Read on for more info about neck tightening treatments.
I’ve spoken with a few people recently about their options for neck-tightening treatments. Here’s a quick summary. Feel free to DM if you want to know more about any of these options and I can help talk you through them.
At home:
Retinol
Prescription-strength retinoids e.g. tretinoin (aka “Vitamin A”), will increase the turnover of your skin cells, exfoliating your skin and signals an increase in your endogenous collagen production. It can take some people a while to build up a tolerance to the product, so it’s best to start with a once or twice-a-week application, taking care to avoid the eyes and the corner of the nostrils and mouth where a product build-up could cause irritation. Skin must be protected from sun as it’s likely to be more photosensitive during treatment, and therefore likely to cause hyper- or hypopigmentation.
Micro-needling
Using a derma roller, micro-needling pen or derma stamp creates tiny injuries to your skin’s surface, stimulating a healing response to create more collagen and elastin. Care must be taken to ensure the skin and equipment are sterile otherwise there is a high risk of infection which could lead to scarring. Can be done every 4 – 6 weeks, assuming the skin is healthy.
In-patient procedure:
Surgery
Since last year, if you are considering cosmetic surgery, you must first get a referral from your GP. You should make sure your Cosmetic Surgeon is certified by The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). Neck lift surgery is usually performed in a hospital under general anaesthesia. The surgery involves making small incisions on the skin at the top of your neck where the skin is tightened through plastic sutures, usually hidden in the hairline. More extensive surgery can involve removing excess fat and skin.
Post-op swelling, bruising and pain are common, and many surgeons recommend wearing a compression garment in the days and/or weeks post-op. It takes 3 to 6 months before the scars become less visible and swelling is much reduced (although 12 months for full healing).
In salon:
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections or with needling (aka ‘Vampire’ facial)
For a PRP treatment, the patient gives a blood sample and that blood is spun in a machine (centrifuge) to separate out the platelets. The platelets are the blood cells that respond to injuries to begin the healing cycle, wound clotting, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling. Injecting platelets into the skin will boost collagen and elastin production with minimal side effects (temporary bruising and swelling). Some people will choose to apply the platelets after a microneedling treatment to stimulate a faster healing response.
Muscle relaxants (‘botox’)
Qualified injectors will insert Botox into the neck (platysma muscles), along the lower jawline and sometimes along the wrinkle lines on the neck. This helps to ease the downward pull and over time can lead to less wrinkle development. Can be done every 3 to 4 months (depending on dosage). There are minimal side effects other than those usually associated with injections, e.g. mild bruising, swelling or infection (or allergic reaction).
Hylauronic acid (HA) injections (‘Profhilo’)
High-strength hyaluronic acid is injected into the skin in several areas where it disperses and boosts water retention in the deeper layers of the skin. Over time it’s thought to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Often requires 2 – 3 treatments and results are expected to last for approximately 6 months. Again, like botox, there are minimal side effects, e.g. mild bruising, swelling or infection (or allergic reaction).
Threadlift/ PDO threads
Threads and/or PDO (polydioxanone) threads are inserted into the skin using long needles. Threads may not absorb into the skin over time, whereas PDO threads will usually absorb. This treatment works by creating scar tissue (thicker collagen fibres) around the inserted threads that will lift and tighten the skin. Usually carried out every 2 years. Side effects are usually mild, pain, bruising and swelling. However, can also cause infection, abscesses, dimpling, granulomas, and movement of the threads to the skin’s surface, causing pulling on the skin.
Laser
Laser Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) treatments can be ablative (will cause damage skin surface) or non-ablative (penetrates the skin without surface damage) depending on the wavelength. An ablative laser causes surface trauma to create a healing response and stimulate collagen production and will usually tighten skin and reduce surface pigmentation. This requires some downtime (depends on treatment depth/area etc) and there is a risk of infection as the skin heals. Results last for years with good sun-protection.
Non-ablative laser treatments will create heat in the deeper skin layers to stimulate collagen and will take longer to see results. Usually requiring treatments every month for approx. 4 – 8 months, with touch-ups every few months. Any treatments that generate heat in the skin, there is still a risk of burn/pigmentation changes etc.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound treatments such as ‘Ultherapy’ or HIFU (High-Intensity Frequency Ultrasound) deliver micro-focused ultrasonic energy into the deeper skin layers to create a tightening/contraction of the connective tissues. Billed as a non-invasive treatment, it should only have mild side-effects such as redness, heat, tingling and tenderness for a few hours after the treatment. However, some patients have experienced burns, fat atrophy (i.e. damage to underlying fat causing a sunken/pulling or sagging effect) and nerve damage. Results are typically seen within 3 months and last approximately 1-2 years.
Radiofrequency (RF)
RF uses low-frequency electromagnetic waves to penetrate into deeper skin layers to generate heat that stimulates the regeneration of collagen and elastin fibres. Like ultrasound, RF is considered non-invasive and should only cause temporary redness and swelling after the procedure. However, it too can cause burns, fat atrophy and nerve damage. Usually requires 3 – 5 treatments every 3-4 weeks with quarterly maintenance sessions.
Radiofrequency with micro-needling
A device which uses a combination of RF and micro-needling. Said to improve the outcome of both treatments.
Peels
There are three fundamental types of peels that work at different layers of the skin; superficial, medium and deep. Whether it’s a mandelic acid, milk, glycolic, jessner, trichloroacetic acid etc, they all do one job, strip the surface layers of skin to stimulate cell regeneration and leave newer skin exposed. However, they can cause burn-like injuries and with every peel you risk destroying the skin’s microbiome which can lead to issues further down the track.
Endermologie
Endermologie has been proven to stimulate the fibroblasts – aka the cells responsible for collagen growth, as well as stimulating your endogenous production of elastin and hyaluronic acid. As a truly non-invasive, zero-risk treatment, the results are gradual.
Other things to note. Sun protection is a must! Keep the skin hydrated and focus on maintaining overall good health, i.e. eat a balanced, healthy diet that supports a healthy gut, get plenty of rest, reduce stress, drink plenty of water and supplement with vitamins and minerals if they’re lacking in your diet or your gut’s not working as it should. A GP/Naturopath can help you discover and correct any deficiencies.
