Skincare Must Do: Apply Products To Your Neck
You may not be aware of this, but your neck has some pretty important jobs! It houses the nerves that connect your brain to your body, holds your head in place, and drains lymphatic fluid from your face. With such important tasks you’d think we’d treat our necks like royalty but sadly, most of us fall short when caring for our necks.
So how does the skin on the neck differ from the skin on the face? For starters, neck skin is inherently thinner than facial skin, about 1/3 less, and is highly elastic giving it the ability to stretch and expand easily. The neck is constantly moving making wrinkles and the dreaded necklace rings appear faster. There are very few sebaceous glands (glands that produce oil) in the neck which is why it can appear dry or creepy. Couple that with constant exposure to UV light (the number one cause of skin aging) and it’s no wonder this area ages so quickly!
I’m sure any millennials reading this are familiar with the dreaded term “text-neck.” Text-neck develops from straining the muscles of the neck from looking down at electronic devices. There’s also the issue of blue light being emitted. Long-term exposure to concentrated sources of blue light may cause skin damage, including hyperpigmentation, inflammation, and a weakening of the skin’s barrier function. Lastly there’s the most important function of the neck, lymphatic drainage. The highly concentrated capillaries and lymphatic vessels drain excess fluid (AKA. reduce puffiness) which purifies and detoxifies facial skin. All that straining and compression of the neck muscles can lead to stagnant blood and lymph pooling in the facial tissues.
Now for the good news! There are many ways to both prevent and treat existing signs of aging on the neck that don’t require a ton of extra effort. Below we’ll share our favorite pro-tips for achieving a more youthful, radiant neck.
Keep your head up and bring your phone to eye level to avoid straining the muscles and stretching the skin of your neck.
Use the same products on your neck and décolletage that you do on your face (minus Retin-A) which include; antioxidants, moisturizers, EPG’s, hydrators, and SPF.
Apply products to your neck and chest in an upward direction. This helps stimulate lymphatic drainage and avoids pulling and tugging on the delicate skin of the neck.
ALWAYS wear SPF, even on cold and cloudy days. UVA light (the A is code for aging) is present from sunup till sundown and can penetrate through cloud cover and glass.
Sleep on your back. Side and belly sleeping can inhibit blow flow to the face by compressing capillaries and lymphatic vessels. It can also lead to chest wrinkles and deeper lines on the face.
Use targeted anti-aging products specifically designed for the neck. Because the neck skin is thinner, highly vascularized, and secretes very little oil, stronger anti-aging products can often be too aggressive for this sensitive area. Choose products with encapsulated retinol, peptides, growth factors, and antioxidants that will treat and prevent skin aging.
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