The skin on your neck, just like on any other part of your body, begins to sag and wrinkle as you age. Certain factors, such as hormonal changes in the body caused due to menopause or pregnancy, the pollution and the ultraviolet rays of the sun, a poor diet, excessive drinking and smoking, stress, a sedentary lifestyle and sudden weight loss, may further contribute to hasten the sagging of the skin. Appearance of fine lines on the neck is the first indication that skin aging process has started. That’s why, as soon as you notice such changes, you should consider some effective solutions, so that the aging process can be stopped, right in the tracks!
Effective Solutions for a Sagging Neck
Massage
The simplest of things to do, to take care of the sagging skin on the neck, is to go in for a face and neck deep tissue massage. Get this done once a month for temporarily reducing the fine lines and wrinkles on your neck skin.
Skincare
Form a regular skincare routine. Wash your face and neck twice a day with a mild face wash. Follow this up by application of a thick moisturizer on your neck. Once a week, scrub your neck to get rid of the dry skin. If you follow this skincare routine, it will prevent your skin from drying and looking aged.
Homemade Masks
Homemade masks can delay the signs of aging too, especially if applied regularly, once a week. Here are two recipes for effective homemade masks for aging skin on face and neck. Remember, when applying this mask on your neck, always apply it in upward strokes, with your fingertips, from the base of the neck towards the chin.
Mask # 1
Make a paste with mashed papaya and pineapple, aloe vera gel, manuka honey and oats. Apply it on your face and neck. Leave it on for fifteen minutes and then wash off with lukewarm water.
Mask # 2
Take one tablespoon cucumber juice, two teaspoons milk and mix with one egg white. Apply this mixture on your neck and face and leave it on for twenty minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water and follow this up by applying a moisturizer.
Water
Drink two to three liters of water everyday. This will keep the skin hydrated and prevent it from getting dry. Since dry skin is much more likely to get wrinkles and sag, drinking water in a way prevents such a situation from developing.
Diet
Take a healthy diet which supplies the body with all the required nutrients. Protein rich foods are a must in the diet as they provide the body with amino acids which are required for the formation of new cells and fibers. As vitamin C is needed for strengthening the collagen fibers, if the diet is deficit in it, it can result in sagging skin. So, take a balanced diet, which is specifically rich in proteins and vitamin C.
Exercises
Performing exercises regularly can help tighten loose skin. An easy exercise is to stand straight and then without moving your shoulders, raise your chin towards the ceiling, as much as you can. When you feel the stretch on the neck muscles, remain in the same position for ten seconds and then come back. Repeat this exercise twelve times everyday. Another effective way is to stand straight and without moving your upper body, push your head a bit backwards. Follow this up by raising your lower lip and placing it on your upper lip. Stay in this position for ten seconds and then come back to original. Repeat this exercise twelve times.
Creams and Lotions
If you look around carefully, you will find the market flooded with skin tightening products which have ingredients such as keratin, emu oil, amino acid, hydroxy acid and salicylic acid, amongst others. These products are touted by manufacturers as being extremely effective for collagen production, which in turn increases the skin’s elasticity. So, you can choose a good quality cream or lotion for skin tightening, only after going through consumer reviews though. Apply it and see whether it works on you. Continue if you feel that it is effective.
Collagen Injections and Supplements
These are temporary solutions as their effects wear off in a few weeks time, so a person has to take them again and again, to maintain the skin’s elasticity. Reason being that the artificially injected collagen does not integrate with the natural collagen in the skin.
These are some of the ways in which you can prevent the skin on your neck from aging further. If none of these produces the right results, the last resort is surgery. Weigh all the pros and cons, in case you consider going ahead with a surgical treatment.
