The growing group of middle-aged women turning to
Botox to erase fine lines and wrinkles now includes even more unlikely members. Ladies much younger than 40 or 50 are going to cosmetic doctors for premature wrinkling – not because of sun exposure or environmental toxins - but from staring at their Smartphone. “BlackBerry Botox” could be the next cultural phenomenon.
Most Smartphone users will readily admit that they are “
addicted” to these little technological marvels. Though we may not always remember to feed the cat or where we put our car keys, we know where our Smartphone is: right beside us and readily available for a little Facebook check, text, or tweet.
Sociologists could have a field day discussing what this says about us as a society, but what really has younger women concerned is what squinting at a tiny screen can do to their facial appearance. Such scrunching and frowning can create tension around and between the eyebrows resulting in wrinkles. Doctors tell us the Blackberry Botox condition is noticeable on anyone that regularly checks a BlackBerry or iPhone.
The pitfalls of technology overuse. This is just the latest condition attributed to technology overuse. There is also a condition known as “BlackBerry thumb” which is a strain injury caused by excessive texting.
Computer vision syndrome is on the rise as increasing numbers of people sit in front of a computer all day, which leads to tired and dry eyes.
So what can you do to prevent these early signs of aging?Give up your Smartphone? Not likely. However, you can give your eyes a rest from time to time. Simply put down the phone or step away from the screen. This will help diminish eye strain and ease up on the tension in facial muscles.
Also, check the brightness setting on your phone. If there is too much light you have to squint your eyes to absorb the brightness. Turning the light down will help.
Enlarging the text on your Smartphone will help as well, especially if you have to hold it up to your nose to read it. Take advantage of the zoom function so you can avoid pulling on the inner eye and see more clearly, as well.
And if you aren’t ready for Botox injections just yet, have no fear. You don’t have to go under the needle or say goodbye to your phone. Simply massaging around the eyes can help prevent those sneaky little lines that get larger and deeper over time.
