Dermatology-designed ways to treat neck wrinkles at home

From serums to eye creams and masks, your face gets shown a lot of love with skincare products. As a result, your neck can often be neglected and may begin to age differently from that of your face. Enter: neck wrinkles.

Neck wrinkles are not a new thing. In fact, neck lines are usually the first signs of ageing and can appear before face wrinkles. Whether you've started to experience wrinkles on your neck, or you simply want to proactively prevent lines, we're here to help.

We're detailing all of the dermatologist-designed ways to treat (or prevent) neck wrinkles at home. Let's get started.

What causes neck wrinkles?

Ageing is the most common cause of neck wrinkles. However, their appearance can worsen depending on skin texture, skin tone, collagen production, sun exposure and more.

A layer of fat beneath the skin's surface, called the subcutaneous layer, gives your face and skin its supple structure. Over time, this layer becomes thinner and causes your skin to lose collagen and elastin — this is why your skin can sag as you get older.

Thin skin is one of the major causes of fine lines and wrinkles across the body. Neck skin is particularly delicate and vulnerable to the signs of ageing as it is often thinner, more exposed and less cared for than your facial skin or body [1].

Other factors that can cause neck wrinkles include:

• UV damage
• Collagen production slowing
• Age
• Skin health
• Smoking
• Poor posture
• Frowning
• Stress
• Heavy cosmetics
• Pollution and environment
• Poor diet and not enough exercise
• Poor sleep

When do neck wrinkles usually appear?

Many assume that fine lines and wrinkles don't appear until middle age. However, many of us notice wrinkles and lines in our mid-twenties. In fact, many people report neck wrinkles as their first noticeable lines. This is why preventative skincare is so essential.

Generally speaking, neck wrinkles become visible within the mid-20s and 30s, but deep lines don't usually become apparent until you're in your late 40s and 50s.

But, everyone's skin is different; lifestyle, diet, and your skincare routine play a huge part in the appearance of wrinkles and when or if you will get them [2].

Can exercise help prevent neck sagging?

It turns out exercise doesn't just help you feel younger, but it can also help keep you looking younger too. In fact, some research indicates that exercise can actually reverse the ageing process.

This means that hitting the gym can not only help treat existing wrinkles but can also prevent them from forming [3]. As well as general cardio and weights, you can do exercises specifically for your neck muscles which will further target neck wrinkles.

These exercises increase blood flow to the skin and help stimulate collagen production. While they won't get rid of existing neck wrinkles, they will prevent new ones from forming and stop them from getting deeper.

One way to exercise your neck is to look toward the sky with your chin raised and press your jaw forward. Allow the muscles on the side of your neck to relax while working your jaw. Hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat 10 times to prevent sagging skin and encourage skin tightening.

Can you prevent neck wrinkles?

As your skin's surface naturally thins with age, some wrinkles are unavoidable. However, a few simple steps can prevent neck wrinkles from forming prematurely or getting too deep. The best part is you don't need to spend big bucks or partake in painful clinic treatments.

There are many ways to prevent wrinkles on your neck from home. A few of our favourite wrinkle-preventing methods are:

Sunscreen

Sun exposure is one of the leading causes of wrinkles, so always ensure your sunscreen application includes your neck and chest area to protect it from UV rays. And yes, we recommend that you wear sunscreen every single day.

Topical treatments

To target wrinkles, make sure that your skincare routine includes anti-ageing ingredients like vitamin A and vitamin C. And, when using these products, be sure to pay special attention to the neck and decolletage.

Improve your posture

Given how much time we spend looking down at our phones, it's no wonder that our neck wrinkles may be more prominent.

Maintaining good posture can help prevent the formation of neck wrinkles so try sitting up straight, working with your computer at eye level and taking regular breaks.

Rehydrate

Drinking plenty of water and having a hydration-friendly skincare routine will keep your skin supple and soft.

Gua sha or facial massage

Gua sha is a tool used in traditional Chinese medicine and when used to perform facial massage, it helps to promote blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, drain lymphatic fluid and aid with healing.

The microcirculation created by facial massage has been proven to smooth fine lines and wrinkles and improve your overall skin quality.

Specialised products

When it comes to building out your skincare routine, look for products that target ageing. Software's Advanced Ageing Set is a simple yet effective skincare system that is designed to fight fine lines, wrinkles and dullness while also improving skin elasticity.

The five-step system, which includes the Retinol Complex Oil, Vitamin C + Ferulic Serum, Ceramide Repair Balm and more, deeply cleanses, hydrates and repairs the skin to leave you with a fresh and radiant complexion.

Do you need to use different products on your neck?

When it comes to tackling neck wrinkles, you don't need to get an entirely new skincare regime as many of your existing skincare products will work well on the delicate skin in this area.

The skin on your face, neck and décolletage all age similarly, which means the products you use on your face should be brought down to your neck to help prevent lines.

Can neck wrinkles go away?

If you have neglected your neck and the lines have started to sink in, don't fret; it is possible to get fade the appearance of neck wrinkles with proper skincare and a few handy treatments.

Treating neck sagging at home is a little trickier, but it's also not impossible. Enter Software's ageing treatment.

Our treatment contains targeted ingredients designed just for you, taking the guesswork out of your skincare. Take our online consult and an Australian practitioner will create a custom formula based on your skin concerns.

There are also some very effective in-clinic treatments to help eliminate your necklines.

Two of the most effective are:

Non-surgical treatment

Microneedling — also called skin needling — is one of the most effective non-invasive treatments to help eliminate neck wrinkles.

Skin needling involves using a derma roller, which contains small needles, over the surface of the skin to create small micro-injuries in order to stimulate collagen production and the wound-healing properties of the body. This, in turn, helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Laser

This can be used to resurface the skin, stimulating collagen and triggering the healing process. Laser therapy can eliminate mild wrinkles, smooth moderate wrinkles and significantly reduce the appearance of deep lines.

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