Most anti-aging creams and lotions target the face. But, what about the area just below? It is put through the same daily grind. Too often, we neglect the neck and if the skin sags and has visible wrinkles, the bubble is busted! But, there are ways to turn back the clock and neutralize aging in the neck area. Dr. Dustin Reid highlights the ways to feel good about the area below your chin, to be neck and neck with a youthful appearance once again.
by Dawn Tongish
and Dustin Reid, MD
Selfie Ready
In today’s world, the selfie rules. So, it’s important for not only the face, but the neck to look good. Experts say it is quickly becoming a big priority for those of almost any age. “I think one of the things that is universal is that everyone desires a youthful neck,” says Dr. Dustin Reid. Reid is a plastic Surgeon with Restora Austin Plastic Surgery Centre, where he sees patients of all ages who want to make sure the area just below the chin is camera ready. “It doesn’t matter male or female everybody wants a nice neck because we do a lot of self photography and no one wants to have to hide their neck.”
New Treatment – Kybella
The neck has to get the same TLC to remedy the tell-tale signs of aging as the face. There are ways to restore youth and repair sagging skin and wrinkles. For those patients trying to get rid of a double-chin, the answer may be a new drug, called Kybella. Reid is very encouraged by the early results. “Kybella is a keoxycholic acid that is injected. It basically destroys and dissolves fat cells. It has been very effective and it allows us to get rid of the fat in this area without surgery.” Kybella is FDA approved, but has not been tested for use in other parts of the body. That is a concern for physicians like Reid.
“I feel like it’s going to be a hammer and if you are a hammer the whole world is a nail. A lot of people will use this for wrong indications and the results will not be as great.” Dr. Reid suggests that all patients consult a board-certifed plastic surgeon before using Kybella. It will take multiple treatments to achieve noticeable results.
Gobble Up ‘Turkey Neck’
Leave the turkey for Thanksgiving and say goodbye to the dreaded ‘turkey neck’. You know it as the sagging skin under the chin that wags and sags and leaves you too embarrassed to take pictures. Here’s the good news for guys. Dr. Reid says there’s a fix, that helps men and it gobbles up the ‘turkey neck’. “Men can have extreme laxity to the skin, but because they have beard or hair growth in that area, we can use a direct excision of the skin and give them a nice contour.” Reid says the procedure is relatively fast and easy and the scar all but disappears. “No scar will completely disappear, but this won’t be that visible.” Reid says a woman can undergo the operation as well, but a man’s skin is just built for the operation.
“Something about the skin in a man with the beard, just makes it right. I can do this under a local anesthetic and it is a quick recovery.” It’s one way to a better looking neck. “This can be very appealing to a male patient,” Reid says.