You follow 5, 10, or even more steps to take care of your face. But there is another major indicator of aging that is commonly left behind in your beauty routine: neck wrinkles. Here is your easy-to-follow guide with everything you need to know to reduce and treat aging signs on your neck.
The Truth Behind Your Neck’s Skin
Let’s face reality: The skin on your neck is actually much more susceptible to wear and tear than anywhere else on your body. Why? A couple reasons: Your neck is one of few body parts exposed to sunshine and UVA/UVB rays daily. Second, the skin on your neck is thinner than the skin on your face, which makes it more sensitive to environmental factors that negatively impact your skin.
What can we do to prevent neck wrinkles?
1. Equal Treatment and Attention
Just remember: Next time you’re putting your skin care regimen into action, make sure you extend the same TLC to your neck. Every. Time. In the morning, at night, after the gym.
There are even sheet masks fine tuned for just your neck. Check out Dr. Jart+ Dermask Spot Jet Neck & Chin Lift—this one is anchored around the ears and stretches all the way down to the collarbone.
Another option is Innisfree’s Anti-aging Mask Neck & Collarbone Neck. These masks not only hydrate, but they lift and tone as well while boosting your skin’s elasticity. The more attention you pay to your neck now, the slower the aging process will be.
2. Get Specific
There are extra concentrated creams out there engineered specifically for the thin skin on the neck. These formulas usually feature stronger formulas and work for both neck and chest.
Innisfree’s Soybean Firming Neck Cream is an extra thick, nourishing formula created specifically for sensitive neck skin. It is enriched with Jeju-fermented soybeans to encourage collagen production. Best yet: no gross oily residue (something you definitely have to worry about with neck cream).
Sulwhasoo’s Goa Neck Cream is another K-beauty favorite. Although it has a very thick consistency, this formula is quickly absorbed and doesn’t leave any stickiness behind, making skin feel instantly plumped and smooth. We also like the fact that this product doesn’t carry a strong scent—also important when choosing a neck cream.
But before you rush out to add another container of cream to your arsenal, there are also facial products out there—especially the ones containing retinol—that are effective for both neck and chest.
Missha’s holy grail-worthy Time Revolution Night Repair New Science Activator Ampoule contains retinol and will energize, repair, and restore elasticity.
3. Layer It Right
As for when to work neck cream into your 10-step skin care routine, the trick is to follow the same order you follow for your face if extending the product to the area below your chin. If using a specific neck care product, though, make sure it is the final stage of your skincare ritual.
4. Applying Your Neck Care Product
Smooth the cream over your entire neck and massage in until absorbed. Some even recommend sweeping the cream from the lower portion of your neck to upper areas so you won’t pull at your skin.
5. Watch Your Posture
Your cell phone may be the one to blame for your early neck wrinkles. Tech neck is the condition caused by repetitively tilting your head downwards to look at your mobile device, which ends up causing the delicate skin on your neck to wrinkle and show signs of aging sooner and more quickly than ever before.
Pay extra attention to your posture. Stretching your neck a few times every day may also help you to pay more attention in this area.
6. Sleep Right
Watching how you sleep is also important. Make sure your pillow has the right height, that is, one that allows your body to be straight when you sleep.
Sleeping on your back is the best way to prevent wrinkles in this area. If you prefer to sleep on your side, make sure you support your neck, especially the gap between your shoulder and your head to avoid horizontal lines.
Lasers, Surgery?
Here’s the bad news: Although you can reduce some signs of aging, if you’re already starting to show deeper marks on your neck, there’s not much you can do to achieve dramatic results.
There’s the surgical option, sure: the neck lift, which involves an incision behind your earlobes and a suctioning of fat and tightening of the muscles. The price tag is another thing to consider: $10,000.
There’s also lasers (there’s always lasers, aren’t there?): Skin tightening laser treatments for the “neck rejuvenation” are out there, and can cost around $400 per session. Hint: You’d need multiple sessions.
Fact of the matter is: It might be too late. But that’s okay! After all, important thing is to accept yourself and your own beauty, right? Plus, you can still play around with makeup and fashion, pulling the attention elsewhere—from a bold lip color to a beautiful turtleneck or even a choker that will cover your first lines and draw the eye up and away.