The first signs of aging don’t wait for our minds to catch up with the fact that we’re getting older. sun exposure, pollution, stress, and just life in general leave their marks on our skin years before we start worrying about age.
People say you can tell a person’s age by their hands, but we think it’s actually the neck that shows us what’s yet to come.
Our skin neck is much thinner than the skin on our face, so it starts to experience a loss of collagen and elasticity many years before we even start thinking about wrinkles.
As we age or lose weight, certain neck muscles become more visible, which can lead to sagging skin, double chins, and “turkey necks”. These muscles are called platysmal muscles or platysma bands.
What are neck bands?
Even if you don’t call them neck bands, platysma bands, or wrinkles, eventually everyone gets them. The platysma muscle is the flat muscle in front of the neck.
With age, though, this muscle pulls apart and creates small rolls which we see as lines on our necks. These tissue-like bands stretch from under the chin down to lower part of the neck.
The vertical neck bands are on both sides of the neck. If they’re hidden only occasionally, such as when we grimace or clench our teeth while working out as we grow older and lose our fat deposits and collagen that conceal them, they become increasingly apparent.
What causes neck bands?
Even though the root causes of neck bands are not fully understood yet, we do know that age plays a significant role.
Some research points to genetics as well, suggesting that people who develop them tend to have thinner skin. Sudden weight loss can also make platysmal bands more visible as the fat deposits below the skin disappear.
However, recent studies have shown that vertical neck lines are not caused by sagging skin or loss of skin laxity and muscle tone. Muscle activity is now considered to be the reason for visible horizontal lines on the neck and loose skin, not the cause.
How can we treat neck bands?
Although prevention can’t stop vertical lines from appearing, the sooner we intervene and treat our neck age lines, the better. Patients may now fight the formation of vertical bands in their necks without having to have a neck lift or undergo surgery.
Botox injections
Botox injections are not only used to reduce wrinkles. The appearance of platysmal bands has been reduced by Botox type A, according to studies. Because it relaxes the muscles in the neck and gives the skin on the neck a smoother appearance, botulinum toxin A is now used to treat neck bands successfully.
Dermal fillers
Botulinum injections are an alternative treatment for falling hairline because they can stimulate the muscle that causes the forehead to droop.
Fillers, such as dermal fillers or hyaluronic acid or poly-L-lactic acid gels, are injected beneath the skin to increase volume in the region behind the neck bands and plump up the skin.
The results become apparent immediately after the treatment is completed, and they may last for up to 12 months.
Platysmaplasty
Many patients with deeply grooved neck bands choose platysmaplasty, or neck surgery, as their last resort after multiple Botox treatments fail to deliver results.
The procedure can be performed alone or in conjunction with a facelift. Recovery time is relatively short, and most people see results within a few months post-operation.