Neck Wrinkles? Botox will help!

While Botox was originally created for the facial area, to smooth out wrinkles around the eye area ("crow's feet") and expression lines around the mouth, doctors have begun to expand this practice into other areas of the body. Some have injected Botox into the neck area to get rid of loose skin in the neck which is sometimes referred to as a "turkey gobbler" due to its saggy appearance. This is known as a "Botox neck lift".

While the use of Botox in the neck is "off-label", as it is not the intended use of this treatment, the properties that make it efficient in eliminating wrinkles in the face apply here as well, however, it is not a cure-all.

Botox works best to soften shallow wrinkles in the skin, mostly seen in the thin skin in the facial area. The skin around the neck, however, is much thicker and neck wrinkles are much deeper folds than those on the face. While Botox can help tighten the skin and stimulate the underlying muscles, it will not fully eliminate severe cases and it is recommended to go the plastic surgery route with a proper neck lift instead. It is more effective, though temporary, on the vertical

It is more effective, though temporary, on the vertical bands in the neck that are called "platysmal bands", but less effective on horizontal lines on the neck. The vertical neck cords respond better to local treatment such as this. The horizontal lines are formed through skin creasing and muscle contraction, which Botox will have little (if any) effect on.

It should also be pointed out that Botox can be rather expensive and should be applied by a doctor or dermatologist who has done these kinds of injections before. The results are temporary, lasting around six months at best, at which point your skin returns to its prior state unless you continue these costly treatments.

Your skin shows the way you live, so by changing your diet, water intake, exposure to the sun and other habits you can make a drastic difference in the way your skin looks.

Lastly, there are many exercises you can do that will help to tighten the skin and decrease the depth of wrinkles in this area. These can be done whenever you have time, and consistent repetition of these exercises will lead to visible results within a few weeks.