SEE HOW YOUR BLACKBERRY CAN MAKE YOU UGLY

From sending text messages to
snapping pictures to checking bank
account balances, there's no shortage
of tasks today's cell phones can
accomplish, but there's a newly
discovered downside to mobile phone
use too: It might be making you less
attractive. Here's how to avoid
everything from turkey necks to bags
under your eyes caused by your faithful
phone.
1. Dark Circles
In a study funded by some of the
biggest phone makers in the world,
researchers in the U.S. and Sweden
found that radiation emitting from
mobile devices cause headaches and
interrupt vital sleep patterns. Another
Swedish study found that a quarter of
young people feel like they must be
available by phone around the clock,
which in turn leads to sleeping
problems, stress, and depression. Think
you can skimp on beauty sleep? Think
again. One of the first places those
sleepless nights can show up is your
face.
"Not sleeping can lead to everything
from increased stress levels to dark
circles and bags," Dr.Eric Schweiger,
founder of Clear Clinic in New York, told
Yahoo! Shine.
While there are lots of products on the
market that can help alleviate the look
of bags, sags, and dark circles on the
face, it's best to just shut down the cell
phone down before getting into bed. If
possible, leave your phone in another
room and use a separate alarm clock
on your nightstand. (Remember
those?)
However, if you insist on having your
cell phone at your side, the Mayo Clinic
in Arizona suggests dimming the
glowing light by adjusting the
brightness setting and, if you've got to
check one last email before bed, make
sure to hold the phone at least 14
inches from your face.
2. Serious Wrinkles
If the font on your phone is small,
causing you to squint, that might lead
to forehead wrinkles and crow's feet
over time.
"When you squint, you are changing
the muscles in your face and making
the skin more crinkly,"Schweiger said.
"Botox can help out with this, but you
have to train your body not to make
these expressions."
If you don't have the big bucks to shell
out for Botox treatments, using a larger
font will definitely help to alleviate some
of the problems. Using a great eye
cream (Shiseido Benefiance
WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour
Cream, $55, sephora.com) and an anti-
aging cream (Garnier Nutritioniste
Ultra-Lift Intensive Deep Wrinkle Day
Cream, SPF 30, $17.99,drugstore.com)
daily can also work to keep your skin
wrinkle-free.
3. Bad Skin
Recent studies have shown that cell
phones carry 18 times more harmful
bacteria – including staph, E. coli and
salmonella – than a public toilet handle.
Your cell phone is often pressed up
against your face several times per day,
so it's easy for that bacteria to make
the jump to your skin, leading to
breakouts and infections.
"We have a lot of oil on our cell phones
from where we touch our hair and our
faces that can lead to blocked pores
and breakouts," Schweiger added. "I
tell my patients to use an alcohol swab
and wipe their cell phones down at
least once a day to try and get rid of
some of that oil."
One of the most effective ways to rid
your phone of those germs is to use the
UV Cell Phone Sanitizer ($49.95,
violight.com). It zaps your device clean
of 99.9 percent of bacteria such as
strep, E.coli, salmonella, and listeria, as
well as the H1N1 virus in three
minutes. A cheaper method is to wipe
your phone down with a microfiber
cloth such as the GoSwype
($1.99,goswype.com).
4. Sagging Jawline
Constantly looking down at your cell
phone to check your emails, send a
text, or play a game can lead to a
saggy, wrinkled neck and jaw line. The
only way to reverse this condition,
known as turkey neck (or, these days,
text neck) is surgery. However, you can
avoid needing to go that route by
holding your cell phone up in front of
you. "It can be hard to minimize thse
behaviors, but a hands-free device will
help," Schweiger said. Using a great
lifting and contouring cream will also
help keep the skin along this area firm.
L'Oreal RevitaLift Triple Power SPF 30
Day Lotion, $24.99, lorealparisusa.com
5. Red Eyes
Staring at your cell phone screen for
hours on end while surfing the Web or
responding to emails can cause your
eyes not only to dry out but also to
become extremely red, and that's
never a good look. Red eyes are caused
by swollen or dilated blood vessels on
the sclera (which is the white outer
surface of the area) and can be avoided
in this case by taking frequent breaks
from your cell phone screen or using
lubricating eye drops to help keep eyes
moist. (Visine L.R. Long Lasting
Redness Relief Eye Drops, $5.29,
drugstore.com)