THE NECK’S BEST THING!
Why we should pay more attention to the skin below our chin
Ever heard someone say, “Your face ends at your chest,” when talking about skincare application? The saying has become very popular with skin experts in recent years to remind people that your neck and decolletage need TLC too.
What makes the skin on our neck different to that on other parts of the body?
If you thought your neck skin was similar to the skin on the rest of your body, think again. It’s actually more similar to that of your face! “Like the face, it’s thinner and often more sensitive than other parts of the body,” says The Secret co-founder and formulator Dr Clara Hurst BDS.
“Think of it this way – the skin on our body is like cardboard, while the skin on our face, neck and decolletage in comparison is like paper.”
Why does the skin on our neck require special care?
In a nutshell, because it’s just as delicate as that of our face. “Think about the love and attention we pay to our face, all the active ingredients we nourish it with, the moisturisers and beautiful cleansers. Not extending the same love to the neck means it ages at an accelerated rate,” says The Secret co-founder and formulator, Dr Deb Cohen-jones.
What are the most common causes of skin issues around the neck area?
LOOKING DOWN Phones and computers are amazing g for ma making many aspects of our lives ves easier and more efficient, but they’re not great for our necks. “Tech neck” doesn’t just cause strain or stiffness – it can affect our skin, too. “Fine lines and wrinkles are very susceptible to developing on the delicate neck skin from constantly straining our necks to look at our computers or phones,” says Dr Hurst.
SUN EXPOSURE Sun exposure can be a double-edged sword. “The signs of ageing we see on the neck go one of two ways, depending on your lifestyle.
“On one hand we see rougher skin, pigmented by years of sun exposure and damage. Most of us don’t show the same diligence as our face with our SPF application on our neck and chest.
“As the sun’s UV rays can account for about 90 per cent of skin ageing, you might see why this is a concern – pigmentation, creping, uneven tone, you name it,” says Dr Cohen-jones.
But lack of sun can also be an issue. “The neck is often shaded by our head and hair. This is good in terms of minimising sun damage, but it can mean the skin isn’t quite as resilient and therefore more delicate.
“Combining this with a lack of skincare attention, the skin on our neck is far more susceptible to damage of any kind, including ageing free-radical damage,g damage,” Dr Cohen Cohen-jones Jones says.