Dr. David Mosmuller explains

Proud of your neck

With spring and summer in sight, the scarves and turtlenecks are put away. In other words, the neck reappears. I often get questions about the skin aging of the neck. Various things can be experienced as disturbing. I will never forget the question of a child on holiday in Italy: ‘What are those stripes on your neck?’ From about 30 years the necklines become more visible and especially in the summer when we get a tan they stand out extra. They are actually just bending and movement lines that are created by the folding of the skin. In addition to these lines, the slackening of the skin in the neck is a frequently heard complaint. The so-called turkey neck in particular is experienced as very disturbing.

As we age, we lose more and more collagen and elastin, which makes the skin less firm and elastic and therefore weaker. The result: wrinkles. To prevent skin aging, it is best to stimulate collagen and elastin. For example, by using heat (e.g. laser), by making small skin lesions (e.g. microneedling) or by injecting products with hyaluronic acid (which stimulates the own production of collagen and elastin). Because the skin of the neck is naturally very thin, extra caution is advised with traditional hyaluronic acid fillers; these are often too firm, which means that bubbles can be visible for a longer period of time. With massaging these usually disappear within a few days to weeks and in extreme cases they can be dissolved with the enzyme hyalase. Radiesse (calcium hydroxyapatite) is a strong collagen stimulator and can also be used for the neck after dilution. This can give great results, but also bumps that - if they do not disappear - can be visible for weeks to months. With the added disadvantage that there is no means available to solve the product.

The most suitable remedy for the neck is Profhilo - also a hyaluronic acid product. It is not a filler but a collagen stimulator. Because it is processed differently, only 10 small injections are needed, which spreads beautifully in the neck region and stimulates the body's own production of collagen and elastin for a longer period of time. Treatment should be done after
To be repeated for 4 weeks and then once every six months for lasting effect. The costs of the treatment are around €300.00 per treatment.

At an older age where there is more sagging, it may be necessary to combine the treatment with Profhilo with a hyaluronic acid filler. This can provide extra strength. The necklines and possibly the visible neck muscles can also be softened by using botulinum toxin. This treatment should be repeated every 3-6 months. In summary: with mild sagging skin on the neck, a good effect can be achieved with Profhilo alone, moderate sagging often requires a combination with botulinum toxin or filler, and in severe sagging a combination of all three for best results.

For the younger readers, prevention is of course better than cure, the number 1 cause of skin aging is sunlight. So do not forget to always lubricate the neck with factor 30 or higher, this way you prevent accelerated aging.