Skin Damage Control for Neck and Chest
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By Christine Fellingham
Telltale signs: You're likely to see (in order of appearance): dry texture, uneven pigmentation, sun spots (including precancerous lesions), broken blood vessels, crepiness, creases and banding in the neck. "The skin on your neck and chest is often unprotected in the sun. The skin is very thin and has few sebaceous oil glands and, consequently, little natural moisture, so signs of aging tend to appear," says dermatologist David E. Bank, MD, of Mount Kisco, New York.
At-Home Solutions
Even out pigment: This area is sensitive; overtreatment can leave hypopigmented, or light spots and scars. Avoid hydroquinone creams, but try face or body creams with alpha-hydroxy acid (such as Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, Healthy Body Complexion) or vitamin C (such as Neutrogena Visibly Even Exfoliating Body Wash).
Protect, protect, protect: Apply sunscreen daily, making sure to cover the sides of your neck. Sun exposure is the cause of poikiloderma, a reddish/brownish discoloration from the bottom of the ears down the sides of the neck. "Most women mistake it for a rash, but it's a mixture of broken blood vessels and pigment caused by sun damage that's fairly common," says Bank. Sunscreens with zinc oxide or nanotitanium dioxide (such as DDF Matte Finish Photo Age Protection SPF 30 or Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 45) offer complete protection with the sheerest finish.
A dermatologist can... Prescribe a lightening cocktail: Tri-Luma Cream (a combo of retin-A, hydroquinone, and an anti-inflammatory; $90/tube) and Kinerase Lotion ($60/ tube) both work to lighten discolorations without irritation.
Balance out mottling: If you've got severe "pebbling" discoloration that makes skin appear rough, there's a breakthrough: Photodynamic therapy, used to treat skin cancer, can also zap hundreds of spots (including precancerous lesions) in three to five sessions. "The doctor applies a photosensitizing solution and passes over it an intense pulsed-light or pulsed-dye laser which selectively eliminates the damaged cells," says Goldman. (Cost: About $700 a session.)
Smooth neck banding: The wrinkling and banding that were once treatable only with surgery can be successfully reversed by Botox. "Whether you have vertical bands or horizontal 'necklace' bands, Botox will smooth them out by relaxing the bunching of the platysma muscle that runs across the neck and chest," says David Bank.
Erase wrinkles: The filler Restylane is the treatment of choice if you have deep creases or wrinkles in your decolletage area. Or, consider the LED light treatment called Gentle Waves, recently approved by the FDA for firming skin. The light stimulates the skin to increase collagen and elastic tissue. The catch: It doesn't have a long track record; tends to take half a dozen treatments to work (at about $100 per session) and results vary.
Originally published in MORE magazine, May 2005.
Source: MORE.com - more online
Telltale signs: You're likely to see (in order of appearance): dry texture, uneven pigmentation, sun spots (including precancerous lesions), broken blood vessels, crepiness, creases and banding in the neck. "The skin on your neck and chest is often unprotected in the sun. The skin is very thin and has few sebaceous oil glands and, consequently, little natural moisture, so signs of aging tend to appear," says dermatologist David E. Bank, MD, of Mount Kisco, New York.
At-Home Solutions
Even out pigment: This area is sensitive; overtreatment can leave hypopigmented, or light spots and scars. Avoid hydroquinone creams, but try face or body creams with alpha-hydroxy acid (such as Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, Healthy Body Complexion) or vitamin C (such as Neutrogena Visibly Even Exfoliating Body Wash).
Protect, protect, protect: Apply sunscreen daily, making sure to cover the sides of your neck. Sun exposure is the cause of poikiloderma, a reddish/brownish discoloration from the bottom of the ears down the sides of the neck. "Most women mistake it for a rash, but it's a mixture of broken blood vessels and pigment caused by sun damage that's fairly common," says Bank. Sunscreens with zinc oxide or nanotitanium dioxide (such as DDF Matte Finish Photo Age Protection SPF 30 or Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 45) offer complete protection with the sheerest finish.
A dermatologist can... Prescribe a lightening cocktail: Tri-Luma Cream (a combo of retin-A, hydroquinone, and an anti-inflammatory; $90/tube) and Kinerase Lotion ($60/ tube) both work to lighten discolorations without irritation.
Balance out mottling: If you've got severe "pebbling" discoloration that makes skin appear rough, there's a breakthrough: Photodynamic therapy, used to treat skin cancer, can also zap hundreds of spots (including precancerous lesions) in three to five sessions. "The doctor applies a photosensitizing solution and passes over it an intense pulsed-light or pulsed-dye laser which selectively eliminates the damaged cells," says Goldman. (Cost: About $700 a session.)
Smooth neck banding: The wrinkling and banding that were once treatable only with surgery can be successfully reversed by Botox. "Whether you have vertical bands or horizontal 'necklace' bands, Botox will smooth them out by relaxing the bunching of the platysma muscle that runs across the neck and chest," says David Bank.
Erase wrinkles: The filler Restylane is the treatment of choice if you have deep creases or wrinkles in your decolletage area. Or, consider the LED light treatment called Gentle Waves, recently approved by the FDA for firming skin. The light stimulates the skin to increase collagen and elastic tissue. The catch: It doesn't have a long track record; tends to take half a dozen treatments to work (at about $100 per session) and results vary.
Originally published in MORE magazine, May 2005.
Source: MORE.com - more online
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