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IF you find yourself frequently slouching at your desk, rounded shoulders and neck pain might not be the only unwanted side effects you're left with.

It turns out that the inevitable slump over your laptop could also leave you with a double chin.

Noticing a double chin? It might be down to your poor posture
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Noticing a double chin? It might be down to your poor postureCredit: Getty

A survey created by face yoga app - done in collaboration with posture bra company - found that 94 per cent of women slouch while using gadgets, with 27 per cent clocking in over eight hours of screen time per day.

Combined with long periods of inactivity, poor desk posture can lead to a buildup of tension, while causing your muscles to fatigue.

As a result, the body can lose the ability to hold itself up properly, meaning that poor posture can become the default, even when we’re away from our screens.

This seemed to be the case for the 1,908 women surveyed on their use of technology and its impact on their health and appearance - 88 per cent admitted to suffering from neck and shoulder pain.

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Luvly warned that spinal dysfunction, joint degeneration, rounded shoulders, and a potbelly could also be possible side effects of the desk slouch.

Participants also reported changes to their appearance, with 95 per cent of women admitting they'd noticed signs of premature ageing.

Some 64 per cent of women said their skin had started sagging around their jawline and neck, while 57 per cent noticed wrinkles on their face, and 39 per cent spotted visible lines on their neck and shoulders.

Over half - 52 per cent to be exact - said they'd spotted a double chin beginning to emerge.

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Kristina Rudzinskaya, a certified Pilates instructor and CEO of Etalon, said: “Over-laptop-hunching can change the position of our neck muscles, especially the platysma - a broad, thin, superficial muscle that covers the neck and lower face and is responsible for mouth movement and frowning.

"That leads to mouth corners being pulled down, causing wrinkles and sagging skin.”

How to improve your posture

Fear not, there are a few ways to help correct sagging jowls and turkey neck.

In a video shared exclusively with The Sun, Angela Rosoff - a certified face yoga instructor and yoga teacher at Luvly - demonstrates three simple exercises to help improve your posture and reduce the effects of slouching on your face and neck.

1. Head lifts

Start by doing a neck stretch, lifting your head and gently rolling from side to side
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Start by doing a neck stretch, lifting your head and gently rolling from side to sideCredit: Angela Rosoff for Luvly

Angela recommends starting off with a neck stretch before doing exercises to reduce your double chin.

Begin by pulling your shoulders up, back, and down.

Allow your solar plexus to press forward, gently lift your head up, and slowly roll your head from side to side.

Complete this pose within the time of taking three deep breaths and exhales.

Repeat three to five times.

2. Kissing face

Act as if you're kissing someone over your shoulder for this next exercise
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Act as if you're kissing someone over your shoulder for this next exerciseCredit: Angela Rosoff for Luvly

This exercise may look funny, but it's excellent for stretching the platysma muscle, running from your jawline to the edge of your shoulders, Angela said.

Start by gently placing your hands across your body onto opposite shoulders.

Then act as if you're kissing someone - in a rather lopsided way.

Move your lips over to the right, gently move your head to the right and up as if you are kissing someone who is above and behind your right side.

Repeat the pose on your left side. Hold for two breaths, then exhale and relax.

Repeat three times. 

3. Mewing

Finally, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and open and close your mouth
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Finally, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and open and close your mouthCredit: Angela Rosoff for Luvly

To 'mew', place your entire tongue on the roof of your mouth.

If placing the whole tongue is too difficult, begin with the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

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Then, gently open the mouth and close while keeping the tongue firmly on the roof, to lift the lower chin.

Do this motion three times, take a breath and repeat the process another two times.

Other cheap ways to slim down your face

IF your face is looking a little fuller than you'd like, a good place to start if to reassess your diet and activity levels.

Putting weight on in our faces is a result of a build-up of fat deposits.

This excess fat is usually caused by overall weight gain, which is typically linked to one or more of these factors – poor diet, lack of exercise, ageing or genetic conditions.

Facial bloating can be another culprit - if this is the case, you might notice the appearance of your face fluctuating day-to-day.

Aside from facial exercises, here are a few ways to slim down your face:

  1. Do some cardio - ideally 20 to 40 minutes a day if you want to promote fat burning and increase weight loss
  2. Drink more water - when you’re dehydrated, your body (and your face) tends to retain water, becoming bloated. Upping your water intake can help hydrate your face and body and prevent water retention
  3. Sleep more - aim for eight hours of sleep, to help reduce face puffiness
  4. Examine your diet - bloating can be a common indicator of gluten sensitivity and digestive disorders, so check your don't have any undiagnosed allergies or intolerances
  5. Skip the salt - too much sodium can cause fluid retention, which can then cause swelling and puffiness in your face and other areas
  6. Cut back on booze - alcohol can cause weight gain in the body and face
  7. Try facial 'rollering' or massage - facial ‘depuffing tools’ such as jade rollers can speed up lymphatic drainage and de-puff your face. You can also use your hands
  8. Cut down on refined carbs - biscuits and pasta that can lead to weight gain and increased fat storage
  9. Eat more fibre - fibre moves slowly through your digestive tract, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, thus helping with weight loss

Source: Holland & Barrett

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