Here are some non-surgical treatment options to smooth you out
One of the most sought after treatment areas in cosmetic dermatology is the neck. From sagging skin as we age to a new phenomenon called ‘tech neck’, we’re seeing women of all ages coming in requesting neck rejuvenation. So let’s talk a little bit about what makes the neck different, why it ages faster than our face, and how we can treat it with minimally invasive procedures.
The skin on your neck is different than the skin on your face.
Histologically speaking, the epidermis and the dermis on the neck is different from those on your face. It has a thinner epidermis and dermis, so it’s more prone to premature aging and is one of the first areas to show our age. We lose about 10% of our collagen per decade, and with a thin dermis and epidermis the skin on our neck isn’t very forgiving with this loss of collagen. So as we age we will see some sagging, laxity in the skin, and wrinkles on the neck.
The neck also lacks sebaceous glands, which makes it more susceptible to irritation from products and environmental aggressors like sun damage.
Lastly, the location of the neck makes it particularly susceptible to sun damage. UVA light reflects off asphalt and sidewalks and bounces back up at us, and the neck catches a lot of these rebounding rays. Prevention is key for the longevity and youthfulness of the neck, but don’t fret if you haven’t always been consistent with your SPF! There are always things we can do to treat laxity and aging.
Botox
This is one of the most simple treatments we can do, and a good starting point for treating an aging neck. Botox in the neck relaxes the platysma muscle which reduces wrinkling in the front of the neck.
Biostimulatory filler
Radiesse and sculptra are biostimulatory fillers, meaning they stimulate your body’s own regenerative processes to induce collagen production. I like to use hyper dilute Radiesse in the neck area. It will smooth out the skin and give a more youthful look.
Tightening devices
These devices are not lasers, they use heat energy that goes into the skin and stimulates fibroblasts to create collagen. This gives a tightening effect that looks like your skin is pulled back up to where it used to be! Thermage and ultherapy are the two main options for this, but I personally see the best results with Thermage.
Lasers
Lasers are a more superficial collagen stimulation than tightening devices, which work deeper in the dermis of the skin. Lasers help reduce fine lines and wrinkles on the surface of the skin. Using lasers and tightening devices together can create a 1+1=3 effect because you get two mechanisms of action working in 2 different sections of the skin. This will not only tighten the skin but also help with sun damage and pigment issues as well.
Thread lifts
PDO threads are a very common procedure, and doing them under the jaw or along the neck gives a great lifting and smoothing result. The mechanism of action with threads is two fold: you get mechanical pulling of the skin along with biostimulatory filler. A notable downside is that threads only last about 1-2 years before needing to be re-done. You want to make sure you go to someone who is very skilled, as this is a procedure that can yield suboptimal results if not done properly.
Microneedling
If you’re a regular here on my blog or YouTube channel, you’ll know I’m not a fan of microneedling. I have seen a lot of complications from microneedling, like infection and unwanted hyperpigmentation, so I don’t perform this treatment nor recommend it. However, it is an option that is available elsewhere, so I’m including it here for the sake of completeness.
Chemical peels
Peels will improve the surface and texture of the skin. Combining chemical peels with lasers can be a beautiful combination yielding improvement in texture and tone of the skin as well as tightening and smoothing.
Combination therapy
I’ve touched a bit on combining different treatments already, but I’ll sum up some of the options here:
- Thermafrax: thermage and fraxel
- Chemical peel and laser
- Biostimulatory filler and thread lifts
All of these rejuvenating treatments have different mechanisms of action so combing them can give the best outcomes, with long lasting results!
Kybella
This treatment uses deoxycholic acid (which is an acid found in our GI tract) to dissolve fat under the chin. So while this isn’t technically a neck treatment, it does improve the appearance of the neck by tightening up the skin under the chin. However, you need to be the right
candidate for this to work. If you have a lot of laxity already, this might increase laxity and sagging. So make sure you go to someone who will be honest and tell you if you’re the right candidate!
Active skincare ingredients
The most important product you can put on your neck every day is sunscreen! If you are young, start now! If you are more mature and already see the effects of aging in your neck, be sure to protect your investment in these treatments by wearing your sunscreen every single day. Some other active ingredients that are specifically great for the neck include:
- Argireline - peptide complex that acts similarly to botox by inhibiting the musculature attachment to the skin, relaxing the muscles
- GHK - Glycine, histamine, and lysine. This is part of type 1 collagen so it induces your skin’s ability to create new collagen
- Retinol/retinaldehyde - Tretinoin is usually too strong for the neck area and can cause irritation. Retinol and retinaldehyde, however, stimulate collagen and elastin without irritating the delicate skin on your neck
Other ingredients that are beneficial in this area are growth factors, DNA repair enzymes, antioxidants, topical melatonin, and more.
I formulated MDAiRE NeckTyte-R Serum to be extremely effective in the neck area by using Argireline alongside ceramides and peptides to address the appearance of crepiness, laxity, and textural irregularities.
For more detailed specifics on each of these treatments watch my YouTube video below! I drop a new video every Sunday filled with derm knowledge, so if you’re a derm nerd like us join the YouTube family by subscribing and leaving a comment!
