Dr Naomi shares her tips on maintaining neck skin:
How is the skin on our neck structurally different from the skin on our face?
Dr N: The skin on our neck is thinner, more sensitive and less resilient than the skin on our face. It is at a high risk of wrinkles, sag and environmental damage.
Anatomical structures that underlie and support the neck skin will also affect the rate of ageing. For example, the amount and position of neck fat is an important influence on ageing. Some of us have too much fat in the neck and others have not enough.
Another important anatomical structure in the neck that has a huge impact on ageing and in particular the ageing or the neck angle, which impacts our side profile as we age, is the platysmal bands.
Are there particular ingredients or skincare steps that work well for this area to postpone the need for invasive treatments like neck lifts?
Dr N: There are a few important at-home preventative options for neck skin
- Use sunscreen and don’t forget to apply it to the back of your neck, too. This is vital, as is a wide brimmed hat.
- Use active skincare and a moisturiser with actives. However, please introduce them into your routine more slowly and with greater care. My top 3 serums for antiageing are C-BRIGHT, Let it B, and Vitamin Amen
- Peeling products and ingredients are also helpful, but not everyone will be able to use these products on the neck due to the skin being more delicate and reactive. I love a product called One Night Stand, which is a high strength Glycolic acid. The results when I use it on my face are impressive, but when I use it on my neck and decolletage without introducing it slowly, it’s too strong for that skin and can cause redness and reactivity in the area. Skin care treatments designed for the neck eg Hit the Dec are ideal.
- Home care LED devices created for the neck are excellent eg our BDE LED Device
- Keeping you weight stable is also important for the neck area.
Which energy based devices and in-clinic treatments do you recommend for the neck?
Dr N: We have a lot of options for treatment and prevention of neck ageing at The Manse
- RF microneedling is our most popular device treatment for neck skin
- Fractional ablative laser
- Radiofrequency for tightening
- Rejuran is a new injection treatment available
- There are many other treatments available which cannot be discussed online, unfortunately due to the new TGA regulations, but we can tell you about during your appointment.
- Forever Young BBL
How diligent are patients with neck skincare application routines?
Dr N: Everyone is probably sick of hearing my neck and dec skincare mantra, “The face ends at the nipples”, but it’s important.
What I’ve found in the last 20 years with neck ageing is that the vast majority of patients (I’m guilty of this, too) postpone the preventative neck routines and treatments until later than they should, and regret it.
My advice is to start early, particularly with sun protection. Keeping your neck skin healthy and maintained is the best investment.
To make an appointment for review of your neck area please call the clinic on 93315005, or email us on info@themanseclinic.com.au or book online.