Even years after her death, I still receive signs of beauty from my grandmother. One of her skincare adverts echoes forever when I apply sunscreen: You can do whatever you want with your face, but your neck and hands will always take away your age. . And with that, I’ll put a little more mineral sunscreen along my neck and chest before heading out for the day. Of course she’s right – she’s always right. Like the skin around the eyes, the skin of the neck is thinner than the skin of the face but rarely gets as much TLC, despite being exposed to all the same factors. Fortunately, my journey to discover how to tighten neck skin has discovered a multitude of solutions, from home tools and easy exercises to proven professional treatments.
Bottom line: neck skin, like all skin, will age. The fight against ageism – especially for women – is hopefully only going to get stronger and more impactful over time, but you’ll certainly want to do what you can to maintain it. youthful appearance as long as Father Time and your genetics allow you. And as always, if something about your appearance bothers you, you should work it out, too. After all, we live in an age of incredible beauty breakthroughs.
For a professional primer on how to tighten or prevent neck skin from wrinkling, we’ve tapped, well, the experts. Our three experts – renowned nurse dermatologist and esthetician Natalie Aguilar; Dr. Elizabeth Geddes-Bruce, a board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin; and board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Macrene Alexiades — all passionate about the subject. My grandmother would be very proud.
Read on for their favorite products, peels, masks, and treatments to take care of the delicate skin on our necks, as well as their tips and precautions to keep things going. stretch.
Featured image of Michelle Nash.
What, besides age, causes neck skin to sag?
“Unlike natural aging, premature aging can be caused by harmful UV rays, which damage free radicals and smoke,” explains Aguilar. “Also, most people stop applying their product on their chin, so your application should always be on your face, neck, and chest.”
What precautions can you take to keep your neck skin from sagging?
First of all, Aguilar, Dr Geddes Bruce and Dr Alexiades all emphasize the importance of daily sunscreen application. Some other measures you can take include:
- Avoid tobacco products and secondhand smoke
- Eat a balanced, low glycemic diet
- Prioritize sleep and manage stress
- Practice good posture to prevent “tech neck”
- Aerobic exercise becomes part of your daily routine
- “If you have to look at your phone in bed, do it on your side.” – Dr. Alexiades
“Ultimately, the best prevention is to start caring for and treating the neck,” says Aguilar. “Most of my clients wait until they notice a drastic change in their neck texture and elasticity, usually around their mid-40s, but it’s best to start taking care of their neck early. ”
Do exercises really help tighten neck skin?
With methods like gua sha and facial massage becoming more and more popular for their ability to sculpt and stimulate collagen production, we asked our experts if there was a similar technique for tightening the area. antique or not.
“My favorite exercise is done manually with a pinching motion with my fingertips,” says Aguilar. “I start at the nape of the neck and pinch up, following the natural curvature of the neck, toward the ears and jawline using a firming and plumping serum like hyaluronic acid or a peptide serum.”
What Home Beauty And Peeling Tools Can Tighten Neck Skin?
Aguilar shares her favorite beauty tools to use at home.
What are the best products and creams for neck tightening?
While in-office treatments like Ulthatherapy, Kybella, and dermal fillers have become popular for treating the neck area, great skin always starts at home.
“You can spend a lot of money on in-clinic treatments, but when it comes to the neck and chest area, I firmly believe that using a good, twice-a-day, seven-day home skincare routine days a week will outperform any in-clinic treatment.” Dr. Alexiades explains. “And yes, you can turn back the clock and repair the damage if you have a good and regular treatment regimen.”
As for whether it’s necessary to apply the product to your neck in an upward motion, the consensus is that it’s optional, but it can’t hurt in the long run. “It probably won’t have much of an effect in the short term, but repeated downward pulling over time when applying products can have a negative effect,” says Dr. Geddes-Bruce. “We’ve grown old from gravity every day, why add to it?”
Can retinol tighten neck skin?
Retinol (also known as vitamin A) is an anti-aging superhero — and should be part of any solid skin care routine starting in your mid-20s.
“Its anti-aging benefits are spectacular because as we age, skin cell production begins to slow down and causes textural problems,” explains Aguilar. “Retinols promote skin cell turnover, thus helping to keep skin from becoming lazy while staying active to promote skin’s building blocks.”
As always, when starting out with retinol, it’s important to start slowly and watch for skin irritation as you increase use. Here are some recommended retinol creams to get you started.
What are the best treatments for neck skin?
While in-office treatments like Ulthatherapy, Softwave and Kybella are all the rage right now, Dr. Geddes-Bruce believes the following options are superior.
“The best non-invasive in-office treatments for neck tightening include radiofrequency microwaves and biostimulating filler injections,” Dr. Geddes-Bruce explains. Bruce explained. “The two, especially when taken in combination, can produce lovely results for the right candidate. Laser resurfacing may also be helpful. And of course, the best way to tighten the skin of the neck is a lift surgery. ”
In terms of lasers, Dr. Alexiades recommends painless, no downtime options like Genesis, ClearLift, or NIR (near infrared). Dr. Alexiades adds: “If your sagging is getting worse, ask your doctor about Profound, a laser that injects radiofrequency into your skin through microscopic needles. “For the neckband, Botox is my go-to. However, it is important to note that these treatments do not provide permanent results.”
