If you’ve ever felt less than thrilled with the skin on your neck, rest assured, you’re in excellent company. The neck is often neglected during our skincare routines and it’s time we gave it the attention it deserves!
You see, the skin on our neck is inherently thinner than that on the rest of our face (except for the delicate eye area). Sadly, it often gets left out in the cold when it comes to treatments and skincare regimens. Many women admit to missing out their necks, even skipping the all-important SPF! Over time, exposure to weather and environmental factors can lead to sagging, crepey skin and wrinkles. This can make your neck a telltale sign of your age, something we hear all too often from our patients.
The good news is that there are now numerous ways to address various neck concerns. I recommend allowing a couple of months to witness the full benefits. So, if you’re thinking about sprucing up for the Christmas season and want your results to sync perfectly, now is the ideal time to schedule your consultation to explore options for tackling neck lines and improving skin quality.
Skincare
A solid starting point for addressing any skin issues is your skincare routine. Regardless of the weather or season, everyone should be diligently applying SPF 50 to their face and neck. Sadly, moisturisers and makeup don’t provide the level of protection needed, so I recommend using a separate sunscreen (with a few exceptions like the Colorscience SPF makeup range).
Skin Boosters
In my clinic, I offer various options such as Teoxane Redensity 1 and Vivacy Stylage Hydro/HydroMax. These skin boosters consist of injectable hyaluronic acid gel, which kick-start your own collagen and elastin production, fortifying the skin and enhancing its quality. Packed with vitamins and minerals, they nourish your skin from within and attract moisture, leading to improved hydration and softened lines and wrinkles.
Polynucleotides
One of my favourites and taking the aesthetics world by storm! Polynucleotides are another injectable gel, but they don’t contain hyaluronic acid. Instead, they contain a structure similar to our own DNA sourced from salmon. These stimulate our own cells to increase collagen production, resulting in a brightening, tightening effect. Polynucleotides work wonders on crepey neck skin and necklace lines (those pesky horizontal creases known as ‘tech neck’). As you can see from the example here, just two sessions can yield fantastic results. Improvement continues for up to 60 days, and the results can last up to 9 months before a booster session is recommended.
Soft Tissue Filler
In some cases, soft filler can be used to plump the skin and smooth deeper lines. Most people find significant improvement with the first three options, but filler can maximise results in certain cases.
Botulinum Toxins
You might have heard of the ‘Nefertiti Neck Lift.’ This procedure involves relaxing the large platysma muscle in the neck, reducing the downward pull on the jaw while subtly smoothing and lifting the neck and jawline.
If you’re looking to prevent neck lines from forming in the first place, here are my top three tips: use SPF50 daily on your neck, incorporate a quality retinoid into your routine to maintain healthy skin turnover, and consider skin boosters to boost collagen levels (a bit like ‘collagen banking’).
While machine-based treatments are available for the neck, results can be unpredictable. I always advise thorough consultation with an experienced clinician who specialises in the specific device to ensure you weigh the risks and benefits carefully.
Finally, surgery may be the best option in some cases for truly smoothing and lifting the skin. However, I usually recommend starting with less invasive options first to see if they yield satisfactory results. This avoids the larger financial commitment and risks associated with surgery.