How To Get Rid Of Turkey Neck

If you find yourself hesitating before you take that selfie because of loose skin in your neck area, you might be wondering how to get rid of turkey neck for good.

Hiding behind scarves or high-collared shirts might work as a temporary solution, but if you’re fed up with relying on the right angle in order to feel good about yourself, it might be time to look at alternative solutions.

Dominic Bray is a board-certified plastic surgeon who is renowned for his surgical turkey neck treatment provding neck lifts in London.

Surgical neck lift procedures tackle weakened neck muscles and excess skin to ensure permanent and long-lasting results.

Turkey neck surgery might be at the extreme end of cosmetic treatment options that can tighten sagging neck skin, so let’s explore some other turkey neck treatments available along with some of the reasons why a turkey neck occurs.

What is a ‘turkey neck’

By ‘turkey neck,’ we mean the loose, sagging skin and excess fat around the neck area.

It tends to become more pronounced with age as collagen production slows down and the skin naturally loses its elasticity.

As unkind as the term may be, its origin is all-too obvious, making an unflattering comparison between a person’s neck and that seen on the farmyard bird.

Although the precise nature for the appearance of this sagging will vary by patient, two factors are typical.

Firstly, neck muscles weaken as we age, this reduces the ability for the skin to remain taut, hence it can start to sag.

The other issue is collagen depletion, this a natural part of ageing.

 

At what age does a turkey neck start to appear?

Unfortunately for a lot of us, turkey neck can make an appearance as early as our 40s when the neck muscles and neck skin begin to weaken.

Loose and sagging skin is a common side effect of ageing but it can and does lead to us feeling self-conscious.

There isn’t much you can do to stop the ageing process sadly, but there are steps you can take to combat loose neck skin.

 

What causes a turkey neck?

As mentioned, the main cause of turkey neck is ageing – but why?

As we age, our skin loses elasticity and collagen which causes sagging skin and wrinkles.

In addition to that, the neck muscles also begin to weaken which exacerbates the problem.

Extra fat from our youth may no longer plump out areas of the face and neck and as a result, loose skin can start to hang under the jawline and across the neck area.

See our companion blog to delve deeper into the causes of so-called turkey necks.

Why Treat a Sagging Neck?

As with so many signs of ageing, or physical concerns there is no pressing health need to have a sagging neck treated. It is a natural part of ageing, even if it may be exaggerated in any individual.

It is not unhealthy.

Why then have it treated?

The answer lies in well-being and a broader view of health.

Everyone likes to look their best – this does not mean their very best at all times – perfect make-up and hair – but it does mean a good version of themselves. A version whereby at any time you can look in a mirror and think ‘I look good’ and not instead focus on any imperfection that seems to dominate the appearance.

Many with sagging neck skin will be unconcerned, they won’t give it much thought.

They probably won’t be reading this page, though they may have concerns about other aspects of their appearance.

For others, the ‘turkey neck’ will be a cause for concern and perhaps the reason their self-esteem and confidence is often lower than it could be.

Turkey neck treatment can therefore do far more than simply change someone’s appearance, it can change their whole mindset.

It can improve every aspect of their life from work through to relationships and friendships.

Leading neck and facial surgeon Dominic Bray states: ‘It is clear to me, contradictory to popular misconception, that the majority of patients seeking correction of signs of ageing are motivated by far more than just vanity. There is no doubt that for most of us, when we look our best, we have renewed confidence and energy about every aspect of our lives. This new confidence is life enriching.’

Turkey Neck Treatments

There are a many different ways to lessen the appearance of turkey neck from non-surgical treatments to face and neck lifts; let’s start with the least costly and invasive: natural treatments.

How to get rid of turkey neck naturally

Good skincare routine and healthy diet

Results may not be as drastic as what can be achieved by other methods of getting rid of turkey neck, but a good skincare routine and maintaining a healthy diet can go some way to tightening and firming excess skin.

Look out for products that contain ingredients such as retinol, hyaluronic acid and peptides to improve collagen production and improve skin elasticity.

You may also want to consider cheating a little by giving the natural approach a nudge with skin boosters which may help improve the neck’s appearance.

Turkey neck exercises

Learning how to strengthen your neck muscles can improve the appearance of a turkey neck.

Facial exercises like neck stretches, chin tucks and head lifts can do wonders for weak neck muscles and will in turn tighten loose skin and improve the appearance of wrinkled skin.

Moving your jaw in a chewing motion while keeping your lips closed and your chin slightly angled upwards can fire up the muscles in your neck.

You can also try pushing your forehead against your hands until you feel some tension in your neck.

Finally, point your chin upwards and purse your lips as if you are about to kiss someone.

Hold each position for a few seconds and repeat each exercise up to 5 times daily.

Exercise can help to tone the neck muscles but it will not be able to remove loose skin.

Non Surgical Turkey Neck Treatments

Facial injectables

Non-invasive treatments for turkey necks include things like Botox injections which can lessen the appearance of neck wrinkles quickly.

Unlike surgical procedures, there is little to no downtime associated with these line relaxing injections and they can be very effective instantly on skin laxity.

Laser skin tightening

Another popular cosmetic procedure is laser skin tightening which can tackle excess neck skin by boosting collagen production.

Results can be seen almost instantly but are expected to improve over time as skin cell turnover speeds up.

Ultrasound Energy Therapy

Ultrasound energy and radio frequency microneedling are also excellent non-invasive options that kickstart collagen and elastin production in ageing skin.

Results continue to develop up to 9 months post-treatment, during which time you should experience tighter skin in the jowl area.

Surgical Turkey Neck Treatments

Surgery is now typically considered the most effective option for treating the issue of loose skin in the neck region.

When undertaken by a skilled, experienced surgeon, it is a procedure where results are highly predictable, producing the change to appearance a patient is so keen to see.

Neck Lift Surgery

If you require more dramatic and long-lasting results, a surgical neck lift may be your best option. The neck lift procedure will remove excess skin and a qualified plastic surgeon will tighten the underlying neck muscle and reposition the neck bands into a more desirable position.

Neck lifts do require a longer recovery period but the results tend to be more transformative than any other solution.

Neck lift Surgery Results

Words alone cannot do any surgery justice – it is easy to speak of profound results, but what is the reality?

You must seek before and after photos and these must be fair – under the same lighting, without make-up added and when the surgery has settled into the permanent results.

Please see Dominic Bray’s photo gallery for examples, this can be filtered to demonstrate neck lift surgery.

It is natural to wonder if results from surgery are permanent.

In the case of a neck lift to eradicate sagging neck skin, the surgery will typically set back ageing by seven to 10 years – so the neck region will look roughly that many years younger.

After this, ageing will occur but as if delayed, so if the neck looked 10 years younger then, five years later, it would still look 10 years younger than it otherwise would have done.

In this regard they have a permanent impact – this better than results that lead to time almost freezing – imagine how out of place any feature would look if it simply stopped ageing while everything else around it did age.

Is a surgical procedure right for you?

If you’re still unsure about the best way to fix turkey neck and would like to speak to an expert, you can book a consultation with Dominic Bray to discuss your options.

Dominic’s CV is stunning and you can read more about him on this site through a detailed resume and also information on his ethos.

He is wideley recognised as one of the UK’s leading facial surgeons and consults from his private clinics in Harley Street London and Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

You can contact our clinics on +44 203 417 9980 or through this site.