What Tech-Neck? The Best Way to Treat and Smooth Your Neck Now
As we all know, there’s often a clear demarcation between the rate at which the face is aging versus the skin below the jaw. Why? The skin on the neck is thinner, and subject to constant muscle movement. This is compounded by the fact that, as Manhattan dermatologist Robert Anolik MD, points out: “Most women are good about applying sunscreen to their faces, but they tend to stop at the chin.”
There’s also the modern phenomenon of “tech neck” (yes, it’s real)—dermatologists and facialists report seeing fine lines on increasingly younger clients, while those on the older end of the spectrum are also contending with sun damage, loss of elasticity, and the general sag that gravity inflicts over time.
So while we may have our complexions in a glowing top form well past the age our mothers did, our necks can still be a dead giveaway. Thankfully, there’s now a whole host of hi-tech topical rejuvenators and as well as injectable strategies to lift and smooth the delicate neck area—and even prevent it from getting crinkly in the first place.
Topical Creams, Lotions, and Serums
If you're not ready to take the leap into invasive treatments or solutions that require a a visit to an MD, fear not, consistent use of at-home skincare can make a big difference when it comes to keeping the neck in top form. But you do need to seek out products specifically calibrated for delicate neck skin, says says Lisa Goodman, founder of buzzy LA medical spa Goodskin, which just opened an outpost in Manhattan. "The neck skin is like the skin that’s under the eyes—there are no sebaceous glands. That's why it ages more quickly, and also why it's so slow to heal. I used to think that if you use a cream for your face it should be good enough for your neck, but that's actually not the case. For example, if you have moderately oily to oily skin on your face, you should be using a lighter moisturizer, which is not going to cut it on your neck. You need a really rich cream that’s high in peptides. I'd also recommend looking for ingredients like caffeine, which is going to give you some tightening, and heparin, which is like a sister of hyaluronic acid, to give volume to the skin." Some other star ingredients to look for when picking out a product for your neck and chest: hyaluronic acid for volume, anything algae-derived for its sun-damage diminishing, line-smoothing, vitality reviving quality, and even SPF to prevent the breakdown of collagen and related sun damage.
Here, the latest and greatest moisturizers and serums to keep neck skin supple, bright, and lifted with the best of the best ingredients for the job.
Injectables
“There are five parts of aging,” says Lisa Goodman. “Bone, muscle, skin, fat, and fascia. They’re all always aging, so it’s about figuring out about which is the most active and causing the problem, and what’s the most cost-effective way to treat it with the least down-time.” In most cases, she starts with Botox. “People who work at computers and sit at desks tend to have an overactive platysma muscles in their neck, as do people who grind their teeth,” Goodman says. “That will lead to loose skin on the neck and early jowling. You can inject Botox to relax those bands, and you can also use it to lift the muscles that are pulling everything down.”
Superficially injected filler can also work in tandem with other treatments to ensure a home run. "We can’t lift the neck with filler, but we can define the jawline better, and that improves the appearance of the neck," Anolik says. "Some people are putting filler in the horizontal neck creases, but I think that’s a tough area to fill. Instead, I'll sometimes put in droplets of hyaluronic acid throughout the skin’s surface with an Aquagold to erase fine lines and creases." While filler can last several months, Goodman has developed an off-label technique using a new autologous fat, called Renuva, to make a much longer-lasting impact. "It’s mostly been used in plastic surgery, but now it’s being brought to the cosmetic injectable field," she says. "It’s the matrix of the fat with the actual cell removed, so it acts like fat and your body makes a little more fat from it. I’ve been thinning it out and layering it on the neck, basically creating a new fatty layer. It’s a wonderful option to plump up the neck, especially on thinner clients who don’t hold on to filler well."
Lasers, Ultrasound, and Micro-needles
When the primary issue is crepe-iness, most derms break out resurfacing devices to remodel collagen and smooth the skin. “We can use anything from a mild Fraxel like a Clear and Brilliant to a middle intensity Fraxel Dual to the CO2 Fraxel Repair,” says Anolik. “If you do an ablative treatment you can make a significant modification in texture, but you have to factor in more downtime.”
Goodman often treats lax skin with a one-two punch of Morpheus, a microneedling radio frequency device (she recommends one session for each decade of life in order to optimize results), and Ulthera, which uses focused Ultrasound to heat and remodel tissue. “I find that currently Morpheus is the best option on the market for skin tightening,” she says, “but can only go to a certain depth, so if a client has fascia that’s deeper, we’ll tailor the treatment so that we use Ulthera to heat the deep fascia and Morpheus to heat the more shallow fascia.”
You Might Also Like
