The closer I get to 50, the more I find myself scrutinising my face for signs of ageing. And I’m not alone.
According to cosmetic doctors, the past two years of working and socialising on and off from home have made us hyper-aware of our neck lines. Not surprising really, as staring down the camera lens of your laptop doesn’t exactly flatter one’s lower face.
I’m not adverse to lines, or ageing in general for that matter. But like most of you, I suspect, I try not to accelerate the process.
Except it occurred to me that while I faithfully layer on a serum, moisturiser and SPF to my face as effortlessly as I brush my teeth, I rarely extend the courtesy to my neck and hands. And yet these are the areas that up-age you if you unwittingly neglect them.
If you consider your neck and décolletage, you may have noticed it is a different shade and texture to your face – at least, mine is.
This, Dr Barbara Sturm points out, is because the skin there is thinner, with fewer sebaceous glands, making it more prone to dehydration, lines and sun damage.
There is no better cure for preventing crêpiness and age spots than by covering up, but who, except the late Nora Ephron perhaps, wants to live in scarves and polo-necks all-year round?
Instead, it is wise practice to apply a dedicated neck cream with lipid-rich ceramides, such as Sturm’s own Super Anti-Aging Neck and Décolleté Cream.
This contains a high concentration of potent ingredients including shea butter, marula oil, prickly pear and good old hyaluronic acid, with the addition of mushroom extract to firm, tighten and restore elasticity and moisture.
The neck, Sturm points out, is in constant motion, giving cause for horizontal lines which, if you so desire, can be tempered with baby shots of Botox (it’s a real thing), while neck skin can be tightened with radiofrequency or ultrasound, or even a traditional lower face lift – which, let’s be honest, is old hat when lasers and light beams can do just as good a job without a trace.
Still, you might think now is not the time for splurging, and so if nothing else, it is prudent to apply whatever serum and cream you use on your face down on to your neck and chest, including factor 50 SPF – even in winter.
And while you’re at it, smear what’s left on the backs of your hands, which are also susceptible to premature ageing. I’ve found vitamin C serum particularly effective: it has faded the pigmentation on mine since I began doing so a while ago.
Slightly off-topic, but worth considering is a silk pillowcase or, better yet, a designated beauty pillow. Nurse Jamie’s Beauty Bear Age Delay Pillow (£64) is designed in a curious U-shape, which perfectly cradles your neck to prop you upright, and not only helps you sleep better, but prevents creases and the development of lopsided facial contours that can be caused by sleeping on your side.
Alas, it is not uncommon for your neck and face to fair unequally when it comes to the ageing process, but it is never too late to lavish some belated attention your neck’s way. Start with one of these five specially-formulated creams.
