After years of taking care of my face, I have neglected my neck and chest and they now stand out, looking much older. How do I intervene?
Treating the neck and Decolletage with Radiesse
The ‘neck are dec’ are ageing hotspots that often need targeted attention with treatments such as Radiesse, which stands apart as a dermal filler because it is calcium based.
Normal dermal filler uses hyaluronic acid, a gel substance that is already present in the skin and ‘binds’ one thousand times its own weight in water, increasing hydration quite aggressively. That is how it volumises. It takes up space – the primary goal of any filler – absorbs water and then integrates it into the skin. Over time this volume depletes and degrades.
Radiesse (similarly to another filler Sculptra) is different: its primary goal is to stimulate new collagen growth. We can use Radiesse as a structural filler, where you inject for structure and shape, but when we dilute it, it triggers a nice collagen stimulation that we use for skin remodeling on necks and the decolletage. Radiesse has tiny little microspheres of a substance called hydroxylapatite (CaHA), similar in structure to the calcium we find in our bones. These tiny little microspheres are injected into the skin to trigger biostimulation. The body reacts by depositing collagen around the sphere. Over time the calcium particles disintegrate, leaving behind a strengthening ‘mesh’ of collagen, the protein that gives young skin its plumpness and elasticity.
For about a year this area of the body, which women leave exposed by seasonal sundresses and tanks, benefits from the boost of that extra collagen. The idea is that over time we do little top ups, bumping up the levels with Radiesse to maintain that collagen growth and counteract the net loss of collagen that ageing brings, to maintain a constant bloom in skin before the effect of the treatment has a chance to diminish.
Because you can’t dissolve Radiesse or Sculptra, the two biostimulant fillers, not all clinics offer the microsphere technique: it requires extra skill and confidence because the fillers are not reversible. The calcium particles will disintegrate though, and in time the collagen will integrate. When you use Radiesse or Sculptra for skin treatments they are really safe: working on the neck and dec doesn’t alter the shape or the structural projection of the area, it just improves the quality of the skin.
The pracitioner just needs a few entry points for the cannulas (long, rounded needles). They are way longer than everyday needles, so I can cover a large area under the skin area with one entry point. The cannulas are also micro thin – a couple of millimetres in size – which is a much safer option, and always a Muse Clinic priority. Using micro thin cannulas makes the procedure less likely to bruise skin, causes less swelling, and is far less likely to injure blood vessels.
Will we ever find a way to stop telomeres from making bad copies of cells? The key is to replenish skin with fresh collagen, then maintain the fresh collagen for longer. I’d like to start exploring the use of Radiesse not only on the back of the hands, but other trouble spots like knees, bum and elbows as well. It’s a new frontier of anti-aging. Today’s cutting edge is tomorrow’s must-have treatment.
How is the skin on the ‘neck and dec’different from my face?
The neck skin has less sebaceous glands, which produce oil – that’s why we’re a bit more cautious when we laser necks and decolletage, because they don’t heal as well (sebaceous glands aid the healing process). The area off the face is a little bit slower to respond, but equally prone to damage. We focus so much on the face, ‘the window to our soul’, that we tend to neglect the equally exposed face and decolletage.
It is key to:
- Use sunscreen to protect against UV and UVB damage from the Australian sun
- Apply Vitamin As and Cs on neck and decolletage as often as in our facial skincare routine
- Consider the area equally important to treat. You don’t want your face to look great and your neck/dec to clash and look far more weathered, a common problem. Radiesse treatment is well worth including as part of an anti-ageing strategy because it is preventative, lasts for a long time and the area is a major focus in a country with a summer climate.
