oh go to hell, Nora Ephron

September 21, 2008 6:43 PM

I recently realized that the creases in my neck do not, in fact, go away when I hold my neck straight for a while. They are here to stay. Is there a non-surgical cure for this?

I have not had fat rolls on my neck that would cause this. It's just that, like a lot of office types, I do all my work bending my neck and squinting at something. I'm not even 30! I mean to fight this.

Currently I am dieting and rubbing a glycolic acid throat gel on my neck 1-2 times a day. At Sephora, I have seen incredibly expensive creams that claim to be surgical alternatives and to erase neck lines. For $70 to $150 a jar, they better. I would even pay that, if I didn't have to do it more than once, and if I could be sure that it would work.

I can't find links that inform me what the deal is without also trying to sell me something. (Or counseling despair.) Will cosmetic routines work? Will they work without requiring constant indefinite maintenance?

posted by Countess Elena to clothing, beauty, & fashion (10 comments total)

The first thing to do is stay out of the sun, or consistently apply generous amounts of sunscreen.
posted by mpls2 at 6:49 PM on September 21

mpls2: got it. I apply sunscreen daily to my face, and, for unrelated reasons, I stay out of the sun much more than I would like.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:43 PM on September 21

I have seen photos that suggest that Fraxel laser resurfacing can reduce/eliminate neck lines. Not sure if that qualifies as non-surgical to you. I wouldn't waste your money on creams--neck lines are pretty deep and if a cream could work that kind of magic, we'd all already know about it.
posted by HotToddy at 8:03 PM on September 21

There's a 60-something year old woman who pops up on TV here quite a bit who has a very smooth neck and claims it's because she religiously massages her throat everyday with at least 30 gentle strokes from the collarbone to the jawline. She doesn't seem to endorse any special creams.

These roller massages (ebay link) also sell like hotcakes here. Not tried it myself though.
posted by gomichild at 8:03 PM on September 21 [1 favorite]

Ha... it's the "fat rolls" that keep this from happening. Gain more wait, and they'll go away.
posted by kimdog at 8:42 PM on September 21

Creases come from repetitive movement. Unless you plan on never moving your neck again, may I suggest that you find a way to come to terms with it? Look around at other people before you decide that your situation is out of the ordinary (hint: it's not). All you can really do is keep yourself healthy, avoid sun and cigarette smoke, and learn to accept the inevitable (and a little fat does help).
posted by The Light Fantastic at 10:05 PM on September 21

Fraxel or Thermage are, by many accounts, horribly painful, expensive and minimally effective or even damaging. The usual Botox proponents say that they can reduce lines, but this is also expensive and has to be done several times a year. Plus, of course, it's a neurotoxin. Neck exercises won't do a damn thing. Any 60 year old woman with a great neck has incredible genes, a surgeon on call, fresh Botox, and/or excellent camera filters.

It makes sense for you to minimize sun exposure and use decent retinoids or glycolic acid creams to keep your skin as fresh as possible, but you probably won't see huge improvements.

Some people go grey early or late, some get neck creases early or late, some get veiny hands early or late. It sounds as if you're a bit of an outlier for neck creases, but I've seen more than one woman in her twenties with noticeable creases (that is, I noticed the creases when they pointed them out!). You are not alone. But with your general good care of your skin and minimal sun exposure, you are probably going to have great facial skin and hands for many years, plus you're doing all the right things for your neck that should help slow down any further creasing.
posted by wexford_arts at 11:23 PM on September 21

This isn't answering your question, but hot tip: Sephora will give you samples of everything they have, so you can at least try out those ridiculously expensive creams for a while. Can't hurt.
posted by timoni at 1:53 AM on September 22

I apply sunscreen daily to my face

I meant on your neck.
posted by mpls2 at 5:02 AM on September 22

glycolic acid throat gel on my neck 1-2 times a day

That's a lot of exfoliation. I hope you are wear tons of sunscreen or turtlenecks to protect that fresh skin.
posted by 26.2 at 1:13 AM on September 26