Lately I’ve been noticing my neck looks a little bit older than my face. The skin looks a little more lax, the texture is a little more bumpy, and I’ve started noticing shallow, horizontal lines. If you’ve ever held your neck in a certain position for pictures, you know what I’m talking about!
Hmmm…I am not pleased. But never fear! Medical spa technology and techniques to the rescue again! There are some great treatments for retexturizing, relaxing, plumping, and tightening that neck skin, so the only thing with a waddle this Thanksgiving is the turkey!
On the inside I feel perpetually 17, but somehow I got to almost 40 and my neck is NOT youthful. How the heck did this happen? So, once again, the trifecta of why our skin looks like it does: sun damage, age, and environmental toxins. They all combine to cause collagen to diminish, resulting in loss of skin elasticity and structure, and the formation of lines and wrinkles.
On the neck, this shows up as: necklace bands (horizontal), platysmal bands (vertical), or sagging skin.
How can we treat neck bands?
While most of us might put sunscreen on our faces daily, the neck usually gets neglected more often, resulting in lines forming faster than in other areas. So even though our face might look great, the neck can often give away our age a little earlier in life.
There are two different types of lines on the neck. Necklace lines and platysmal bands. Necklace lines, or horizontal lines, can be dealt with in two ways: with a neuromodulator, or with dermal fillers. Small amounts of a neuromodulator, like Botox or Dysport, can help relax certain neck muscles, resulting in a smoother appearance of the skin and a diminishing of those horizontal lines. If a patient is diligent in returning for repeat treatments as soon as the effects of the Botox treatment subsides, over time, the etching of the lines may be diminished or eliminated.
If lines are a little deeper, or have existed for some time, dermal filler may be a better treatment option. Belotero dermal filler works very well on the thin skin of the neck. Injections of the dermal filler in the neck are shallow and the delicate make-up of Belotero works well to fill the superficial creases, erasing the appearance of the horizontal bands and creating smooth, younger looking skin.
The other type of neck bands are platysmal, or vertical lines or ridges. These ridges become apparent when you contract the muscles of the neck. A small amount of neuromodulator placed along these bands can relax the muscle and reduce their appearance.
Skin Tightening
If your main issue with skin on the neck is just some laxity, then skin tightening with ReFirme will be helpful. This is a non-invasive, non-surgical technology that will tighten your skin and reduce your wrinkles. This treatment combines bi-polar radio frequency and light energy to heat the dermal tissue in the target treatment area. This stimulates collagen production and produces a firming effect in lax skin. Fine wrinkles are reduced, noticeable lifting can be observed and the texture of your skin becomes more smooth and elastic.
Most patients see gradual and cumulative results and the total number of required treatment sessions depends on your skin's condition. It is a gentle, comfortable treatment requiring no downtime.
Micro-needling
Micro-needling - you may have also heard it called dermal rolling or collagen induction therapy - is a process that involves penetrating the skin with tiny needles to stimulate collagen production. At Body Tonic, we do micro-needling with Dermapen, which is the newest tool in advanced micro-needling. Dermapen is easily maneuverable and allows for greater precision in treatment.
Like bi-polar skin tightening, micro-needling also stimulates the production of new collagen. The tiny needles used in micro-needling make microscopic channels in the skin, triggering the body’s natural healing response: it stimulates the skin to regenerate and repair itself naturally. Your skin reacts to any injury by initiating the healing process. You are essentially encouraging your skin to continue healing through this micro-needling process. The result is increased blood supply to the skin layers and the formation of more collagen and elastin (which give your skin elasticity and firmness). With Dermapen however, product can be used during the treatment to help the process along. Because micro-needling opens the dermis, hydrating products can reach the deeper layer of skin to aid in treatment and optimize results.
Four treatments for your lovely neck! So this Thanksgiving, make sure it’s just your necklace that is noticed and the turkey is the only thing with a waddle!