Is Your Neck Calling Your Face a Liar?
The skin on your neck is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on your face, yet if you’re like many people visiting us, you may be overlooking it in your skincare regimen. That’s a mistake. “The health and vitality of the skin on your neck contributes just as much as the appearance of your face to looking youthful,” says Dr Marcells.
The same changes in facial skin that make a person look old are just as likely to affect neck skin, and with the same ageing results:
- Discolouration
- Loss of elasticity
- Changes in texture
- Wrinkles
You don’t have to spend your life wrapped up in scarves to camouflage your neck. In this article, we’re sharing secrets to maintain a youthful neckline.
Wrinkles & Spots
Neck skin ages in several ways, all of which rob you of a youthful appearance:
- Horizontal Neck Wrinkles – The result of a loss of collagen and weakened elastin in the skin due to genetic ageing, the environment, and/or hormonal factors.
- Vertical Neck Wrinkles – The result of sun damage and/or spending a lot of time in the same position.
- Age Spots – Pigmentation irregularities and skin discolouration develop as a result of sun exposure.
Before You Put on Your V-Neck: Sunscreen
V-necks and open-collared shirts expose sensitive neck skin to the effects of the sun, so don’t stop at your chin when it comes to putting on sun protection. “Applying sunscreen to your neck should be part of everyone’s daily routine,” says Dr Marcells, ”This is not simply for aesthetic reasons. It’s as a matter of good health.” According to Cancer Council Australia, 95-99% of skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun.
Unless you take the time to protect your neck from UVA and UVB rays with a well-formulated sunscreen, you elevate your risk for skin cancer and premature ageing. “The right sunscreen helps protect the skin from sun damage which causes collagen breakdown and eventually lines and laxity in the neck,” reports Dr Marcells.
Skincare with a Professional Touch
There are many products targeting facial beauty, but are they right for the neck? Not in all cases. Skin creams and neck creams may contain antioxidants and ingredients that stimulate collagen production. The problem is that some products designed for use on the face contain retinol or AHAs. These ingredients can irritate sensitive neck skin and cause it to become overly dry.
Do You Suffer from this Problem?
Do you spend a lot of time looking down at your computer or phone? If so, the constant repetitive movement of doing so may be creating wrinkles in your neck. Originally dynamic wrinkles that are the result of habitual movement, tech neck furrows can become static wrinkles that are always visible.
The only way to prevent tech neck is to limit your device time.
Help for Ageing Necks
For patients whose neck skin has already begun to show the effects of sun-exposure, Dr Marcells may recommend a non-surgical treatment in our practice:
If your face is saying one thing about your age and your neck is saying something else, we recommend that you let Dr George Marcells join the conversation. Please use our online enquiry form or call us on 1300 555 095 to discover how you can reverse visible signs of facial ageing by rejuvenating your neck.
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Meet Dr Marcells
MBBS (Syd), FRACS (ORL-HNS)
Past President – Australasian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgeons
Dr George Marcells is known for excellence in facial plastic surgery and is considered a true master of rhinoplasty. He performs advanced surgical techniques to restore balance and harmony to the face and can also resolve functional issues such as breathing difficulties.
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