Treatment Options for an Aging Neck
Too much exposure to direct sunlight, poor diet, smoking, stress and growing older can all cause signs of aging in the face and neck. The reduction in the number of healthy sweat and oil glands, which is common with age, is often behind the dryness that causes wrinkles. Among these signs of aging, fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots are the most common. There are ways of reducing the risks of damage to your skin, however.
Limiting the time spent in the sun and avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking can make a world of difference to the health of your skin. Other ways of staving off signs of aging on the skin include:
- Staying sufficiently hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, especially purified water. About eight glasses a day will help flush out toxins from the body and skin.
- Avoiding dry air. Using a humidifier might be a good idea.
- Eating plenty of fresh leafy greens and vegetables. These are full of antioxidants that can limit the damage to the skin from the environment and the aging process.
- Avoiding stress and stressful situations. Stress and anxiety forces the body to produce more cortisol, which breaks down collagen and elastin.
How Wrinkles Form on the Face and Neck
The primary cause of wrinkles and sagging skin is dryness, whatever the cause of it might be. Therefore, the main objective behind any kind of non-invasive aesthetic skin treatment is to get more moisture into the skin so the appearance of wrinkles is diminished. These treatments are designed to force the body to produce greater amounts of collagen, the main protein found all over the body, which is responsible for the structure of connective tissue and skin.
As we age, lesser amounts of collagen are produced by the connective tissues and skin, which leads to a host of health problems. These include rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Skin issues like wrinkles, skin discoloration and sagging skin are also caused by this lack of collagen. Skin rejuvenation and resurfacing procedures, such as various laser skin treatments and dermal injections, can reduce the appearance of wrinkles in the face and neck. If preferred, more invasive forms of treatment, such as a neck lift, are highly effective.
Non-Invasive Wrinkle Reduction
At the New York Center for Plastic Surgery, we have non-invasive procedures talented physicians can administer to significantly reduce the appearance of wrinkles on the face and neck. Chemical peels, dermal fillers and non-ablative laser treatments are just a few of them.
Most older adults do not need surgical forms of treatment for their neck wrinkles until they are much older. If you are in your forties or fifties, you might benefit more from a non-surgical facelift procedure, such as Ulthera.
Ultherapy
Ulthera is a brand name for a form of ultherapy. Ultherapy is a non-invasive wrinkle-reducing treatment that uses pulsed heat energy to speed up collagen production and tighten skin. A hand-held device that emits ultrasound energy is used during an Ulthera procedure. Ultrasound heat energy reaches into the dermis, the layers of skin beneath the outer skin.
When the deep skin layers are heated this way, it registers with the body’s immune system as a minor skin injury. Collagen and elastin production is increased dramatically, and more blood rushes to the treated area. The effect of this is clearer, smoother skin once the treated area is allowed to recover. An Ulthera treatment only takes about one hour, and there is no downtime necessary.
ThermiTite
The ThermiTite procedure is a minimally invasive form of heat treatment, but a different form of heat energy is used. With ThermiTite, radiofrequency (RF) energy is used to greatly reduce the appearance of wrinkles. A percutaneous treatment probe, which looks much like a needle, is inserted underneath the epidermis. This electric probe is what will release the RF energy into the deeper layers of skin.
The RF energy emitted by the probe is monitored closely by physicians administering the treatment. This form of heat stimulation is highly effective for increased collagen production and is more effective than other treatments in which the heat is administered to the outer skin to reach deeper layers. The benefit of this form of heat treatment is that the outer layer of the skin is not in danger of being adversely affected.
It will take about a week before complete healing takes place in the treated area. You will experience tenderness, slight swelling and redness for a week or slightly longer. There is a very low risk of any complications and ThermiTight is suitable for all skin types.
Surgical Options for Wrinkle Reduction
The appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin can be diminished with the aid of surgical procedures. There are various forms of facelifts, and these are tailored to suit specific and individual needs.
Neck Lift Surgery
The muscles of the neck become loose as we age, and this is behind the deeper wrinkles that start to appear in the neck region. A neck lift can address the sagging muscle tissue with a procedure known as a platysmaplasty. This is when the neck muscles in the middle and sides of the neck are tighter. Additionally, fat deposits might need to be removed for a smoother appearance.
Overall, a neck lift will address deeper layers of skin and tissue than a regular facelift does. Instead of simply pulling back on folds of skin, which can produce an abnormally tight appearance, more detailed measures are taken. A small incision behind the ear and one under the chin are necessary for a successful neck lift. However, these incisions will not be visible to anyone; only you will know they are there.
Other surgical procedures, such as the vertical facelift and the short scar facelift, can be used to improve the appearance of an aging neck. For natural facelift results in the NYC area, choose the New York Center for Plastic Surgery. Call us today to schedule a consultation, or use our convenient online contact form.
