Our Field Guide To The 5 Types Of Wrinkles + How To Soften & Combat Them

Neck wrinkles, also known as “tech neck,” can either look like deeper horizontal lines that wrap around like a choker or smaller, thinner, lighter lines that are more prevalent on the sides. As for the cause? It seems to be a blend of compression, gravitational, and atrophic or elastotic wrinkles. 

See, “The neck can capture a lot of sun damage, particularly on the sides and lower portion,” notes board-certified dermatologist Jeremy Fenton, M.D., of Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC and Long Beach, New York, which makes the neck a prime spot for crepey skin to settle in. 

But movement also comes into play: “We get horizontal lines in the neck due to the bending of the neck to look down,” Fenton continues. That’s where the modern phrase “tech neck” is born: “People are noting more of this now that we spend more time looking down at our screens,” he says. “You can get the deep lines that are horizontal and run across the front of the neck from the bending, or flexion, of the neck.” 

If you’re curious about neck wrinkles, here’s our full guide.