SAVE your NECK

The neck is an area which is seriously overlooked when it comes to skincare, and this is unfortunate because the neck is one of the first areas to reveal the sign of aging. Improving aesthetic treatments for the face, coupled with chronic neglect of the neck has resulted in more and more women walking around with a taut and rejuvenated face, but saggy neck.

The skin on your neck is very thin, making this area more susceptible to damage. Neck skin also has fewer sebaceous glands than the rest of the body, decreasing its resistance to environmental assaults even further.

As we age, the collagen and elastin fibers that keep skin plump and firm begin to deteriorate. This weakening of the skin’s elasticity makes the skin sag and appear flabby, and causes horizontal lines to form. Neck muscles (the platysma) become less toned, resulting in the development of neck bands (vertical neck ridges) at the midline of the neck beneath the chin.
Gravity further drags down already loose skin, giving rise to the dreaded “wattle” neck.

And that is not the end of the story: as you age, fats deposits under your chin increase.. The double chin is born!

This month, we remind you that you should take care of your neck as well as your face. Below are a few of my favourite treatments to rejuvenate your neck:

Radiofrequency, such as Tripollar, tightens the skin on the neck, and stimulates new collagen to form, reducing the crepey skin and visible wrinkles. As it is a one-time , this is the procedure of choice for many.

Ulthera tightens skin via ultasound, but its deep penetrating energy also has the added benefit of reducing the bulk of the double chin and making the jaw contour more defined. Also a one-time treatment, Ulthera is a very good option for anti-aging of the neck, if you do not wish to undergo the knife. I love combining Radiofrequency and Ulthera as this gives excellent results.

Laser Resurfacing helps with skin tightening, and discolouration of the neck area.

The vertical lines on the neck are caused by the pulling of a very superficial muscle (the platysma) onto the skin. With some Botox to relax this muscle, the vertical lines disappear almost miraculously!

Horizontal neck lines are notoriously difficult to treat. With skin tightening procedures like Thermage, the lines improve to some extent, but often not enough.

I find that injecting tiny amounts of a skin hydrating hyaluronic acid filler such as Restylane Skinboosters, plumbs up the lines very nicely.

Be very careful when seeking this treatment, however. Due to the delicate skin of the neck, only special fillers, not the normal ones for treatment of other areas, can be used, or lumpiness will invariably occur. Speak more to your doctor for more details.

Take care of it well.