NECK AND BACK CARE
A long, graceful neck has always been considered a symbol of beauty. It is also one area that begins to show the tell-tale signs of age first.
Yet the neck is always in evidence and certainly requires a lot more attention than it gets. Faces may be regularly cleansed and beautifully made up, but the neglected channel contrasts terribly.
NECK
It is one of the areas most vulnerable to ageing lines and unbecoming folds that cannot be disguised even by the most expert makeup techniques. Daily nourishment and care are as essential as the daily attention given to the face.
Always hold your head up, as it is good for the neck and general posture. Models practise walking with a book balanced on the head. It not only improves the walk but helps to prevent double chins. Sleeping without a pillow is another way of battling this bulge. If you are over 25, you could start taking regular facials. A facial massage includes the neck and helps to keep lines at bay. Allot a minute or two to the channel for your daily routine, preferably before your bath.
Using a pre-bath gel, massage the neck area with downward strokes, one hand following the other. A gel containing lemon and turmeric provides a gentle whitening effect.
Very often, the skin on the neck is darker than that of the facial skin. The lemon-turmeric gel would eliminate this colour difference. The skin will be kept well moisturised, thus counteract soap’s harsh, drying effect.
Remember to do what most people forget when they apply facial masks; apply it on the neck too. For older skin, there are professional remedies. A range of highly specialised covers is being used to reduce such problems to a most appreciable extent.
Never neglect the neck unless you wish to sport Victorian fashions of ruffles, high collars and scarves and say farewell to low necklines and swimsuits. A smooth, willowy neck will always be ‘in’. Make daily care a habit, and you will soon find that caring for the channel is not such a pain in the neck.
BACK
The back is another trouble spot that owes its troubles to neglect. Not having eyes at the back of the head, we end up with backs that are ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Yet it is a part of us and gets enough attention…but from others.
We moan at the sight of one spot on the face and happily go around with backs laden with pimples, lumps and scars. It’s high time we turned around and looked at the back.
This area is affluent in oil glands, which is one reason one rarely gets wrinkles on the back. But alas, it makes the skin prone to blackheads, which, as you may know, sets the stage for pimples, acne and spots. The result is discoloured skin and scars when these blemishes have healed.
We tend to neglect the problem because it involves a portion of the anatomy we cannot see. Neglect causes the infection to spread rapidly; before we know it, the skin is a mass of pimples. If there is dandruff, a rashy or pimpled back is widespread.
A great deal of attention should be paid to the back while bathing. Use a long-handled soft brush or a cloth to scrub gently to keep it clean and free of clogged pores. If there are pimples, use an anti-pimple lotion to check the infection.
For scars or discoloured skin, the lemon-turmeric gel can be applied on the area, while an anti-blemish ointment should be rubbed into the skin before bedtime. If there is dandruff, get it treated as well, or you will keep reinfecting yourself.
The skin on the back is usually exposed, especially during summer. It is subject to view and elemental effects, of which the sun plays the most havoc. It tans the skin, making it dry and flaky.
The object is to keep the skin soft, smooth and well-moisturised, whether it covers your face or back. Always remember that it is a part of you. Regardless of the amount it covers, your skin deserves to be kept well-nourished, toned, alive and clean.
Whether it is your back or neck, it has every right to look as good as your face.