As you age, you may notice that your neck is aging fast, faster than the rest of your body. Aging neck is, indeed, one of the biggest concerns and the reason more and more people every year go to a plastic surgeon. As there is a variety of factors that both make the neck more susceptible to aging and speed up aging itself, let’s consider them in more detail.
We go about our day without paying too much attention to neck skin. Truth be told, the face is the focal point we focus on during daily events, so the face starts getting the best possible care. The issue is that, apart from having fewer oil glands, your neck skin does not differ too much from the skin on your face.
What an Aging Neck Looks Like
So, due to a lack of proper care, especially during earlier parts of life, your neck starts aging faster. Think of all the years that your neck was exposed to the sun and the elements. Think of all the head tilts and nods you’ve made. The truth is, all of this cumulative damage starts being apparent on the neck from your thirties and forties onwards. So what does aging neck skin look like? Let’s consider the following:
Saggy Neck Skin
Saggy neck skin is the first thing that we can notice on the neck. As we age and expose our skin to the elements, most notably the sun, the skin loses elastin and collagen and starts being loose and saggy. Luckily, this is possible to mend.
Vertical Bands on the Neck
The vertical bands on the neck are another sign of an aging neck. So, why do neck bands appear? In the same way that your skin loses collagen and elastin, the same happens to other tissues in your body. You can notice this by reduced subcutaneous fat volume and reduced muscle mass. These are normal parts of aging but are more prominent on the neck, as it has long connective tissues and muscles that turn your head. Once the skin starts getting thinner, you can see these tissues as vertical bands on your neck.
Sunspots (Liver Spots) on the Neck
The final sign of an aging neck is liver spots or sun spots. People usually say that liver spots come with age, but the truth is that they come from age-long exposure to the sun. As the skin tries to protect itself, it creates more melatonin in some areas than in others. These groups of cells are known as liver spots or sun spots.
What Causes Saggy Neck?
These were the three main signs of an aging neck. But what causes these to happen? Sure, we all age, but the neck seems to age twice as fast as the rest of the body. This is due to our daily habits and exposure to the elements that stress the skin and supportive tissues and make the skin age faster than usual.
Sunlight and Photoaging of the Neck
Sunlight is among the top three causes of an aging neck. Sun can cause so much damage to the neck that many surgeons compare it to smoking. As the sun hits the skin on the neck, it damages collagen and elastin fibers in the neck. Although your body can mend this damage, a lot of it stays and becomes more pronounced as collagen production in the skin drops with age.
Too Much Screen Time
Furthermore, too much screen time can also influence how old your neck looks. As you tilt your head downward and keep it in this place for hours, the body adjusts, and this bent position leaves marks on the connective tissues of the neck. Furthermore, there were studies that have shown that even the blue light coming from the screens can be damaging to the skin.
Movement
In addition to tilting the head when on the phone, any movement you make with your head will necessarily leave marks on the skin. This is apparent on any body part, not just the neck. You can see wrinkles and damaged skin on all the joints on your body and in any other parts where there is a lot of movement. This effect is especially pronounced in the neck and chin area, as the skin here has fewer oil glands and is thinner than on other body parts.
Aging
Aging is a normal process that also leaves marks on your neck. As you age, your skin gets thinner and loses its connective tissues. The result is saggy skin that is much more prone to damage than youthful skin. Plenty of hydration and a good moisturizer can help limit this effect.
Is Neck Aging Preventable?
Neck aging cannot be prevented fully. There are reasonable measures that you can take today to ensure you slow down neck aging. In addition to this, if there is already a lot of damage, you can consult your dermatologist and ask about any surgical and nonsurgical procedures that can help you restore the youthful looks of your neck. We will discuss them in detail further on.
Is Neck Aging Reversible?
Surgical and nonsurgical procedures can help limit and remove signs of neck aging. Beware that no procedure is a magic wand that will erase years from your neck, but limiting the appearance of neck aging signs can make you look better and feel better in your skin.
Products and Procedures You Can Use on Your Neck
So, if you have decided to invest in neck care, you may be faced with the question of which products and procedures you can use on the neck. After all, neck skin is firmer and thicker than the skin found on the face, so it may not be the best to use face products. On the other hand, neck skin is much more sensitive than the skin on the body, so using body products may not give good results either. The truth is somewhere in between.
Sun Block
Sun Block is the most important product that you can use to keep your skin vital and youthful for years to come. Although sunblock cannot mend any damage, it can prevent it by preventing harmful UV rays from reaching your skin. We suggest using a mineral SPF 50 on your neck, the same one we recommend for the face. You should use sunblock daily, regardless of your age and time spent outdoors.
Retinoid for Neck Skin
- ✨ADVANCED ANTI-AGING EFFECTS: Maximum moisturizing strength formula delivers lifting, brightening and rejuvenating benefits to the skin without dryness. This retinol moisturizer features aloe, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, green tea, shea butter, and jojoba oil.
- ✨HIGH POTENCY RESULTS: A balanced blend of wrinkle-fighting actives, our nourishing anti wrinkle face cream formula is designed to be used 2x daily (AM/PM) to help the appearance of aging skin while revealing your complexion’s radiant, natural beauty.
Retinol-based products for the face can also be used on your neck. Retinoids, such as retinol, improve cellular turnover and can boost collagen production in deeper layers of the skin. This, in turn, reduces fine wrinkles and lines and adds to the skin texture and an even complexion. The thirties are the perfect period to start using retinoids.
Botox – Botulinum Toxin for the Neck
In case you have even deeper lines and wrinkles, but your skin is not too saggy, you can opt for a botox treatment. These treatments are intended to correct medium to deep lines and do so by relaxing the muscles in the skin of the neck. Botox does not interfere with your ability to move the head. It simply reduces involuntary muscle contractions that add so much to the necklines you already have.
Laser Resurfacing
Botox takes up to two weeks to show its full strength, and over the next several months, your deep lines will be disappearing. In case there are any that remain, laser resurfacing and laser skin tightening are the perfect solutions. These lasers focus light in tiny beams, which damage the skin and improve its ability to produce collagen.
IPL – Intense Pulsed Light Therapy for Neck
Once the lines and wrinkles are gone and the neck skin texture improved, you can focus on skin and hyperpigmentation or the liver spots. IPL, Intense Pulsed Light Therapy, can help you remove these. By focusing multiple wavelengths of light on problematic areas, the laser removes pigmentation, leaving your neck looking much younger.
Necklift – Excess Skin Removal from the Neck
However, if you would like to get rid of saggy skin and vertical neck bands, a necklift is the perfect solution for you. The procedure is done in the surgical room and involves:
- Neck liposuction – to remove excess fat and double chin,
- Neck lift – removes excess skin by means of easy-to-hide incisions right under the chin, and
- Neckband tightening – which effectively hides neck bands and improves the contours of your neck.
Can Exercise Help Prevent Neck Sagging?
In addition to all products explained above, you should also know that exercise can help your neck and your body improve contours and keep that young look for much longer. As you exercise, the skin works hard to keep up with all the movement. Increased circulation enables the body to remove toxins and free radicals much more efficiently and keeps your neck and your body looking vibrant and refreshed.
Aging Neck FAQ
What to Do About Aging Neck?
To improve the looks of your aging neck, you should first consider preventing any new damage to it. Moisturizing neck skin and applying SPF, as well as wearing protective clothing, can all help reduce the damage coming from the elements in the long term. In addition to this, you can also use cosmetic and medical products intended for the neck to repair the damage that has already been done.
What is the Best Treatment for Aging Neck?
The best treatment for your aging neck depends on your age. If you are under 20, regular use of sunblock will keep the damage to the neck skin at bay. You should start using retinoids in your thirties while your forties demand more care – including hyaluronic acid and injectables, such as fillers and Botox, to correct any lines and wrinkles you may have. In your 60s, you should be considering surgical procedures, especially if there is a lot of accumulated damage.
How to Protect Neck from Aging?
The best way to protect your neck from aging is to give it the care it needs. Regularly moisturizing your neck skin and applying sunblock every day is of paramount importance. Wearing protective clothing and avoiding the direct sun can keep your neck looking young and fresh for years to come.
How to Care for Aging Neck Skin?
If you can already see some damage to your neck, you should consult a dermatologist. They can help you address common neck skin issues and help repair the damage that has already been done by the elements and your lifestyle. Almost any product you use on your face, you can use on your neck as well.
Final Considerations
Your neck skin is thinner and more prone to damage by the sun and lifestyle choices than the skin on almost any other part of your body. To prevent new and mend the damage that is already there, you should take good care of your skin and improve your habits so that your skin is protected at all times. In case there is a lot of damage and you have a saggy neck already, you can opt for lasers and surgical procedures to help you repair the heavy damage.