Kelly Ripa has never been shy about the realities of aging, and lately her focus is the neck. The talk show host, 56, has revealed that she stopped doing crunches on a plastic surgeon‘s advice and changed how she reads in bed, all to avoid neck lines. She even jokes that the neck ages in dog years, seven years for every one.
It is funny and relatable, but it raises a fair question for anyone who has noticed lines creeping across their own neck: do these habits actually work? The honest answer is mixed. One of Ripa’s instincts lines up neatly with dermatology and posture advice, while another rests on a claim the science does not support. Here is what she said, what really causes neck lines, and the steps that genuinely help.
Key Takeaways
- Kelly Ripa says she stopped doing crunches and changed how she reads in bed to avoid neck lines.
- There is no good evidence that crunches cause neck wrinkles, though poor form can strain the neck.
- Neck lines come mainly from aging, sun exposure, genetics, and, increasingly, constant downward gazing at phones.
- Reducing neck flexion by reading and viewing screens closer to eye level, is sensible and supported by experts.
- Sun protection and proven skincare ingredients do more for necklines than giving up core exercise.
What Kelly Ripa Said About Her Neck Habits
On an episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, Ripa opened a skin-focused segment with a memorable claim that the neck ages faster than the rest of the body. As she put it, “For every year you age, your neck ages seven more years,” a line she has used for years.
Her most concrete habit involves core workouts. Ripa says a plastic surgeon, Dr. David Rosenberg, told her that “the tighter your core, the worse your neck looks.” She took the advice to heart and gave up crunches, saying, “So now I haven’t done a crunch in five years. That ended that.”
She has also described changing how she reads to avoid bending her neck forward, lying back and holding the book up overhead instead. In her words, “I lay back in the bed, and I hold the book up until my hands fall asleep, and then I give myself a break.” In both cases, the goal is to stop the neck from repeatedly folding or straining.
Do Crunches Really Age Your Neck?
This is the claim that does not hold up. There is no good scientific evidence that doing crunches causes neck wrinkles or lines. The idea that a tighter core worsens the neck is an assertion, not an established dermatological fact.
What is true is that crunches performed with poor form can strain the neck. Pulling the head forward with the hands during ab work can cause neck stiffness and soreness, as health experts note. But that is a technique issue, solved by doing the movement correctly, not a reason to abandon core exercise. Core strength supports posture, back health, and everyday function, so giving it up to protect the neck is a trade-off the evidence does not justify.
What Actually Causes Neck Lines
If crunches are not to blame, what is? Neck lines come mainly from the ordinary drivers of skin aging, plus one modern habit.
The biggest factors are time and sun. Natural aging thins the skin and reduces collagen and elastin, while cumulative ultraviolet exposure speeds up wrinkling, and the neck is often less protected than the face. Genetics and natural skin laxity contribute as well.
The newer factor is constant downward gazing at screens. Dermatologists have linked heavy phone use to deeper horizontal neck lines, largely because of the sheer amount of time spent with the head bent forward, repeatedly creasing the skin. One cosmetic dermatologist has noted that this accumulated looking-down time can deepen fixed horizontal lines on the neck. So the repeated-folding idea behind Ripa’s concern is real; it is just that phones, not crunches, are the main culprit.
Does Changing How You Read Really Help?
Here Ripa’s instinct is on firmer ground. Her exact flat-on-the-back, book-overhead method has not been formally studied, but the principle behind it, avoiding prolonged forward neck flexion, aligns with expert advice.
Spine specialists recommend lifting screens and reading material toward eye level rather than dropping the head to meet them. Keeping the head aligned over the shoulders, and propping a book on a stand or pillow rather than craning down at it, reduces both the skin creasing and the muscle strain that come from hours of neck flexion. So while holding a book overhead until your hands fall asleep is impractical, the underlying habit of not reading with your chin on your chest is genuinely worthwhile.
The Verdict: Do Her Habits Work?
The honest answer depends on the habit.
Her move to reduce neck flexion, by rethinking how she reads and avoiding long stretches with her head bent down, is sensible. It aligns with expert advice and may help with both neck lines and neck and shoulder strain. That one earns a pass.
Her decision to quit crunches to save her neck does not. There is no evidence that crunches cause neck wrinkles, and dropping core work has real downsides. If crunches bother your neck, better form is the fix, not quitting. And the claim that the neck ages seven years for every one is a punchline, not science. Ripa is roughly half right, which is better than many celebrity beauty tips, but worth separating from fact.
What Dermatologists Recommend for Neck Lines
If you actually want to protect and soften the skin on your neck, the evidence points to a clear set of steps.
- Sun protection comes first. Apply sunscreen to your neck and chest daily, not just your face, since UV exposure is a leading cause of neck wrinkling.
- Use proven ingredients. Products with retinoids, peptides, hyaluronic acid, or vitamin C may help soften the look of lines over time.
- Moisturize the area. Well-hydrated skin looks and feels better.
- Reduce downward screen time. Because prolonged looking down contributes to neck lines, lifting your phone toward eye level and taking breaks matters. Even the best serum cannot outwork a constant head-down habit.
- Consider professional options carefully. In-office treatments exist for more noticeable lines, but discuss them with a qualified dermatologist and keep expectations realistic.
How To Protect Your Neck in Everyday Life
Pulling it together, a few simple habits protect both how your neck looks and how it feels. Raise your phone, tablet, and reading material toward eye level rather than bending down to them. Take regular breaks from any head-down activity. Wear sunscreen on your neck and chest. Keep doing core and strengthening exercises, but with good form that does not strain the neck. And mind your posture generally, since the same forward-head position that strains muscles also creases skin. Small, sustainable adjustments do more than dramatic ones like giving up exercise.
What the Evidence Does NOT Prove
A few clarifications keep this grounded. The evidence does not show that crunches cause necklines, so dropping them is not a proven anti-wrinkle strategy. It does not support the idea that the neck ages at seven times the rate of the body, which is a figure of speech rather than a fact. And no single habit, Ripa’s or anyone else’s, prevents neck lines on its own, since aging and sun exposure are powerful drivers.
What the evidence does support is modest and useful: prolonged head-down posture can contribute to neck lines and strain, and reducing it, along with sun protection and good skincare, is a reasonable way to help. Beauty habits work best as small, consistent choices, not dramatic sacrifices.
When To See a Professional
For skincare concerns, a dermatologist can advise on which ingredients or treatments suit your skin and give realistic guidance on what results to expect. If neck discomfort rather than appearance is the issue, and you have persistent neck or shoulder pain, stiffness that does not ease, or any pain, numbness or weakness spreading into an arm, see a healthcare professional rather than assuming it is simple posture strain.
The Bottom Line
Kelly Ripa’s neck-line confessions are a fun peg for a useful question, and the science gives a split decision. Her instinct to reduce neck flexion by changing how she reads and avoiding long periods of looking down is sensible and may genuinely help. Her decision to quit crunches to protect her neck is not supported, and the dog-years line is a joke.
If you want to care for your neck, the real winners are daily sunscreen, proven skincare ingredients, less time with your head bent over a screen, and good exercise form, rather than abandoning core workouts. Small, steady habits beat celebrity shortcuts.
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