Contrary to popular belief, the face ends on the chest. In other words, don’t forget to handle your neck the way in which you do your canvas. Greater than holding up our head (the common adult head weighs up to 11 pounds), “the neck facilitates movement, respiratory, chewing and laughing, which over time affects the standard of the skin,” esthetician, author and founding father of Black Skin Directory Dija Ayodele tells ESSENCE. “Repetitive movement will eventually result in lack of tone and the skin will show more advantageous lines and wrinkles.”

Here, Ayodele explains the best way to reverse the signs of aging in your neck––and the most effective neck care routine to support your skin.

Does the neck and décolletage age faster?

Although anti-aging is all the excitement in the sweetness industry, the neck and décolletage is commonly disregarded of the conversation. “So many individuals forget the neck is an extension of their face,” Ayodele says, reduced to an afterthought in targeted skincare routines––big mistake. Neck wrinkles actually are likely to appear faster than on the face. “The skin on the neck is of course thinner with less collagen, elastin and oil glands,” she says. “This degradation can show up quite fast––faster than the face.”

Early signs of neck aging

“The early signs of neck aging are related to how the neck muscles weaken over time, causing vertical and horizontal lines to seem more prominently and deeply etched,” she says. “They may also be darker than surrounding skin.” “Muscle loss also means textural skin changes, development of jowls (sometimes unkindly called “turkey neck”) and weaker jawline definition,” she continues.

While neck aging may appear within the 20s for some, others may not notice aging until their 40s. Luckily, “Black skin is afforded the protection of melanin so this may sometimes mask any skin damage on the neck,” she says. 

Can I reverse signs of neck aging?

Though neck wrinkles are a traditional sign of the aging process, which depends upon aspects corresponding to genetics, skin quality and environment, prevention is far easier than reversal. “Whilst you can’t naturally reverse neck wrinkles you possibly can do a number of things to stave off or soften their appearance,” she says. From a neck care routine to skilled rejuvenation treatments (try: microneedling, laser, microcurrent and radio frequency), using proven methods to stimulate collagen can tighten the skin.

“Skin-boosting injectables, like Profilo and Polynucleotides, improve skin quality; skin fillers restore volume; and, wrinkle-relaxing injections, like Botox, temporarily provide smoothness and reduce the looks of sagging skin,” she says. “The important thing to maintaining the outcomes of in-office treatments is to have them administered on an everyday schedule as once won’t ever be enough for sustained improvements.”

What should my neck care routine consist of?

“You must all the time extend your facial skincare from the hair line to the highest of your boobies,” she says. Hydration is vital to neck care, which suggests using ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerine and squalane are a must. That, and antioxidants, like vitamin C, to assist prevent environmental damage from pollution and UV rays. 

While sunscreen is an ingredient you need to always remember in your routine, it’s possible you’ll be surprised to learn perfume is an enormous no-no. “I comprehend it’s an ingrained habit, but perfume shouldn’t be sprayed on the neck either,” Ayodele says. “The alcohols and essential oils can irritate and result in pronounced areas of discoloration in addition to weaken the integrity of the skin [which means] wrinkles.”

Do neck toning and massage techniques help?

“Some people swear by facial yoga to assist keep the muscles firm and toned which in turn improves the looks of the skin,” she says. “In places like Japan, brands like Shiseido incorporate many massage techniques which can be all about firming and tightening the skin.” With latest tools in the marketplace, like Isamaya Ffrench’s Sculpt 02 Body Tool and NuFace Toning Device, you possibly can integrate toning and tightening techniques across the face, neck and body into your routine. 

What should I avoid when caring for my neck?

“People are likely to unknowingly be harsh to their neck, pulling and dragging the skin, sometimes scrubbing with a body loofah,” she says. “The skin needs exfoliating, but you need to use gentle acids, like lactic acid, to get this done.” She recommends using retinoids paired with sunscreen to preserve the skin quality or peptide-rich creams like Lancome Renergie HPN 300 Peptide Cream, SkinCeuticals Tripeptide-R Neck Repair Cream, and Olay Collagen Peptide Max Moisturizing Cream.