Many clients come to me complaining that they don’t like what they see in the mirror or in pictures, that the skin of their neck is loose or wrinkled in appearance, making them appear older. It’s true- the neck and the hands are the other “cosmetic treatment units” that I stress to my clients should be actively addressed as part of managing how you age. The good news is that you have options for prevention and treatment.

Prevention – Keep the skin of the neck firm!

Neck skin laxity is caused by many factors but loss of collagen is at the top of the list. Photoaging due to chronic UV light exposure as well aging causes loss and disorganization of collagen. Remember the kids toy “the slinky”? Damaged collagen is like a slinky that has been stretched and twisted. Can this damaged collagen be corrected and can you build new collagen? The answer is Yes!

But like many features of aging, preventative treatment can slow or even prevent these changes of aging skin. Going back to Dr Horton 3 steps to healthy skin regular use of sunblocks can minimize the UV photodamage. For all my clients, I strongly recommend applying quality sunscreens to the face, neck and back of hands every single day regardless of your anticipated sun exposure and yes, even on cloudy days. Just make it part of your morning routine- your skin will be better for it. As well topical retinoid and growth factors (my recommendation Refissa and Regenica) should be applied to the face, neck, decollette and the back of the hands every single night!

Treatment – You already have a saggy neck.

If you haven’t been protecting your skin and managing skin aging well and you already have sagging neck skin, you have options. My preferred treatment is to combine the skin rejuvenating effects of PDO threads with a series of TriPollar radiofrequency skin tightening sessions. The PDO threads stimulate new collagen while the TriPollar treatments reorganized and stimulate further collagen production.

The initial appointment for the PDO thread placement take 45 min. Topical numbing cream can make this practically painless and the weekly TriPollar treatments have no downtime and are very comfortable. For patients with severe skin laxity, I often recommend Fractora treatments where fractional radiofrequency pin deliver energy deep into the skin to trigger a vigorous tightening change. There is some downtime after the procedure and minimal discomfort but the outcome in terms of improved skin laxity are significant.

Here at MD Age Management, we believe that you can manage how you age…just like the gym, you’ve got to have a plan to stay healthy and fit. Come in for a consultation and see how you can prevent and treatment neck skin laxity.