Chin up for beauty

Correcting your posture is one of the most important steps towards preserving the tautness of your neck skin. Representation pic

Extended screen time is but an expected by-product of the prolonged hours spent indoors. In addition to the impact on your physical and mental health, staring down at your screen can also give rise to unsightly lines on the neck and lead to the appearance of unflattering jowls. Dr Chytra V Anand, cosmetic dermatologist and founder of Kosmoderma Clinics, explains how to avert these.

. Mind your posture: While using your phone or laptop, try to raise the screen to your eye level by placing your laptop on a stack of books or boxes, or using the flap behind your phone, says Dr Anand. This prevents excessive strain on your neck skin.

Dr Chytra V Anand

. Hydrate your skin: Postural friction, which occurs when the skin on your neck rubs against itself, can lead to lines becoming more pronounced. This is because the stimulation caused by the friction increases cell production, including that of pigment cells. A good way to reduce postural friction is by regularly hydrating your skin with moisturisers or serums that contain hyaluronic acid or ceramides. If you have normal or combination skin, she recommends a facial massage with almond or peach kernel oil for 10 minutes, once every 10 days.

This stimulates circulation to your local lymphatic nodes, ensuring that your skin receives ample nourishment while eliminating toxins. Nourished skin heals faster and is hence less prone to sagging. Finally, if you spend a lot of time indoors in an air-conditioned environment, she recommends placing a bowl of water near you so the air conditioning unit absorbs this water instead of dehydrating your skin.

. Manage stress: The ill-effects of ageing on your skin are further exacerbated by stress. Undertake stress reduction measures, such as deep breathing exercises.