What You Can Do About the Common Signs of Aging on the Neck?

Compared to other areas of the body, the skin around the neck is thinner and more fragile. It produces fewer natural oils that protect it from premature thinning and has less collagen or the protein gives the skin strength and structure. This is the reason why it tends to age faster than almost any area of the body. Here are the common signs of aging on the neck and what you can do to improve or address them. 

Fine lines and brown spots

The neck area is one of the most commonly neglected areas when applying skincare, including sunscreen. Prolonged and unprotected sun exposure can also cause the collagen to break down, as well as contribute to the development of pigment changes or brown spots, wrinkles, and thinning skin. 

What you can do: Make it a habit to apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to your neck daily and reapply if you’re out in the sun. An anti-aging serum like Dr. Sylvia’s 24k Gold Neck Protect is also a good addition to your routine. It is formulated to reduce visible signs of aging and protect the skin from UV radiation and pollution.

Loose or sagging skin

Collagen and elastin break down over time, resulting in sagging skin along the jaw, neck, and upper chest. This, along with aging, reduces the skin’s ability to snap back like it used to. Turkey neck is the term used to describe saggy or wrinkled skin on the neck. 

What you can do: Sunscreen and moisturizer are a must, as well as a cream or serum that has peptides and antioxidants. If you are already concerned about loose skin, micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) can help. It delivers heat to the deeper layers to stimulate collagen and tightening of the skin. MFU-V offers natural lifting of the skin on the face, neck, and decolletage. 

For further reading: 3 Ways to Tighten Skin on Your Face and Neck

Folds and wrinkles

Aging causes our natural fold lines to become more visible, as well as cause new wrinkles to appear. It also doesn’t help that we constantly crane down our necks when looking at our phones and other devices. Regularly engaging in activities that cause the skin to fold can contribute to the earlier appearance of lines, folds, and wrinkles. 

What you can do: Creams with peptides, alpha hydroxy acids, and retinol can help take better care of your neck. MFU-V can also help; it uses ultrasound energy to tighten loose skin and improve lines and wrinkles of the decolletage. 7D Ultraformer MMFU is also worth considering; it uses micro and macro focused ultrasound (MMFU) technology to lift sagging skin and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. 

Vertical neck bands

Also referred to as platysma bands, vertical neck bands appear due to the weakening of the platysma muscle (a flat, superficial muscle on the lower face and neck). These vertical bands are located on both sides of the neck. When you’re young, they are hidden and only appear when you make certain expressions. They become more visible with age due to the loss of collagen and fat deposits. 

What you can do: If you already have visible neck bands, botulinum toxin can help. It can relax the affected muscles and therefore reduce the appearance of the bands. It blocks the signal from a nerve to a muscle, which can then effectively relax the platysma muscle. The injectable can also create a smoother appearance of the skin on the neck.

For further reading: AbbVie’s OnabotulinumtoxinA is Up as a Potential Treatment for Plastyma Prominence

Constant neglect of your neck can cause these signs of aging to appear sooner. Contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics in Singapore today and schedule a consultation with our aesthetic doctor to find out how we can help and which aesthetic procedures are right for you.