Best Dermatologist Tips on How to Treat Your Neck Lines
March 12, 2020
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Dr. Teo Wan Lin is an accredited dermatologist and an expert on cosmeceutical skincare research and development. She is the author of “Skincare Bible – Dermatologist’s Tips for Cosmeceutical Skincare” which was published July 2019 by leading bookstores Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor and Apple Books and available in bookstores islandwide from January 2020. She heads up Dr.TWL Dermaceuticals, a specialist cosmeceutical skincare line with evidence-based active ingredients for anti-ageing and skin health. Its subsidiaries, the Pi- Cosmeceutical Custom Makeup Lab and the Conscious Mask Bar are part of the Conscious Concept Pharmacy launched in December featuring environmentally sustainable makeup and skincare materials. In this series “Dermatologist Talks” she shares her top tips on common skincare topics. In this article, she shares about the importance of taking care of your neck area.
Do neck creams differ from other anti-ageing products out there (for example, as compared to moisturiser)?
In terms of the composition of neck creams vs a very good moisturizer, for example, they do not differ very much. A lot of this, sadly, is due to marketing. But in terms of what is beneficial for anti-aging, the neck area is prone to lines and sagging with age. These can be concerns for aging women as well. Active ingredients that will help to target this should contain those that treat surface wrinkling such as antioxidants. Some brands use superficial chemical peel acids such as alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids. That, together with retinol, does help with surface wrinkling, and these are all over-the-counter ingredients. However, in my experience, it tends to cause a bit of skin sensitivity. The formulations I look for would thus be those that contain more moisturizing ingredients such as ceramide. Our Multi–CERAM™ Moisturiser is an ultra intensive skin moisturiser for total skin barrier repair with pharmaceutical grade ingredients featuring phytoceramides. For the wrinkle component, I use in my personal formulation, in our Radiancé Fluide™ Hydrating Emulsion which is also meant for use over the neck area, oligopeptides which have been discussed in dermatology literature as a good substitute for retinol or retinoids, which can be irritating over the long term. Essentially, what peptides do is that they mimic the cells’ DNA so that it stimulates collagen production and it is without the adverse effects.
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Do you think there is a need to use neck cream in the first place?
I think it is absolutely essential because a lot of skincare regimens neglect the neck area. It is one of the first areas to show signs of aging with the lines and wrinkles. I have seen some patients who are older, who just focus on their face and neglect the neck, even with some protection, there is a very dramatic difference between their facial areas and neck area. It is important to bear in mind that our skin should be viewed in totality so it does not mean that you focus all anti-aging on the face. Your hands and neck area will also show all these signs of biological aging. If you are constantly just applying the cosmeceuticals on your face, you are neglecting other areas and a visible difference can be seen.
What is the right age to start using neck cream?
Most dermatologists and plastic surgeons would agree that the aging process actively starts from age 25 onwards. You may wonder why a child or teenager exposed to the same stresses such as UV, pollution and mental stress, and aging does not take place until a certain age. The reason is because our body is empowered with these antioxidants abilities to fight free radicals that contribute to ageing of all our organs. After the age of 25, the research seems to indicate that all of these start to decline and that is why we need to amend the body’s response to the aging response by supplementing it with topical antioxidants. I think it is good practice for all men and women to start a proper cosmeceutical regimen for anti-aging, and including the neck area. You can use the same moisturizer as long as it is formulated correctly for the face and the neck area. If for example, somebody has already much more wrinkles on the neck than the face for whatever reason, I would add on something which is rather new, and I believe it is the only one in the Singapore market right now, would be a polymer patch. I have been using these polymer patches in my clinic for the last 6 months. It is known as a Qraser patch and it recreates the optimal environment for your skin to start stimulating more collagen formation from the inside. How this works is that it is a bio-mimetic material. It convinces your skin that it is super healthy by forming a micro-environment on the surface and it starts to generate more of its own collagen. We have one special cut out for the neck area.
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Is your neck more susceptible to signs of ageing as compared to your face, body, etc?
The neck area is not more susceptible but it tends to be an area that is very visible because of our clothing. For people who are always out in the sun, and are conscious of only using sunblock on their faces and limbs, and forget about their neck area, they will find that indeed, there is accelerated aging in that area. There are some individuals with neck eczema, which is a common sight for skin irritation, where their neck area may appear to age a bit faster than other parts of the body. It is what we called a flexural area, where there is skin to skin contact, like in obese people for example who are very prone to getting these neck folds and can develop fungal infections and eczema there as well.
Are there any specific neck creams in the market you’d recommend?
In terms of specific neck creams, I would say that a good moisturizer should have a few components to it. The first would be repairing the skin barrier itself. If your skin barrier is defective, it does not matter what anti-aging ingredients you have in there because your skin is just going to be dry. It is not going to look plump and elastic. Ceramide is the current state of technology for skin barrier restoration and it can be derived from two sources: Phytoceramide from plant seed oils and bovine ceramide (synthetic ceramide). The moisturizer that I personally prescribe in our clinic is manufactured by our pharmacy as a Multi–CERAM™ Moisturiser and I always recommend that for the neck area. For anti-aging, the Radiancé Fluide™ Hydrating Emulsion which is fortified with oligopeptides and a plant extract LARECEA from Brassica oleracea which is a family of kale, broccoli and cauliflower, that is very effective for anti-aging. It is good to use retinol-free and AHA and BHA-free anti-aging formulation simply because the neck area is much more sensitive and you are perhaps more prone to getting eczema.
What are the best ways to prevent your skin from ageing pre-maturely?
The take-home point is that for the neck area, if you are in doubt, just use a dermatologist-recommended moisturizer. Some anti-aging formulation that you use on the face contains retinol and when applied on the neck, you may develop sensitivity. Another important area of research now is using materials to increase the absorption of topicals. I personally would add that to my regimen. I think we are probably the only brand that is focusing on that right now. We have a polysaccharide material from plant root fibers which forms micro-reservoirs that release cosmeceuticals over a period of time and this is proven to increase the absorption of skincare.
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The other thing would be the polymer patch. One of the best ways of preventing your skin from aging prematurely would be to have a good cosmeceutical regimen that is never like a one-step thing. In order for an active ingredient to be stable, it has to be sometimes formulated in a certain way and you can just combine everything into one and hope for the best. We also need to cleanse our skin. For the neck area, I would recommend cleansing with the same cleanser you use for your face and hopefully, it is a gentle one.
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The second thing would be the application of serums such as the Vita C Gold Serum or Hyaluronic Acid Serum because serums are able to carry a high concentration of certain active ingredients. They are also readily-absorbed by the skin.
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The third thing would be the application of a ceramide containing moisturizer that is also fortified with peptides and antioxidants. Finally, sun protection.
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