Neck wrinkles, can they be smoothed with procedures?

It is not that one is better than the other; they are procedures with different goals. Filler and Skin Boosters directly address the wrinkle groove and skin quality, while lifting addresses sagging skin and loss of elasticity.

If the wrinkle lines are distinct but there is little skin sagging, filler or booster is the priority; if sagging is more of a problem than wrinkles, lifting comes first. When both issues are present, the two are often performed together in the order of lifting to firm the foundation and then supplementing the grooves.

Botulinum toxin type A is suitable for vertical muscle neck wrinkles, namely the platysma bands. The type where vertical lines bulge on the neck when you exert force or speak is caused by muscle tension, so botulinum toxin, which relaxes the muscle, is a good fit, and the U.S. FDA has approved its use for this purpose.

On the other hand, botulinum toxin type A has limited effect on horizontal neck wrinkles. Horizontal wrinkles are caused more by congenital factors, repeated folding, and skin aging than by muscles, so filler, Skin Boosters, and energy-based procedures are considered first.

The effect is generally known to last around 3 to 4 months, so maintenance requires repeat procedures. The choice depends on whether your neck wrinkles are muscular or skin-related, so differentiation during a consultation comes first.

Even after treatment, managing lifestyle habits that fold the neck and protecting against UV rays are necessary to maintain the improved state for longer. Looking down at a smartphone repeatedly folds the same area and can fix the wrinkles again, so it is basic to raise the screen to eye level and avoid prolonged head lowering.

The neck is exposed to UV rays as much as the face, but it is an area where sunscreen is easily missed. Applying sunscreen and moisturizer to the neck as well, and reducing the use of a high pillow, can also help.

Also, because the improvement effect of these procedures gradually diminishes over time, receiving maintenance treatments at regular intervals according to your skin condition is a realistic way to delay recurrence. The maintenance interval varies depending on the type of procedure and individual skin, so it is good to plan it together during your consultation.

Yes, neck sagging has a different cause and structure from wrinkles, so a different approach centered on lifting is needed. So-called turkey neck is a condition where the boundary between the jaw and neck has collapsed due to a combination of skin laxity, submental fat, and sagging of the platysma muscle, and it is difficult to improve with procedures that only fill the wrinkle grooves.

If the main issue is loss of elasticity in the skin and fascia, approaches that induce collagen regeneration to tighten sagging are considered, such as Ultherapy PRIME®, which stimulates the fascia layer with ultrasound, or Thermage® FLX and Alltite, which use radiofrequency. The effects of these energy-based procedures generally appear gradually over several months.

However, if the degree of sagging is severe or fat and muscle factors are significant, the changes that can be expected from non-surgical procedures may be limited. We recommend consulting with a board-certified dermatologist to accurately assess your neck condition and set realistic goals and methods.