It’s finally happened. Your nana’s sagging jawline has made an unwelcome appearance on your face. What’s started as a little softness under your chin has become a full-fledged gobbler.
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“What’s known as ‘turkey neck’ is a problem with your neck’s skin, fat or underlying muscle, or a combination of the three,” says plastic surgeon Martin Newman, MD. “It’s often a sign of aging, but younger people can experience it, too. There are many ways to address it, depending on the cause and what kind of results you want.”
Dr. Newman explains why turkey neck develops and the many nonsurgical and surgical options available to improve or get rid of it.
What is Turkey Neck Skin and How to Improve Its AppearanceIf you’ve noticed sagging skin under your chin and jawline making your neck resemble a plump turkey’s you’re not alone. This common aging issue has a name – turkey neck. But what causes turkey neck and is there anything you can do about that unflattering gobbler? Let’s take a closer look at what leads to turkey neck skin and both surgical and nonsurgical ways to address it.
What is Turkey Neck?Turkey neck is a term used to describe loose, sagging skin on the neck that creates wrinkles, vertical bands, and a drooping profile As the platysma neck muscles weaken and skin elasticity declines, gravity pulls everything down creating that characteristic turkey like flap below the chin and jaw. Genetics, aging, sun damage, smoking, and weight fluctuations all contribute to turkey neck Even young people can develop a bit of wattle.
While the pendulous neck skin may seem like a harmless nuisance turkey neck bothers many people self-conscious about their appearance. The good news is various effective options from topical creams to plastic surgery can smooth and tighten turkey neck skin.
What Causes Turkey Neck?
Aging
Loss of collagen and elastin as we get older means skin has less ability to snap back, leading to sagging. Facial fat descends while gravity pulls skin down.
Sun Exposure
UV radiation breaks down collagen and ages skin. Necks get plenty sun exposure when driving, walking outdoors, while swimming, etc.
Genetics
Your bone structure and how your skin ages is inherited. A familial double chin or weak jawline makes turkey neck more likely.
Smoking
Chemicals in cigarettes degrade collagen and elastin causing wrinkled, inelastic skin prone to sagging.
Weight Changes
Weight gain adds fat to the neck area while loss leaves extra sagging skin if elasticity is poor.
Medications
Steroids, HIV drugs, and some other medications can increase neck fat leading to turkey neck bulges.
Muscle Changes
Bands, tightness, and separation of neck muscles happen with age altering neck contours.
How to Get Rid of Turkey Neck
Both surgical and nonsurgical options are available to smooth away turkey neck skin and create a more defined, youthful profile. What works best depends on your skin quality, neck issues, budget, and goals.
Nonsurgical Treatments
Neck Creams
Retinol, antioxidants, and peptides can improve neck skin tone and elasticity over time.
Lasers & Energy Devices
Lasers, ultrasound, radiofrequency, and freezing smooth and tighten neck skin. Multiple treatments needed.
Botox
Botox injections relax neck bands and cords resulting from muscle changes to smooth the neck.
Kybella
Kybella dissolves fat under the chin and jawline to reduce the double chin look. Multiple treatments required.
Neck Exercises
Targeted neck lifts and strength training can tone muscles to improve neck contour.
Surgical Procedures
Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty)
Excess neck skin is removed and muscles tightened to sculpt the neck during this surgery.
Lower Facelift
A facelift removes extra facial skin then pulls and trims remaining skin to lift the jawline and neck.
Chin Augmentation
An implant can help strengthen a weak chin and jawline and create a more youthful profile.
Turkey neck can make anyone self-conscious about their sagging neck and jawline. But multiple effective options from lifestyle changes and topical skin products to injectable treatments, laser therapy, and plastic surgery can redefine, lift, and tighten up loose neck skin for a more youthful profile.
Facelifts and neck lifts
Surgeries that treat turkey necks include facelifts (rhytidectomy) and neck lifts (platysmaplasty). During these procedures, plastic surgeons remove excess face or neck skin and fat while tightening the skin, muscle and tissue left behind.
Facelifts and neck lifts go by many aliases, depending on who’s doing them and how. “Feather lift, short scar, J lift — essentially, they’re all one form of facelift/neck lift or another,” Dr. Newman says.
While surgery has more risks and recovery than nonsurgical treatments, you get a bigger bang for your buck, he adds. “Facelifts and neck lifts are the gold standard. By surgically removing the extra skin and fat (and tightening the muscles, when needed) you get instant results and a definitive fix.”
Nonsurgical treatments for a turkey neck
Many products and minimally invasive procedures can help improve your skin’s elasticity and the appearance of neck fat, including:
Other, more potent options include:
- Deoxycholic acid, or Kybella® injections, which help dissolve neck fat.
- Fat freezing and nonsurgical body sculpting, such as CoolSculpting®, and devices that use laser, radiofrequency or ultrasound energy to destroy fat cells.
To improve your neck’s underlying muscle quality and tone, you can try:
- Turkey neck exercises: Daily neck exercises can strengthen neck muscles, which may help improve your neck’s appearance. For ideas on moves you can try, ask a dermatologist.
- Botox® for turkey neck: As the platysma muscles weaken, vertical bands or cords can appear on your neck. “The muscles become tight and enlarged,” Dr. Newman explains. “Applying Botox (botulinum toxin) helps tone them down and can be very effective.” Before having Botox injections into your neck bands, though, be sure to ask your plastic surgeon about “indications” for this medication (whether it’s safe and recommended for you).
But buyer beware: “The brochures for many nonsurgical treatments commonly promise great results, but often provide subtle changes,” Dr. Newman warns. “And it usually takes several sessions to achieve desired results followed by maintenance.”
He continues: “While they can improve your skin’s character and quality, they all pale in comparison to turkey neck surgery. Nevertheless, many people are happy with their results.”Every facelift surgery is specific to the person’s unique face and goals, so it’s important to have a thorough discussion with your surgeon before your surgery.
Tips for Preventing Signs of Aging Like ‘Turkey Neck’
FAQ
What is the neck flap on a turkey called?
What is another name for a turkey neck?
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double chin
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jowls
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excess neck fat
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fat below the chin
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submental fat
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submental fullness
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How do you fix turkey neck skin?
What is the flap of skin on a turkey?
What does a turkey neck look like?
Let’s talk turkey — not the bird, but rather the loose skin on your neck that resembles a turkey’s wattle, those wrinkled folds of skin that hang under its beak. “Turkey neck” comes with aging, weight fluctuations and sun exposure, three things that are hard to avoid.
What is a wry neck?
The term “wry neck” is a non-medical description of a condition called torticollis. Torticollis is a twisting of the neck that leaves the head turned or tilted to one side, often with an inability to move the head. The cause is unknown and can be present at birth, presumably related to the position of the fetus in the womb that affects the neck muscles. Other potential causes include sleeping in an unusual position, viral infection, or injury. Neck spasm or scarring of the skin or muscles around the neck (as may occur with burn injuries) may lead to torticollis.
Does aging skin look like turkey neck?
Developing fine lines and wrinkles around the face and neck is a natural part of the aging process that can’t be avoided entirely. However, the appearance of aging skin—like turkey neck—can be treated with a number of aesthetic procedures. This is a noninvasive procedure that involves injecting neurotoxins into sagging neck skin.
What causes a turkey neck?
Dr. Newman says these six factors can cause turkey neck: Aging: Your skin naturally loses elasticity as you get older. “Gravity takes over, and the skin on your cheeks starts to drift down,” explains Dr. Newman. “Your cheek skin then pools underneath your jawline and in your neck.”