Nora Ephron was around 62 when, in 2003, she wrote that she felt bad about her aging neck. Today, a distinctly modern phenomenon known as “tech neck” is leaving people as young as their early 20s feeling the same way.
Though not an official diagnosis, the term “tech neck” is popular on social media and recognized by dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and physical therapists. It refers to horizontal lines or creases on the neck, as well as postural changes such as rounded shoulders and a forward head position.
Anyone can get tech neck, but based on social media posts, women in their 20s and 30s are most concerned about preventing or “fixing” its signs, with some spending upward of $5,000 to reduce fine lines and improve posture.
Lindsey Wallace, a 35-year-old marketing director based in Los Angeles, first learned about tech neck from an Instagram reel.
“It became my latest fixation when I looked in the mirror, and I noted lines getting deeper. My neck and upper chest was changing at a rate that my face wasn’t,” Wallace told Business Insider. “As soon as I turned 30, I would say is when I became concerned, but I didn’t quite know the term yet, or why the wrinkles were appearing.”
“Now it all makes sense,” she added. “I am hunched over a computer for over 10 hours a day.”
$5,000 for a fresher neck
Dr. Kristy Hamilton, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Houston, Texas, and social media chair of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, told Business Insider that tech neck is “both a musculoskeletal and aesthetic concern.”
“When a person hunches over a laptop, tablet, or phone for a lengthy period of time, the head tilts forward and places significant stress on the cervical spine and surrounding tissues,” she said. The delicate, thinner skin of the neck ages faster than the face because we constantly move it in different directions, which leads to creases. A consistent downward-facing posture speeds up this process as the skin is repeatedly folded, Hamilton said, and weakens the supportive muscles.
In the short term, patients may notice stiffness and soreness. But over time, untreated tech neck can contribute to spinal misalignment and chronic pain, as well as accelerated skin aging, Hamilton said.
For Wallace, it’s the aesthetics that bother her — a lot. So much so that she estimates she’s spent at least $5,000 trying to correct it.
Each night, she uses a neck firming cream, a red light therapy mask, a hydrating collagen neck mask, and a high frequency wand, a handheld device that stimulates the skin with electric current and neon gas, from the skincare brand NuDerma. On top of that, every six months, she gets a laser treatment called CoolPeel, which stimulates collagen production by creating microinjuries in the skin, and costs about $1,200 to $1,600 per session for the face and neck.
The skincare products leave her neck feeling smoother and more hydrated when she’s consistent, but she believes the laser treatment has had the biggest impact on reversing her fine lines.
Lauren Cummings, a 31-year-old PR account executive based in New York City, has spent around $1,000 on tech neck treatments since she became concerned about postural issues and some horizontal lines on her neck a few years ago. She’s paid for chiropractor appointments, tightening creams, and done one session of a collagen-stimulating laser treatment called EVERESSE.
“I’m getting more concerned as I’m now in my 30’s and want to prevent it from getting worse,” she said.
For James Sheridan, a 38-year-old engineering and product development firm CEO who has spent hundreds reversing his tech neck, the condition reflects a wider problem with modern working conditions.
“The conversations are usually less about vanity and more about how modern work slowly wears on your neck, back, wrists, and eyes if you’re not careful,” Sheridan, who is based in Vancouver, Washington, said of discussions he has with friends about the neck.
Neck-maxxing now to prevent tech neck later
For many of those on the tech-neck lookout, the battle starts early.
Chloe Coles, a 24-year-old health and wellness PR account executive at Everything Branding based in San Diego, said tech neck is a regular topic of conversation among the women in their 20s at her office. She, for one, doesn’t have it yet.
“I’d say I’m more concerned that it could become a problem, so I try to stay on top of it before it gets there,” Coles said.
Everything Branding
Most of her team keeps their screens at eye level to avoid slouching, uses a standing desk, and takes advantage of the communal wearable red light therapy device. Caroline Applegate, 24, also an account executive at the agency, said she bought a $134.99 side-sleeper pillow to support her posture while she sleeps.
“We use computer holders for better posture, do some workouts to make sure we are sitting up right and not looking down, have pillows on our chairs that also help with posture,” Coles said.
Chloe Coles
Coles estimates she’s spent a few hundred dollars on neck skincare, weight training, yoga, Pilates, and Thai massages to actively combat tech neck. She thinks that the combination of everything she’s tried “seems to make a difference.”
Yahya Khan, a 29-year-old founder based in New York City, noticed lines on his neck two years ago, and they’ve affected his mood at work more than he expected. “When you’re running a business, and your appearance is part of how clients perceive your credibility, you notice things,” he said. Khan has spent about $400 so far trying to fix his fine lines.
Yahya Khan
All aboard the tech-neck prevention train
Anti-aging neck creams have been around for decades, but the rise of tech neck has given skincare brands an opportunity to market them to a younger crowd.
Ulta, the beauty retailer particularly popular with people aged 25 to 30, launched six new neck-focused skin products between 2025 and 2026. There are 64 neck-focused products available on Ulta’s website and 14 on Sephora’s.
In February, SickScience’s ShapeShift Advanced Jaw & Neck Firming Serum, a product that claims to be “clinically shown to reduce the appearance of skin slackening, crepiness, and tech neck,” was added to the Ulta stocklist. K-beauty brand Anua’s Collagen Retinol Refining Gua Sha Cream, launched in March and currently sold exclusively at Ulta, promises to help address “tech neck concerns with consistent use.”
These products add to the bevy of goods and services showing up on the market as health optimization trends like biohacking and looksmaxxing take hold with consumers. Tech neck creams and gadgets are by no means the only products people are shelling out on in an effort to keep looking good in the workplace; people are dishing out thousands for “tweakments,” to fix their hairlines, and more.
How to prevent tech neck
Even if you work a desk job, there are things you can do to help prevent the musculoskeletal and aesthetic signs of tech neck.
It’s important to set up your workstation to encourage upright posture, Hamilton, the plastic surgeon based in Houston, said. “Elevating your screen to eye level, keeping shoulders back, and taking frequent breaks to stretch can help minimize strain,” she said.
Dr. Maya Thosani, a double board-certified Dermatologist and owner of Modern Dermatology in Scottsdale, Arizona, recommends applying your facial skincare routine to your neck and upper V-chest too. “Consistent care will likely be more effective than using specialty neck creams,” she told Business Insider.
Wallace, the marketing director in LA, swears by the money and effort she has put into keeping her neck looking eternally young.
“If I wake up in the morning and I didn’t do any treatments the night before — no serums, no mask, no neck wrinkle-cutting cream — you instantly wake up and see the difference,” she said.
But be warned, the treatments aren’t always a walk in the park. “The wand on the highest setting is not for the weak,” she said.
