Smartphone Face - Can You Still Keep Your Chin Up?
Here's a possible new syndrome to add to the already existing extensive list of syndromes. This syndrome is caused by the advances in mobile phone and laptop technology and is called the �smartphone face.'
Smartphone face is basically a description for a drooping jawline, double chins and lines at the angles of the mouth, which develop due to prolonged staring at a smartphone or a laptop. It was described by Dr. Mervyn Patterson in the London Evening Standard as "If you sit for hours with your head bent slightly forward, staring at your iPhone or laptop screen, you may shorten the neck muscles and increase the gravitational pull on the jowl area, leading to a drooping jawline."
There is still no adequate proof that this condition does exist. Perhaps awareness that it could occur could help regular users take adequate precautions to prevent the development of this condition. Cosmetic treatments like botox, face lifts and chin implants are available. In fact, the number of chin implants has been on the rise in the recent years. And they sure cost much more than your smartphone!
However, it is not necessary to chuck out your smartphone just yet! Firstly, further studies are required to prove that smartphones are actually associated with the condition. Secondly, technology is here to stay and better our lives. A restriction of the total amount of time spent in front of our phones or laptops will enable us to enjoy the technology without suffering from any possible complications. Maintaining a correct posture will also be beneficial. Thirdly, regular facials and toning exercises of the face could help to prevent the condition from developing.
What is probably necessary at this stage is to be aware that jaw drooping can occur with long-term use of laptops and smartphones. A judicious use of these technologies with adequate precautionary measures will go a long way in preventing this condition.
Reference:
1. http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/05/30/dubious-medical-syndrome-of-the-day-smartphone-face/
2. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/health/chin-up-plastic-surgery-for-the-chin-is-on-the-rise-7678105.html?origin=internalSearch
Source: Medindia
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Dr. Simi Paknikar. (2012, May 31). Smartphone Face - Can You Still Keep Your Chin Up?. Medindia. Retrieved on Jan 21, 2025 from https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/smartphone-face-can-you-still-keep-your-chin-up-101998-1.htm.
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Dr. Simi Paknikar. "Smartphone Face - Can You Still Keep Your Chin Up?". Medindia. Jan 21, 2025. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/smartphone-face-can-you-still-keep-your-chin-up-101998-1.htm>.
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Dr. Simi Paknikar. "Smartphone Face - Can You Still Keep Your Chin Up?". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/smartphone-face-can-you-still-keep-your-chin-up-101998-1.htm. (accessed Jan 21, 2025).
Harvard
Dr. Simi Paknikar. 2012. Smartphone Face - Can You Still Keep Your Chin Up?. Medindia, viewed Jan 21, 2025, https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/smartphone-face-can-you-still-keep-your-chin-up-101998-1.htm.