many great facial bronzers and tanners on the market that are very light and look natural. I have one I use when I want that sun-kissed tan on my face and I just mix a drop of it with my Rodan + Fields Reverse Broad Spectrum #50 Sunscreen in the morning - so I can still have that sun-kissed glow, but without further damaging my skin. 

Skin Misbehaving? How to Tell if It's Purging or Reacting to Products

As your largest and most visible organ, your skin's pretty regularly sending you signals. Sometimes they're clear, like: "I'm soft and hydrated!" or "SOS, I'm so dry!" and so you know how to listen to the needs. Other times, the message is more . . .complicated.

One of the major instances of this is skin purging, which is essentially when you start using a new skin-care product (or even acne medication) and your complexion suddenly goes haywire. Despite the flare-ups of inflammation or acne or what-have-you, facialists and dermatologists often say that this is NORMAL and you simply have to get through this phase (of getting the gunk out) in order to reap the benefits on the other side.

Of course, as it happens to you, it likely also brings up the question: What if my skin isn't purging, but simply reacting in a bad way? Meaning: You should put.the.products.down. It's a thin line between the two secarious of skin purging and reacting, so you'd be right in assuming I was very excited when I stumbled across this chart, courtesy of Beautypedia, pointing out the differences while browsing Reddit's skin-care subthreads. The biggest piece of intel is that if you develop a spot that not in a place you'd usually find a pimple, it could be a recation to a given product.

I asked a Dermatologist if the tips check out, and she said it's generally correct. "Many topicals have a period of adjustment, like 'retinization,' where the skin may have more redness and irritation before it adjusts," says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. "It's important to note that these medications or products are not GIVING you acne or break-outs, and if you are continuing to break out or experience some inflammation, it's because the medication has not 'reset' the skin yet." So despite the not-so-ideal reaction, it's normal and you just have to get through it. Her advice? "Increase your gentle moisturizing habits and stay committed to your regimen," she says.

On another note, there are certain indicators that your' skin's not purging, but allergic or simply reacting in a not-so-great way. "Occasional topical regimens will unmask an underlying skin sensitivity, such as rosacea, or will have ingredients that you're allergic to," explains Dr. Nazarian. "These products cause a new type of rash or even itchiness. Despite continued use, the reaction will not get better - generally it'll get worse." And that's when you should stop using the product for happier skin on the horizon.