If you want to know how old someone is, just look at their hands…
We have all heard this at some point in our lives, but did you know the same goes for your neck and chest area! These are common areas that get neglected and we often miss putting sunscreen there. Because the skin on our neck is thin and sees quite a bit of sun (plus, you know, gravity), it can often show signs of aging sooner than other parts of the body. Most of us are becoming more aware of protecting our skin from the sun and learning how to start looking after our skin from an earlier age but what can you do to prevent your neck from giving away your age or sagging.
When Should I Start?
Starting at an early age (I’m talking thirties) is the optimal age, however improvement can be made at ANY age. ( I always say you are never too young or too old to take good care of your skin).
Unfortunately, most of us only start to think about treating our decolletage and neck areas when the skin is severely damaged. Starting at a younger age with non-invasive light and laser therapy is a very effective method for stimulating the collagen and improving the overall texture, colour and tone of the neck.
What Causes Neck Sagging?
The dermis, the layer that contains collagen, is very thin in the neck and chest area, making it more prone to ageing than other parts of the body. The face actually ages slower and heals faster than the neck.
A lack of sunscreen application is one of the reasons for ageing of the neck area. Cumulative sun exposure over a lifetime has always been the main culprit of premature aging on the neck.
On top of that, our cell phone addictions aren’t helping the cause. Between sun exposure and the addition of looking at our phones repeatedly, we are seeing neck changes even earlier.
Most of us just don’t realize the consequences of neglecting the neck and decolletage areas until we are much older.
Signs That Your Skin Is Starting To Look Aged.
- Pigmentation
- Veins (redness)
- Poikiloderma/Turkey Neck
- Lines and Wrinkles
- Sagging skin
What Can I Do To Prevent Neck Wrinkles And Sagging?
Prevention is better than cure, so start early! RETINOIDS and SUNBLOCK.
These two important products are vital in preventing damage and maintaining healthy tight skin. Read my article here on choosing the right type of sunscreen and how retinol is used to rejuvenate the skin.
The Latest Treatments To Keep Your Neck Looking Smooth and Tight
The aesthetic industry has evolved so much over the last decade, there is now a “combination treatment” for the neck which ensures great results with minimal recovery time. (Threads and Hyaluronic acid injection can also be added to this procedure to further enhance results.)
Cherie Cochrane – co-founder of Atlantic Dermatology and Laser, describes her GO-TO procedure to tighten her neck. This involves 3 powerful rejuvenating treatments all combined together AND done on the same day!
STEP 1
BBL FOREVER YOUNG. This is a world class procedure with NO DOWN TIME. A clinical study was done on BBL Forever Young, proving that patients treated with only 2x BBL treatments per year, for a 10 year period, all showed significant signs of delayed skin ageing, in fact after the 10 year clinical trial, all patients actually looked younger than when they had started! I have currently been BBL’ing my own skin for 10 years and counting !
STEP 2
NANO LASER RESURFACING– If your neck needs a little something extra, then this one is for you. This laser gently heats and tightens the skin as it works. It also removes dead, dull skin from the surface, forcing regeneration of a new healthier skin.
STEP 3
Dermapen 4 is the gold standard in dermal needling and a cutting-edge skin treatment designed to improve the look of wrinkles, scarring, pigmentation and also reduces acne. When used on the body, it is a powerful tool to tackle stretch marks.
Downtime
If you start at an early age with preventative treatments, your downtime won’t be as long, as your treatments will be less aggressive.
Cost
There are fantastic non-surgical and minimally invasive procedures available that are affordable. After your initial consultation with one of our experienced laser specialists at Atlantic Dermatology and Laser, a skincare plan will be created specifically for you and your budget and costs will be discussed. We often create a combination package and tailor it to our patient’s needs. Treatments are usually done at 2-3 week intervals.
At Atlantic dermatology & Laser we also offer Face, neck and Chest Packages as a combo price, because we understand the importance of treating the whole area and not just the face.
