What Can Be Done to Prevent Wrinkles and Sagging on the Neck?

Some people don’t expect to find lines, blotchy pigmentation, and sagging skin just below their face, but the neck is one of the most common problem areas that can reveal your age—or make you look older than you are. Ever notice how your neck seems to age at a faster rate when compared to other areas of your body? Accelerated aging of the neck happens because the skin on the neck areas is so much thinner, more delicate, and contains fewer oil glands than skin elsewhere, so it can’t hold onto as much moisture. This makes it more likely for loose skin, uneven pigmentation, and other imperfections to develop. Not to mention, we tend to put plenty of attention into caring for the skin on our face, but the neck usually gets much less focus and may simply be forgotten about, even for those with the most intense skincare routines. We also usually aren’t using the same skincare products that we use on our faces for our necks. This part of the skin needs special care, just like the eye area.

Even though signs of aging on the neck are mainly a cosmetic concern, they can bring our confidence down. Women and men who are unhappy about severe skin sagging or protruding muscles and fat in the neck area will likely benefit—mentally and emotionally—from a neck lift. Philadelphia area facial cosmetic surgeon Dr. Timothy Greco typically recommends the surgery for patients in this position, as well as offers advice on other things that can be done to prevent or correct damage to this area:

Start Taking Care of Your Neck Early

Some aging of the neck is inevitable, just like it is for facial skin. However, having a good skincare routine will help to keep it in good shape as gravity pulls at it. Even though we think of neck aging as something we’ll only need to worry about much later in life, our skin starts to produce less collagen during our 20s. By the time we reach our late 20s to 30s, many people will notice some skin laxity or even more pronounced muscle cords. Start seriously including your neck in your skincare routine by your mid-20s. Unfortunately, exercises will have little to no effect when it comes to preventing or undoing damage, but you can use skincare products on the area to help. Routinely use retinol to delay the formation of wrinkles and fine lines. This vitamin A derivative is ideal for the skin on your neck because it boosts collagen production.

Add Sunscreen

Sun protection is always a must for exposed skin. Another reason why our neck skin can age so quickly is because we aren’t protecting it from cumulative sun exposure, as we do our faces. Don’t forget to add a layer of the same sunscreen you’re using on your face to your neck. Sunscreen can’t block out 100 percent of the UV rays, so combine vitamin C with your sunscreen to help neutralize any residual damage that does occur.

Keep Your Neck Upright

“Tech Neck” is the nickname given for a sagging and wrinkled neck due to prolonged staring down at smartphone screens. Every time you look down at a device like your phone, laptop, or other electronics, the motion puts a strain on the thin, fragile skin of your neck along with the platysma (muscles at the sides of the neck) and makes it more vulnerable to the effects of aging. Try to keep your neck upright as much as possible, limit your range of motion, and don’t look down for extended periods of time so your skin isn’t being stretched.

For more information on neck lift surgery, contact Dr. Timothy Greco. Call (610) 664-8830 or fill out a contact form if you would like to talk to him about surgical and non-surgical treatments for improving the appearance of your skin.