Considering the recent Thanksgiving holiday, we’ve been focusing on turkey neck. Not on actual birds, but the kind that develop on older men and women. We’re talking about the bothersome area of loose, droopy skin on your neck that’s difficult to tighten up. If you’re noticing this developing situation marked by thick, unattractive neck bands and sagging skin, there are some simple solutions. Our West County Dermatology team offers BOTOX® for Missouri patients to reduce the neck band asymmetry that can contribute to a turkey neck, as well as the more recently named “tech neck” that develops from looking down at a screen all day.
The neck often reveals your age before other parts of your face and body. This is partially because this skin is especially fragile and tends to be drier than the rest of your facial skin. It’s also likely because most people ignore this area when they’re cleansing, moisturizing, and adding sunscreen to the face. The paper-like neck skin is subjected to the same damage from sunlight, harsh weather, and aging as the skin on the rest of the body, and—over time—it eventually loses the collagen it needs to keep it supported and firm. The muscles on the neck also begin to lose tone as a person ages. As the skin grows thinner, any excess skin, fat, and pronounced muscles become especially noticeable.
BOTOX® isn’t only for softening wrinkles in the upper third of the face—such as crow’s feet and wavy forehead wrinkles caused by muscle movement. Injectors also use this non-surgical treatment to correct asymmetry on other areas of the face. Botox® also helps patients to appear more youthful and refreshed. The injectable works for many signs of aging caused by contractions of certain muscles that pull on the skin. The active ingredient stops these muscles from contracting in specific areas. The skin then doesn’t fold and crease as much and the muscles are less prominent.
Specifically, BOTOX® improves the contour of the neck by relaxing the muscle bands on the sides of the neck. Known as platysmal bands, these cords stretch from your collarbone to your jawline. They tend to stick out more due to aging, weight fluctuations, and working out excessively. They become weaker in some spots and spasm in others, causing them to become enlarged and especially visible. BOTOX® addresses all of this by relaxing the bands, which makes them less visible and reduces the severity of any related lines and wrinkles.
Get to know more about cosmetic treatments like BOTOX® in Chesterfield, available from West County Dermatology for reducing wrinkles and rejuvenating the neck area. Call 636.532.2422, or submit a contact form to request an appointment.