Tech neck is turning office workers into buyers

A modern desk habit is reshaping skincare spending and consumer behavior, with tech neck concerns pushing people in their 20s and 30s toward products and procedures that can run into the thousands of dollars. From red-light masks to laser sessions, workers say

When Lindsey Wallace looked in the mirror and saw lines deepening on her neck and upper chest, it didn’t feel like ordinary aging. She felt it in a way her face wasn’t.

Wallace. a 35-year-old marketing director based in Los Angeles. said she first became concerned around the time she turned 30. even before she knew the term “tech neck.” “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 she believes she understands the cause. “I am hunched over a computer for over 10 hours a day,” she said.

While “tech neck” is not an official diagnosis. it has become popular on social media and is recognized by dermatologists. plastic surgeons. and physical therapists. The term is used to describe horizontal lines or creases on the neck. along with postural changes such as rounded shoulders and a forward head position.

For many people, what starts as an aesthetic worry quickly turns into a budget decision. Wallace estimates she has spent at least $5,000 trying to correct it.

Dr. Kristy Hamilton. a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Houston. Texas. and social media chair of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. described tech neck as both “a musculoskeletal and aesthetic concern.” When a person hunches over a laptop. tablet. or phone for a lengthy period. Hamilton said. the head tilts forward and places significant stress on the cervical spine and surrounding tissues. She added that the neck’s delicate. thinner skin ages faster than the face because it is constantly moved in different directions. leading to creases. A consistent downward-facing posture, Hamilton said, speeds up that process by repeatedly folding the skin and weakening supportive muscles.

In the short term, Hamilton said patients may notice stiffness and soreness. Over time, she said, untreated tech neck can contribute to spinal misalignment and chronic pain, along with accelerated skin aging.

Wallace’s routine is built like a full-time project. Each night. she uses a neck firming cream. a red light therapy mask. a hydrating collagen neck mask. and a high frequency wand—described as a handheld device that stimulates the skin with electric current and neon gas—from the skincare brand NuDerma. Every six months. she gets a laser treatment called CoolPeel. which she said stimulates collagen production by creating microinjuries in the skin. She said it costs about $1,200 to $1,600 per session for the face and neck.

She believes the laser work has had the biggest impact on reversing her fine lines. The skincare products, she said, leave her neck feeling smoother and more hydrated when she stays consistent. Still, the commitment is intense enough that she warns others to think twice about the devices.

“The wand on the highest setting is not for the weak,” Wallace said.

Across the country, other workers describe a similar cycle: noticing change, feeling it more as careers and credibility depend on appearance, and then spending to control what they fear will worsen.

Lauren Cummings. a 31-year-old PR account executive based in New York City. said she 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 has paid for chiropractor appointments. bought 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,” Cummings said.

James Sheridan. a 38-year-old engineering and product development firm CEO who is based in Vancouver. Washington. said the condition shows up in conversations beyond appearance. “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 said.

But the spending pull isn’t waiting for midlife. For many, the goal is to start early—before the mirror does.

Chloe Coles. a 24-year-old health and wellness PR account executive at Everything Branding in San Diego. said tech neck is a regular topic among women in their 20s at her office. Coles herself doesn’t have it yet, but she is cautious. “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. ” she said.

She estimates she has spent a few hundred dollars in hopes of preventing it. Coles said her team keeps screens at eye level to avoid slouching. uses a standing desk. and takes advantage of a 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.

Coles also estimated she has spent a few hundred dollars on neck skincare, weight training, yoga, Pilates, and Thai massages, saying the combination “seems to make a difference.”

Yahya Khan. a 29-year-old founder based in New York City. said he noticed lines on his neck two years ago and that they 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. ” Khan said. He has spent about $400 so far trying to fix his fine lines.

This is where the consumer market sees an opening. Anti-aging neck creams have existed for decades, but the rise of tech neck has helped skincare brands market neck-focused products to younger buyers.

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—sold as claiming to be “clinically shown to reduce the appearance of skin slackening. crepiness. and tech neck”—was added to Ulta’s stocklist. K-beauty brand Anua’s Collagen Retinol Refining Gua Sha Cream. launched in March and sold exclusively at Ulta. promises to help address “tech neck concerns with consistent use.”.

The products are joining a broader wave of health-optimization behavior such as biohacking and looksmaxxing, alongside bigger-ticket efforts some people make for hairlines, including “tweakments” to fix them.

For people trying to avoid the problem rather than treat it, the advice is simpler—but it still requires discipline. Dr. Hamilton said it helps to set up a workstation that encourages upright posture. “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. recommended applying the facial skincare routine to the neck and upper V-chest as well. “Consistent care will likely be more effective than using specialty neck creams,” Thosani told Business Insider.

Even with preventative measures, Wallace said the results are immediate when routine treatment is skipped. “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.

Still, she didn’t sugarcoat the effort required. “The wand on the highest setting is not for the weak,” she said again, this time like a warning she wished she’d had earlier.

tech neck skincare posture workplace health laser treatment red light therapy mask Ulta Sephora CoolPeel EVERESSE SickScience Anua NuDerma