How can I deal with digital stress on my face and neck?

How can I deal with digital stress on my face and neck?

"Digital stress" is a term coined by social observers to loosely describe a host of psychological and physical problems caused by constant interaction with the Internet, computers and electronic gadgets.

For example, chiropractors are seeing more people with back, shoulder and neck pain as many bend over their computers and mobile devices in awkward positions all day, notes Ms Caroline Negre, scientific communication director at Yves Saint Laurent Beaute.

And it seems digital stress can affect your looks too.

Ms Negre calls the lines on the neck that one gets from looking down at the mobile phone, say a hundred times a day, "tech neck".

"The skin on the neck is very thin so the signs of ageing appear there pretty quickly. And the digital behaviour is not helping," she adds.

To help combat the problem, she suggests making it a habit to apply skincare products over the neck and decolletage as well every time you are applying some on the face.

Yves Saint Laurent Beaute has launched the new Forever Youth Liberator Y-shape Concentrate ($189) that is designed to firm the jawline, neck and decolletage.

Another part of the face that deserves extra attention due to digital stress is the area around the eyes and brows.

Just think of all the constant squinting at tiny fonts and blurry breaking news pictures, or frowning at upsetting news or unpleasant e-mail messages.

These little actions can cause tension to build on the brows and around the eyes, as well as deepen the furrows between the brows.

So, release tension in these areas by massaging them.

To soothe the brow area, just firmly glide the knuckles of your hands outwards from between the brows, and along the entire length of the brows until the area feels relaxed.

To help your hands glide more easily over the skin, use a face oil such as the Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Cell Repair Night Oil (US$81 or S$108, from Net-A-Porter); Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil ($68, from Sephora stores); or Shu Uemura Red:juvenus Nutri-Essence Oil ($95, from Shu Uemura counters).

These quick moves can help the eye area look less tired and puffy too. With the tips of the middle fingers, press on each spot described below gently but firmly for at least three seconds, in this specific sequence:

1. Sides of the nose, near the inner corners of the eyes

2. Inner brow bones, where the brows begin

3. Brow bone under the arch of the brows

4. Temples

5. Under the eye, directly under the iris. Repeat three times.

This simple eye massage technique is best used before applying the eye cream.

This article was first published on Jan 16, 2015.
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