How to Get Rid of Turkey Neck: 7 Treatments for Tighter Neck Skin

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It may look normal on a turkey, but no human wants to be dealing with loose and sagging skin on their neck. Those folds and wrinkles in the neck area can make a person look far older than they really are. Fortunately, with saggy neck skin being so common, there are now more treatment methods than ever to choose from. Read on to find out what you need to do to tighten that turkey neck up for good.

What Causes Turkey Neck?

There are a few different factors that contribute to sagging neck skin. The first is aging. As the neck ages, the platysmal muscles in the area weaken, causing the skin over the top of them to sag. With thinning skin also occurring with age, the edges of those muscles start to become visible through the skin, leading to the appearance of vertical bands.

Sun exposure and sun damage speed this process along by destroying your elastin and collagen fibers. As a result, the skin loses its structure and elasticity, preventing it from holding itself up properly.

Experts also believe that genetics play a role in loose skin on the neck, as well as the dreaded double chin. If your parents or grandparents have delicate skin and visible neck bands showing, then chances are that you’ll end up with those too.

How to Get Rid of Turkey Neck

When it comes to treatment options, you have two main choices; non-invasive, at-home methods or professional treatments.

Non-Invasive Turkey Neck Treatments

woman doing neck exercise

Although not as effective as surgical treatments, these non-invasive treatment options are cheap, safe, and easy to carry out at home:

Exercises for Neck Muscles

We’ll be honest with you – neck exercises are great for toning and tightening the neck muscles, which then tightens neck skin, but they’re not able to completely treat sagging neck skin on their own. That said, combine them with the many non-invasive technologies available and you’ll experience better results.

You’ll find numerous guides online that provide various exercises to try, with the “neck lift” being particularly effective. You’ll need to lie on your bed with your head hanging off the edge. Slowly lift your head up before bringing it back down, repeating five times. If you experience any neck pain while doing this, stop immediately.

Another popular exercise is called the “chew”. All you need to do is keep your lips closed and make a chewing motion with your mouth, repeating this about 20 times.

Skin Tightening Cosmetic Products

Adding a good neck cream to your anti-aging skincare routine can definitely help to give the skin on the neck a smoother and firmer finish. Retinoids are what you need, with tretinoin being particularly effective. It boosts skin elasticity and speeds cell regeneration [1], which will thicken skin in the long run. It’s also able to increase collagen production, which should add volume and structure back to your neck.

Surgical Procedures

doctor holding a stethoscope

While many may be put off by the thought of plastic surgery, the following are definitely some of the most effective treatments for turkey neck:

Laser Treatments

There are two main forms of laser treatment that are effective at treating turkey neck. The first is a skin tightening laser, also known as non-ablative lasers. Unlike fractional lasers, which focus on removing skin, these send an intense laser light, along with a gentle heat, to the layers of skin below the surface. This triggers collagen production, remodeling the skin to eliminate the sag and help it to lie flat. There are numerous devices out there that are able to do this. While repeated treatments are needed, there isn’t a recovery time involved.

Laser resurfacing is your second option. This makes use of a fractional erbium-based laser to deliver treatment beams to damaged parts of the skin. This vaporizes damaged surface cells. It will also trigger skin cell turnover, helping the skin replace those damaged cells with fresh and smooth skin cells.

A Neck Lift

Neck lifts are usually performed as part of a face lift. This is a great treatment for removing excess skin, and it also works to tighten and lift weak muscles. The recovery time for this treatment tends to be around two weeks, and results can last for up to 20 years.

Botox

Beautiful middle aged woman in bath robe touching her neck

Good ol’ Botox – the injectable that people turn to for just about everything aging-related. When it comes to turkey neck, Botox injections minimize muscle movements in the neck. This softens and relaxes wrinkles, bringing about a more youthful appearance.

Fat Transfer

This plastic surgery treatment involves moving fat cells from one part of the body to another, which, in this case, would be your neck. This has a plumping effect, replacing the loss of volume. Although this may be quite an invasive cosmetic surgery, it’s generally safe with minimal side effects.

Ultherapy

Ultherapy medical devices are pretty unique. They’re the only ones to make use of ultrasound to target the neck tissue beneath the outermost layer of skin. This stimulates protein production, which, over time, means stronger, firmer, and tighter skin.

FAQs

What is the best treatment for turkey neck?

Laser treatments and neck lifts are the most effective ways to treat turkey neck.

Can turkey neck be fixed?

Yes, but you’ll need to opt for professional treatments for best results.

Conclusion

When it comes to treating turkey neck, you need to go down the professional route if you really want to see results. That’s not to say that neck creams and neck exercises won’t have an effect, but they’ll only be able to help to a certain extent. They’re a great preventative, but once the skin on your neck has already started to sag, you’ll need a treatment that works on a deeper level.

Fortunately, they’re not all invasive and there are so many new technologies out there, giving you plenty of options when it comes to achieving that tight and toned silhouette of your youth.

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/

Avatar for Megan Foley

Megan has been a freelance writer and editor since 2016. In that time, she’s penned a diverse collection of articles for online publication, with a focus on skincare and beauty. From in-depth product reviews to concise marketing content, Megan is passionate about developing content that informs, entertains, and inspires.