Yes, Your Neck Really Does Age Faster Than Your Face – Here’s How to Stay Ahead
Main image – Angelarober/Stocksy
Did you know that the neck is one of the first places to show ageing? According to the experts it’s true; and it’s all thanks to the skin there being thinner with fewer oil glands.
Why then don’t we dedicate the same amount of time to our necks as they do to their our skin, especially given how much technology there is available to us these days? Well, consider this article your sign to officially start doing some serious neck maintenance.
I’ve spoken to some serious neck experts to go the lowdown on how to prevent and treat neck ageing – at home and in clinic. Meet The INKEY List co-founder Mark Curry, PRAI Beauty founder Cathy Kangas, aesthetician Sophie Smith, cosmetic doctor Dr Jessica Western, and plastic surgeon Mr Dan Marsh.
From the skincare ingredients and products yours could benefit from and when to expect results, to what you can book at the clinic if you’re serious about having a more youthful looking neck (and willing to splash the cash), keep scrolling for our expert guide.
When do the first signs of ageing appear on our necks, and what do they typically look like?
“The neck doesn’t wait politely,” says Curry. “For most people, the first signs creep in from the late 20s. Not dramatic, just subtle shifts – fine horizontal lines, often dubbed ‘tech neck,’ followed by a gradual softening of structure.”
Image – Alexeyskuzma/Stocksy
So why does it happen? “The skin here is thinner, produces less oil and gets less attention,” he adds. “Add repetitive movement (phones/iPads) and cumulative UV exposure, and you start to see creasing, a slight crepey texture, and a slow decline in firmness. It’s less about “ageing overnight” and more about tiny changes compounding quietly.”
While most are intent on preventing lines on their face, the neck is often forgotten about. “One of the most common things I see in clinic is people investing heavily in their face, while completely neglecting the neck,” Smith says. “Unfortunately, the neck almost always catches up eventually.”
What products and ingredients should we look for to treat early signs?
Give your neck the same focus you give your facial skin but adapt products accordingly. “Just like you’d use an eye cream, the neck needs a different formula to a face cream – lightweight, active ingredients that have been clinically tested on the neck. Often face creams are too thick and heavy and drag the skin,” says Kangas. “Use a neck cream or serum (or both!) every day, morning and night.”
The Inkey List have just launched their fantactis Bio-Active Neck Lift Stick, £15 via their INKEY Lab collection, which has been clinically proven to lift, tighten and firm the neck and chest within two weeks. At Live That Glow, we’ve been testing this gua sha-shaped serum out over the last few weeks with impressive results.
As for individual ingredients though, “retinol is a brilliant ingredient to apply to the neck at night, with impressive results,” says Kangas. If you’ve never used retinol before though, just make sure you introduce it into your regime gradually as it can be quite powerful.
Curry says the ingredients you use on your neck should be approached as a three-part strategy. “Protect, stimulate, support,” he explains. “First, SPF. No negotiation. UV is the main accelerator of collagen breakdown, and the neck is often left exposed.”
Next up – retinoids. “They’re the gold standard for a reason, helping to support collagen production and improve skin turnover. Layer in peptides or new technologies for additional signalling support. They don’t replace retinoids, but they complement them.”
And finally, hyaluronic acid, “to keep the skin hydrated and functioning optimally, because dehydrated skin exaggerates lines. In short: protect what you have and nudge the skin to behave like it did a few years ago.”
What results can we expect and how long does it take?
Whilst a steady skincare regime for your neck is important, it has its limitations. “Let’s be honest. Topical skincare isn’t a facelift, but it can make a meaningful difference if you’re consistent,” says Curry.
“Hydration is the quick win. Within days, skin can look smoother and lines appear softer simply because it’s better hydrated. Collagen support is slower. Ingredients like retinoids work overtime, with visible improvements in texture and firmness typically showing up around the 8-to-12-week mark.”
Image – Ohlamourstudio/Stocksy
Kangas adds, “we’ve clinically tested our hero neck cream [from £13] and it starts improving the skin on the neck in as little as 7 days, so results can happen pretty quickly.” We’ve lucky enough to try this iconic cream too and been impressed with how quickly it has got to work on the appearance of crepiness. Since PRAI specialises particularly in neck and decolletage appearance too, there’s a whole series of products to complement each other, including the brand’s new Ageless Throat & Decolletage Hydrogel Mask (£25 for 3).
Smith says that while a regular regime can improve things like hydration and skin quality though, this method isn’t as fast-working as going down the clinic route.
“The earlier you start treating the neck with the same care as the face, the better the long-term results tend to be,” she says. “However, the results are typically gradual and subtle compared to in-clinic treatments that directly stimulate collagen production or tighten the skin.” Which brings us onto professional treatments…
What can be done in-clinic?
At-home skincare and prevention is the cheapest option by far if you’re wanting to maintain a youthful looking neck, not to mention the least invasive. But so you have all the options, these are some of the clinic-based treatments and procedures that are on offer.
At UK-based chain, Dr Leah Clinics, there is the Dr Leah Lift. “A non-surgical lift which can be used for face, neck or both,” explains Dr Western.
“It is the combination of Ultherapy (which uses ultrasound current to deliver high intensity energy deep into the skin, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin) plus threads (which involves pulling a thread under the skin of the jawline and lower face and mechanically pulling it upwards to improve sagging).”
The course is 2-3 months, “with continued improvement over 6 months” and the results last for 18-24 months. Be warned though, it is not cheap – prices start from £3,250.
Want to go even bigger? “Quantum RF Skin Tightening is an advanced, minimally invasive treatment for skin tightening and fat removal, which is particularly effective to get rid of a double chin or stubborn fat in the neck area,” explains Dr Western. This one costs from £4,000.
And if you’re really serious about addressing your neck concerns, you could consider a neck lift or cervicoplasty/platysmaplasty which Marsh says can leave you with “a slimmer youthful neck with a more attractive contour”.
He adds, “in a certain group of patients, neck lift alone is adequate for facial rejuvenation and in others it may be carried out in tandem with other facial rejuvenating procedures such as a facelift.”
So who is the ideal candidate for a neck lift? “Someone who has an excess of skin and volume under their chin and wishes to have a surgical procedure to address these. There is no ideal age to have a neck lift as we all age differently.”
The takeaway
The resounding message from our experts is to remember that your neck is an extension of your face so your skincare should be applied as carefully to both. But you need to be committed to the cause. “The key is consistency,” says Curry. “Skin doesn’t respond to good intentions, only repeated behaviour. Stick with it, and you’ll see skin that looks smoother, feels firmer and behaves a bit more like it used to.”
Look for a decent SPF, retinoids and hyaluronic acid as your starting point and stick to a strict regime if you want to see results.
If you’re serious about getting faster, more extreme results – and you’ve got the budget for it – there are in-clinic procedures and treatments available too. Whatever route you take though, just know this: neck lines aren’t a flaw – they’re just skin doing what skin does.
Meet the experts
Mark Curry is co-founder and CEO of The INKEY List and Inkey Lab
Cathy Kangas is founder of neck and decolletage brand PRAI Beauty
Sophie Smith is an aesthetician, laser and skin expert and the co-founder of Grand Aesthetics Clinic in Brighton, UK
Dr Jessica Western is Cosmetic Doctor at Dr Leah Skin Clinics
Mr Dan Marsh is co-founder of London-based The Plastic Surgery Group
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