Welcome to your skin check-in with Life & Style’s resident health and beauty expert, Dr. Will Kirby, celebrity dermatologist and Chief Medical Officer of LaserAway. Every week, he’ll be spilling his candid thoughts and professional advice on all things skin, beauty and wellness as it relates to you — and your favorite stars.

Unsightly, wrinkled, sagging neck skin with or without the presence protruding muscles may cause some people to feel self-conscious, but the field of aesthetic dermatology now has a simple solution! For patients looking to improve skin fitness in their neck area, injections of neurodomodulators like Botox Cosmetic or Xeomin are now a great treatment options. 

Skin Check-In With Dr. Will: How to Improve Skin Fitness in Your Neck Area With Injections
Benjamin Espiritu

These injections that are commonly associated with erasing fine lines and wrinkles on the face, such as crow’s feet, vertical frown lines and horizontal forehead lines, can also be extremely effective for reducing the appearance of the platysmal bands that affect the neck.

I reached out to the expert injectors at the nation’s leading aesthetic dermatology group to get their personal and professional opinions on quick and easy neck injections! 

“The simple fact is that the appearance of our neck changes as we age,” says aesthetic nurse practitioner Morgan Wolf. “The platysma stetches from our collabone to the lower portion of our jawbone and it is, in large part, responsible for our neck looks. Neuromodular injections in this area are simple, safe and improve neck cosmesis. Xeomin and Botox Cosmetic are very powerful in their preventive abilities. We inject the neck in our over 100 clinics and tens of thousands of happy patients will attest to how well this treatment works!”

Skin Check-In With Dr. Will: How to Improve Skin Fitness in Your Neck Area With Injections
Benjamin Espiritu

“As we age, and with repeated use over time, the platysma muscle may slowly weaken and droop in some patients,” explains aesthetic registered nurse Jessica Graybill. “This may lead to a poorly defined, amorphic contour of the neck in some individuals. Worse still, it can contribute to the formation of unattractive jowls. The great news is that if you catch this sagging early, you can treat it with Xeomin and Botox Cosmetic injections to minimize or slow the progress of jowls!”

“In some people the platysma becomes weaker, but in others, as it stretches over time, it often becomes hypertrophied and stronger,” notes aesthetic nurse practitioner Emily Perbellini. “See, in an attempt to maintain its function, the platysma’s muscle tone increases. As you might imagine, when this muscle is under more tension, it gradually thickens, making bands more evident. But injections of neurotoxins, especially when injected early in the process, are a great way to maintain a more youthful neck. Telehealth consultions from the comfort of your home can make the consultation process easy and fast!”

Skin Check-In With Dr. Will: How to Improve Skin Fitness in Your Neck Area With Injections
Benjamin Espiritu

“On certain people, particularly when they are speaking, eating or smiling in pictures, the neck muscles may be more evident,” says aesthetic nurse Chelsea Nathie. “Botox Cosmetic or Xeomin injected into these platysmal neck bands have an undeniable softening effect on kinetic neck muscles. This series of injections may require anywhere from twenty to sixty units but when implemented  early and in the right patient, toxins may delay certain signs of neck aging that are directly related to muscle activity. I highly recommend that potential patients come in for a free assessment to see if they would benefit!”

“Patients who wait too long to address neck issues may eventually need a neck lift, an invasive surgery performed by a plastic surgeon,” finds aesthetic nurse Corey Ordoyne. “But middled-aged and young people wanting to quiet dynamic neck bands are absolute no-brainer candidates for injectable neuromodulator neck treatments! Excellent candidates who see the biggest payoff from neck Xeomin and Botox Cosmetic injections tend to have relatively firm skin, small amounts of excess fat, minimal muscle laxity, and well-defined platysmal neck bands. Get started today!”