No matter how young you may look from the chin up, if you don’t lavish some care on your neck your age will be an easy read. Neck skin is a prime age-revealer; an article recently published in the Telegraph stated that “50% of the visible signs of ageing happen in lower part of our face and below the neck”. This is because the skin can be thinner, due to a lower level of fatty tissue, and more sensitive, therefore it is the first to suffer from premature elastin and collagen degradation. The neck area is also just as prone to changes in pigment, sun damage, texture – and, yes, to wrinkles. With this in mind, here are some ways that you can improve the appearance of your neck, whatever your age.
Apply to Face…and Neck
Start to make a conscious effort in continuing your skincare regime below your jaw line and right down to your chest area. The neck has fewer sebaceous glands meaning that it dehydrates easily and needs nourishing ingredients to help restore this moisture. Aesthetician Beth recommends Environ’s AVST Body Oil, £42.45, a lightweight formula which contains Vitamin A, to normalise and repair, Vitamin C and E to protect, hydrate, heal and guard against photo-damage and ageing, as well as Jojoba oil to soften and smooth. In her experience, Beth also recommends Environ’s Revival Masque, £52, a unique combination of 3 acids (Asiatic Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid) which work together to trigger the release of growth factors from the keratinocyte cells. This product will lighten pigmentation, reduce lines and wrinkles by making skin tighter, smoother, more radiant and younger looking – hailed as a facelift in a jar!
Pamper Your Throat
In our No.6 Clinic facials we automatically carry the treatment down to this area, but also have specific treatments to target your neck concerns. Aesthetician Kelly often has clients asking her to pay attention to the neck area and she suggests adding onto our Signature Photofacial, which is £50 extra for this additional area. This triple collagen boosting facial addresses the aspects of premature ageing due to its ability to promote fibroblast activity and subtly restructure collagen within the skin.
Aesthetic Nurse Haley recommends Redensity, which redensifies your skin, restoring its ability to reflect light and giving an immediate, cumulative, visible, and – most importantly – natural result! The light filling treatment consists of microinjections performed evenly across the area of concern so that the Dermo-Restructing Complex is spread evenly into the skin. It is fantastic for the neck and décolleté – all areas that are fragile and often ignored by traditional treatments.
Defy Nature
The neck has a lower density of connective fibre makes it particularly prone to sagging, particularly the platysma muscle which can cause a ‘turkey neck’ in some people as they grow older, or through weight loss. It is also important to remember that posture matters, if you spend long hours in front of a computer, make sure your screen is at the correct height, this too applies for mobile phones, which you should avoid hunching your shoulder up and bringing the screen eye level.
To help tighten this area, Aesthetic Nurse Samantha shares here top three neck exercises:
The Tongue Press Sitting back with your back straight and shoulders down tilt your head back so that you are looking at the ceiling — Forcefully press your tongue to the roof of your mouth — lower your chin to your chest as far as possible without rounding your back —You should feel your chin and front of neck contract –Relax your tongue, straighten your neck and repeat
Chin Rotations In a seated or standing position, elongate your spine for a tall, straight, back — Leading with your chin slowly and gently rotate your head so it moves in a full circle from your shoulder to chest to shoulder to back—Keep your shoulder down and back throughout the movement —Repeat in opposite direction.
Platysma Exercise Stand with your neck erect —Tighten the tendons in your jaw by pulling you lips up over your teeth and turning down the corners of your mouth downwards, as if you were frowning —Hold for 10seconds and relax—Repeat.
For further information on skincare for the neck area please book in for a free consultation at No.6 Clinic by calling 01892 506930/542712 www.no6clinic.co.uk
