Have you ever seen the guys at the carnival that guess peoples’ ages? They are usually very close, even when people don’t necessarily look their age. So how do they do it? Many of them will tell you that they don’t actually base their guess on the person’s face, they look at their neck and their hands. These are areas that are just as exposed to the elements as your face, but tend to get much less TLC. Many people religiously apply sunscreen to their face, but how many remember to apply it to the neck and upper chest as well?
As we age, we lose collagen and elastin in our skin. This leads to a looseness in the skin. Because we are generally upright and gravity is constantly pulling on us, the skin on the neck becomes saggy.
Many people notice that when they gain just a few pounds they seem to put it into their “double chin.” This just magnifies the effects of gravity and adds fullness to the loose skin on the neck.
Prevention is always the best medicine, but even if you already have an aging neck all is not lost. There are many treatments that you can do to improve the appearance of your neck. They range from the simple (sunscreen, bleaching and anti-aging creams) to the mild (IPL for sunspots, RF or ultrasound for tightening) to the minimally invasive (SmartLipo neck lift) to the invasive (Surgical neck lift). Usually the best plan is a combination of these, depending on your age and current skin laxity. It should always be understood, though, that anti-aging is a process, not a procedure. You should talk with your provider about a maintenance program in addition to any procedures that you may opt to have.
So even if you don’t want to have a more invasive procedure, there is always something you can do that can help you fool the carnival guessers (and everyone else you meet)! Just remember to take care of your neck and you won’t have to be afraid to wear the low cut dresses or beautiful jewelry that draws attention to your neck line.
Jennifer Tighe de Soto, MD is a cosmetic surgeon who is board certified through the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. For more advice from Dr. de Soto on body sculpting and other aesthetic treatments please visit www.omahaliposuction.com where you can read her blog and see before and after photos of actual patients.