A dermatologist shared exactly what she did to treat her neck wrinkles. Here's her verdict.

That ultra delicate skin on your neck is subject to a lot. Sun damage. Ageing. Forced craning over phones/laptops/giant bowls of spaghetti.

Yet, more often than not, we'll completely forget to take care of our necks. They don't even get a sniff of the amount of stuff we slap on our faces.

For this reason (along with genetics and that whole shebang), neck wrinkles are a super common thing that most of us will deal with.

And as a normal part of ageing, we can all agree they're not something that needs to 'fixed' - but if the rings around your neck are bothering you, then this one might be for you.

Watch: What does a 'Carbon Facial' look and feel like? Amy Clark finds out.

Because as we were trawling Instagram the other day, we came across a super interesting series from dermatologist Dr Shammi Theesan - who goes by Dr Shammi.

The Melbourne-based dermatologist and founder of ODE Dermatology shared with her followers the entire process of reversing her neck wrinkles - including the treatments she uses to address them. 

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In part one of the Instagram series, she shared, "The neck is a very central, important part of your anatomy. I think I've actually got good skin texture on my face, but family history-wise and genetics-wise, my neck is just not the best."

"I've got rings, which I've always had but because I have a darker skin type, I actually have a bit of pigmentation through those rings, too." 

Dr Shammi's neck. Image: Instagram; @drshammitheesan.

Below, we look at exactly what treatments Dr Shammi used for her neck wrinkles.

How to treat neck wrinkles.

Before getting into it, it's important to know that tackling neck wrinkles isn't a simple thing. It can involve many different treatments, with Dr Shammi explaining that often a multi-layered approach is the best when it comes to snagging optimal results. 

However, that's not to say it'll be the same for everyone. A thorough consultation with a professional will help you establish exactly what's needed for your individual skin type.

Dr Shammi also reminds her followers that dealing with neck wrinkles is not the kind of thing that will happen overnight - results can take up to a few months and it can involve repeat courses of treatments, depending on your skin condition.

In terms of the different kinds of treatments she uses, Dr Shammi said, "We're going to start with a combination of lasers, ultrasound and BBL technology, followed by injections."

"It's a really staggered approach," she shares. 

"When you think about people's necks, there are so many reasons for that lack of luminosity. Is it because you've got wrinkles? Or is it because you got pigmentation? Have you got a bit of redness/flushing or rosacea?"

There are many different conditions that contribute to wrinkling in this area - so again, having a consultation will be the best way for you to know what kind of approach you need to take.

But because we're nosy and love to know what other people do, here's the exact protocol Dr Shammi uses to get rid of her neck wrinkles.

1. Ultraformer.

To start, Dr Shammi undergoes an Ultraformer treatment on her neck. 

In case you haven't heard of Ultraformer before, it's basically a non-invasive procedure that uses ultrasound energy in the form of a handheld device. It delivers this ultrasound energy deep into the dermis to help stimulate the production of collagen.

"Depending on how thick your skin is, we either use the two-millimetre or the three-millimetre [filter]," explains Dr Shammi. 

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A post shared by Shammi Theesan (@drshammitheesan)

For Dr Shammi, she said she's experiencing a bit of sagging and extra laxity on her neck, so chooses the three-millimetre filter to fit onto the Ultraformer device. This means that the ultrasound energy will be delivered deeper into the layers of her dermis.

After cleansing the area, Dr Shammi's neck is marked up in order to avoid the thyroid and trachea area, and the treatment is performed around the outlined sections.

2. Broadband Light (BBL).

Part two of the treatment involves a procedure called broadband light (also known as BBL - but not to be confused with the Brazilian butt lift!), which is used at different wavelengths to help change the texture of the skin.

"We're going to start with BBL across the whole neck and chin," explains Dr Shammi.

"This is the bit that I love because the BBL is the only thing that truly 'anti-ages' your skin at a cellular level."

"But that's where you can also treat the underlying medical conditions that contribute to neck wrinkling, such as sun damage and rosacea," adds Dr Shammi.

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A post shared by Shammi Theesan (@drshammitheesan)

"For example, if you've got 'poikiloderma of Civatte' (a condition commonly caused by spraying perfume on the neck), which can cause you to be more sun sensitive - you can get rid of that. So, we have to treat the pigment, but also the redness."

"If you've got rosacea - we can address that with BBL. If you've got micro-flushing that's causing the neck wrinkling - we can address that, too."

Following the first part of the BBL treatment, Dr Shammi switches to another wavelength of light (on that same device). This particular procedure is called SkinTyte, and the wavelength can be used across the whole neck and chin for overall rejuvenation.

3. Pico MLA.

The last treatment when it comes to the laser and light procedures (we told you it was multi-layered!) is called Pico MLA. 

As Dr Shammi goes on to explain, the Pico MLA is used to remove the darkened pigment in the skin and soften the appearance of rings.

"It's going to shatter bits of the epidermis so you get that textural improvement," she said.

"It's really good for skin of colour. Pico MLA is going to be great for my rings and that pigmentation in the rings - it's also good for acne scarring and indents here and there."

Following the treatment, it's normal to experience little red dots. 

Dr Shammi said this is a great indicator that the treatment has been performed correctly and deep enough to target these kinds of conditions.

4. Injectables.

Last up? The injectables.

Dr Shammi shares that the specific injectables used on her neck contain a cocktail of different ingredients - such as growth factors, amino acids and hyaluronic acid to plump up the skin.

"This is the most exciting part," she shares.

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A post shared by Shammi Theesan (@drshammitheesan)

The nurse begins by horizontally injecting the formula into each ring/wrinkle on Dr Shammi's neck, before using vertical injections to target the two vertical lines on either side of the neck - which she refers to as 'platysmal bands'.

Post-treatment, things look a little bumpy and scary, but Dr Shammi said this will subside.

 Immediately post-treatment. Image: Instagram; @dershammitheesan

"This is now going to sit in with my collagen and elastin and tighten the skin over the next few months," she explains.

So, what are the results like?

Well, here's Dr Shammi's neck before treatment and a few months post-treatment:

Dr Shammi Theesan before and after her neck treatments. Image: Instagram; @drshammitheesan

There you have it! Exactly what a dermatologist does to tackle her neck wrinkles.

What do you think of the above neck wrinkle treatments? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied/Instagram; @drshammitheesan.