Apply topical retinoids
Retinoids, which are topical vitamin A-based derivatives, may help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production. If you use retinoids on your face, extend the treatment area to your neck and chest at night. Retinoid products are available by prescription or over the counter.
Retinol (vitamin A) is the most frequently used ingredient in anti-aging creams. But tretinoin, another form of vitamin A, may be the most effective ingredient to firm the skin on your neck and face.
Retinoids are one of the best anti-agers for your face—and the same goes for your neck. “Retinoids can help prevent fine lines and wrinkles and improve skin texture,” says Dr. Sivendran. She recommends using Differin on your neck too, which was the first OTC retinoid available that's prescription-strength.
Use just a pea-sized portion.
Dab a bit from this portion onto your forehead, cheeks, and chin, then smooth it around. Use another pea-sized portion for your neck or chest if you need to apply in those areas, too.
First, the answer is yes, retinol can make wrinkles worse, especially when you first start using it. What is happening is a drying effect, and one can get epidermal sliding from separation from the dermis.
“Cumulative sun exposure over a lifetime has always been the main culprit of premature aging on the neck.” On top of that, our cell phone addictions aren't helping the cause. “Between sun exposure and the addition of looking at our phones repeatedly, we are seeing neck changes even earlier,” says Engelman.
Retinoids reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen. They also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin color. Additional benefits include fading age spots and softening rough patches of skin.
Engelman agrees: "Retinol is the most potent ingredient that helps build collagen and elastin, which leads to tighter, smoother skin."This mixture has the added bonus of hyaluronic acid, which "can smooth, firm, and tighten the appearance of the skin," Dr. Bowe says.
Two of the most common products used to keep skin in excellent condition are hyaluronic acid and retinol. What should a person use between hyaluronic acid or retinol? Hyaluronic acid is best if they're looking to moisturize dry skin, while retinol works better by encouraging better skin by boosting collagen production.
Use a Retinol Serum Nightly – Retinol when applied topically to the skin helps exfoliate and resurface the neck area. Since the skin of the neck can be more sensitive than the face, try starting with a small amount of product.
Retinol is found in numerous over-the-counter (OTC) skin care products. The difference between them is depth and speed! Retin-A penetrates immediately and into deeper layers of your skin to repair instantly. Retinol takes a while to penetrate and repair.
In simple terms, tretinoin not only produces an improvement in skin quality and a reduction in wrinkles in short-term studies -- it's also highly effective at reducing wrinkles, discoloration and other signs of aging when used over the long term.
Adding emollients and hydroxy acid cleansers to your skin care routine not only helps keep your skin from becoming crepey, but it also helps prevent further damage if your skin is already lax. Dr. Kassouf recommends retinol topical creams to help reduce that crepey look.
Skin tightening laser
Various medical devices can heat and tighten the skin. A laser is a noninvasive treatment producing mild to moderate results. Repeated treatments over 4 to 6 months are necessary for results. The benefit is that there is no recovery time involved for this procedure.
Also avoid retinol if you're going to be spending a lot of time in direct sunlight without proper sun protection. Retinol can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so it's important to use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 every day — even when it looks cloudy.
Pending potency, OTC retinol can take up to six months to see results." That's not to say you won't see any benefits upon the first few uses. Nussbaum explains that in the short term, the benefits are that your skin will be exfoliated of dead skin cells and your pores will be unclogged.
Retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, they should be used at night because some types are deactivated by light and air. It's important to start slowly and allow your skin time to adjust. Using too much too quickly can cause redness, dryness, and irritation.