Technology addicts may be at risk of sagging jowls, according to aesthetic experts.

It is believed that smartphone and laptop use, could cause facial skin and muscle to lose its elasticity as people spend an increasing amount of time sat with their heads bent.

It is now believed that the phenomenon, dubbed 'smartphone face' could be behind the growing trend for skin tightening treatments and chin implants which cost around ￡4,290.

According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) 'chinplants' are becoming the fastest growing cosmetic surgery trend.

In 2011 its popularity grew more than breast augmentation, Botox and liposuction combined.

And a number of leading doctors believe that technology could be behind the growing trend, as poor posture can promote saggy jowls, double chins and 'marionette lines' - the creases from the corners of the mouth down the chin.

Confirming the condition, coined 'smartphone face', Dr Mervyn Patterson of the Woodford Medical group told the Evening Standard: '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.'

According to Ofcom’s 2011 Communication Market Report 91 percent of adults use a mobile phone while 27 percent opt for smartphones.

Meanwhile the Health and Safety Executive’s Horizon Scanning paper reports that by 2015, 70-80 percent of workers could be, at least partially, working remotely from a laptop.

ASPS president Dr Malcolm Roth also suggests that the use of video chat causes people to be more conscious of their appearance.

'The chin and jawline are among the first areas to show signs of ageing.

'As more people see themselves on video chat technology, they may notice that their jawline is not as sharp as they want.'

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)