What To Do About Turkey Neck: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention

“Turkey neck” refers to the saggy or wrinkled skin on the neck that develops with aging. A good skin care routine, as well as exercising the neck muscles, can protect the skin and help tighten the neck muscles. But to remove excess skin, you may need surgery.

Turkey neck occurs when your neck muscles begin weakening, and your skin loses its elasticity or ability to stretch and stay tight.

Many facial and neck exercises claim to help alleviate turkey neck. Yet, to date, no reputable studies have analyzed whether or not these exercises actually work.

Exercise is good for your health and can tone your muscles, but it doesn’t eliminate excess skin. So, while exercises might help tighten up your neck muscles, the skin on top of them might not see change.

Turkey neck is a common sign of aging that no one wants to end up with. As we get older, skin loses elasticity and facial fat starts to drift, leading to loose, sagging skin and fat deposits under the chin and on the neck. The dreaded turkey neck tends to appear suddenly, and once you’ve noticed it, there’s no ignoring it. Luckily, there are treatments available to improve or eliminate turkey neck, ranging from minimally invasive procedures to surgery. This article will cover everything you need to know about what causes turkey neck, how to treat it, and how to help prevent it.

What Causes Turkey Neck?

Turkey neck develops due to a combination of factors that affect the skin, fat, and muscles in the neck area. The main causes are:

Aging As we age skin loses collagen and elasticity. Gravity takes over causing fat and skin from the face to drift down and collect under the jawline and on the neck. This is the primary cause of turkey neck in most adults.
Weight gain: Extra weight, especially as we get older, can lead to excess fat deposits in the neck area.
Genetics: Some people are just prone to carrying extra fat and skin tissue in their neck area, often running in families.
Lifestyle factors: Smoking, sun exposure, environmental toxins, and poor diet can degrade skin elasticity over time.
Medications: Certain medications like steroids may cause fat deposits to accumulate in the neck.
Weak neck muscles: The platysma neck muscles can weaken with age, affecting neck contour.

Treatments for Turkey Neck

There are surgical and nonsurgical options available to treat turkey neck, each with their own benefits and limitations. The right treatment depends on your specific concerns, budget, downtime, and expected results.

Types of Treatments

Nonsurgical Options

Botox injections can treat the vertical bands that develop with turkey neck by relaxing the platysma muscles Results last 3-4 months
Laser skin tightening uses heat to stimulate collagen production and tighten skin. Multiple treatments are needed for moderate improvement.
Ultherapy uses ultrasound energy to lift and tighten skin. Results are subtle and incremental over multiple treatments.
Injectable fillers like Sculptra can help improve skin tone and elasticity over a series of treatments. Results last about 2 years.
Kybella injections dissolve fat under the chin. Several rounds of injections are needed and there can be significant swelling.
CoolSculpting freezes and destroys fat cells under the chin to reduce fullness. Gradual improvement over 2-3 months.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

Laser liposuction removes fat while also tightening the area with laser energy. There is moderate downtime.
Neck liposuction removes fat under the chin and can cause some skin tightening. There is minimal scarring and 1 week recovery.
Limited-incision neck lift tightens neck muscles and removes fat through a small incision. There is minimal scarring and downtime.

Surgical Options

Neck lift (platysmaplasty) removes excess neck skin and fat and tightens muscles. There are incisions under the chin and behind the ears.
Lower facelift tightens the jawline and neck by repositioning deeper tissues. Incisions go around the ears and under the chin. There is 1-2 weeks recovery.
Liposuction removes isolated fat under the chin. There is minimal scarring and downtime.

Finding a Qualified Plastic Surgeon

Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in facial procedures is the best way to determine the right treatment for your concerns. The surgeon will examine your skin elasticity, fat deposits, and muscle tone before recommending options tailored to your unique anatomy and goals.

Be sure to research surgeons thoroughly, looking at their before and after photos, qualifications, reviews, and accreditations like membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Choosing an experienced, reputable plastic surgeon can help ensure safe, natural-looking results from your turkey neck treatment.

Prevention and Home Care

While turkey neck is largely genetic, there are some preventive measures you can take to help stave it off:

Maintain a healthy weight to avoid excess fat accumulation in the neck.
Perform facial exercises like chin lifts, neck stretches, and jaw releases to tone muscles.
Use sun protection and moisturizers with antioxidants daily to preserve skin elasticity.
Avoid smoking, which degrades collagen.
Sleep on your back to prevent sleep lines and wrinkles from forming on the neck.
Use gua sha tools to increase blood flow and promote lymphatic drainage in the neck.
Consider in-office treatments like ultherapy, laser skin tightening, and microneedling in your late 30s-40s as a preventive measure.

While turkey neck is an inevitable part of aging, there are treatments available to recontour and refresh the neck area for a more youthful profile. Talk to a qualified plastic surgeon to find your best options. With diligent at-home care and the right procedures, you can kiss turkey neck goodbye.

what to do about turkey neck

Four facial exercises for turkey neck

Some commonly suggested facial exercises include:

Forehead push

Place one hand on your forehead.
Push your head against your hand without allowing your head to move forward.
Hold this position for 10 seconds.
Then, hold both of your hands behind your head, pushing backwards with your neck, and hold for 10 seconds.

Chew

Sit with your back straight.
Lift your head back so your chin points toward the ceiling.
Keep your lips closed and make a chewing motion with your mouth.
Repeat 20 times.

Kiss

Sit with your back straight.
Lift your head so your chin points to the ceiling with your lips closed.
Pout your lips as if you were giving a kiss.
Repeat 20 times.

Neck lift

Lie on your bed with your head hanging over the edge and your face looking toward the ceiling.
Carefully and slowly lift your head up as high as you can, using your neck muscles.
Repeat five times.
Do not continue this exercise if you experience neck pain.

N-acetyl glucosamine, a natural form of the chemical glucosamine, is found in many types of neck and other antiaging creams. There is some research suggesting such creams can help improve the appearance of turkey neck by firming and smoothing the skin while reducing the effects of hyperpigmentation.

In one study, 42 women had continuously improving neck appearances while using a cosmetic cream containing N-acetyl glucosamine over a 16-week period.

In a larger study of 85 women, twice-daily use of a neck cream also improved neck appearance in 94 percent of study subjects.

Surgical procedures are by far the quickest and most effective treatments for turkey neck. Traditional surgeries require cutting and tend to leave scars, while some of the newer treatments are less invasive. Here’s a list of common surgeries and medical procedures that can help get rid of turkey neck:

Turkey Neck : Best Tightening Treatments

FAQ

Can you get rid of a turkey neck?

Laser skin tightening such as the Endolift, Thermage and Morpeus8 can help tighten a turkey neck without surgery. They work by heating and tightening the skin of the neck. The results vary depending on the type of laser used; typically, a number of sessions are required to attain a result.

Can turkey neck be improved?

“You can improve tone on the neck, but the amount of collagen and elastin in the neck skin is less than most other areas on the body. You can’t really tighten that area up that much, unless you move to the more surgical end of the spectrum.”

What is the best non-surgical treatment for turkey neck?

Ultherapy® is the only FDA-cleared, non-invasive and revolutionary technology device for lifting the skin on the neck and chin. It uses ultrasound technology to deliver heat to the deeper layers of the skin right down to the neck muscles (platysmal muscles). This stimulates remodelling and tightening of collagen.

What can I do if I have a turkey neck?

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.

How can I fix my neck pain?

Gentle streching, alternating ice pack with heat several times and massage can help in relieving neck pain. Mild analgesic spray, liniment or cream can also be used to relieve pain.

How do you get rid of Turkey Neck pain?

Push your head up as high as you can and repeat five times. If this exercise is causing neck pain, it’s recommended that you don’t continue with it. A good skincare routine may be one of the most effective ways to treat a number of skin concerns, including turkey neck.

Is it possible to tighten a turkey neck?

Yes! Yes, it’s more than possible to tighten sagging neck skin that causes the dreaded turkey neck. But the time it takes to get rid of a turkey neck depends on age, skin elasticity, and body composition. Younger people will have stronger skin elasticity and are less likely to have UV damage, making it easier to tighten loose neck skin.