Causes of Turkey Neck and Aging Effects on the Neck Compared to our faces, the skin on our necks is thinner, making it more prone to the effects of aging. As we age, the platysma muscles in our necks separate and descend, causing lines and sagging.
Sagging skin along the jaw, neck, and décolletage occur over time as collagen and elastin start to break down. And as it ages, the skin doesn't have the ability to bounce back like it used to, says Purvisha Patel, MD, board-certified dermatologist, and creator of Visha Skin Care.
The most common signs of an aging neck are the development of vertical muscle bands, sagging skin, and excess fat deposits. Muscle bands occur due to the regular use of the platysma muscle, with the vertical lines representing the muscle edges.
Your neck muscles always have the appearance of bands, but you can't see them until your neck starts to age. Over time, repetitive movements thicken the muscles. And then your neck loses fat and the skin thins out.
As the body ages, it loses collagen and elastin. This is why our skin starts to look wrinkly or droopy. Constant movement of the neck is a contributing factor to loss of collagen and elasticity.
"It can be hereditary, but is most often due to aging, UV damage or weight loss." Dr. Pollack explains that the neck's skin and muscles become loose once we reach age 40. The skin becomes less able to shrink with weight loss, and weakened muscles can create a banded appearance.
“Turkey neck” happens when the neck muscles begin to weaken and the skin loses elasticity. The loose skin can become droopy and wrinkled, drawing unflattering comparisons to the neck of a turkey. Age and sun exposure are the main culprits of sagging skin.
Losing neck fat is a process that can often be kickstarted by adopting healthy lifestyle changes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that neck and chin exercises can help us to minimise layers of neck fat, while exercise and a healthy diet can help us to lose weight around this area.
As a general rule, if your neck size is too large, weight loss will help to decrease the size of the neck. In some cases, evaluation by a plastic surgeon may be necessary to pursue treatments that may reduce excessive tissue, including fat or skin stabilization or removal.
You will need to spend some time directly challenging your neck muscles if you want them to adapt to become bigger and thicker. The good news is that your neck muscles respond to hypertrophy (size) training just like any other muscle.
Strength training for your neck will target fat as you burn calories, so you'll see a noticeable difference in the thickness of your neck skin. The extra flesh under your chin will decrease, and while your neck may get even larger, it'll mostly be firm, powerful muscle.
"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."
One of the best ways to tighten neck skin is to exercise regularly. This helps build up the muscles in your neck, which in turn will help support the skin and prevent it from sagging.
Fat distribution – Any excess fat in or around the neck area will cause the skin to stretch and fold over, which will result in folds that resemble a turkey's wattle. A consistent exercise regime, a healthy diet and slowly losing weight can help to decrease the fat deposits near your neck and tighten the skin.
Neck muscles can be strengthened with specific exercises, and youthful skin may tighten naturally after weight is lost and neck contour becomes more trim. After middle age, skin elasticity declines. A neck with diminished skin elasticity may remain loose, wrinkled, and sagging after neck fat is lost.
Typically, decreasing your daily calorie intake by about 500 calories will result in about 0.5kg of weight loss per week. Over time, this consistent weight loss will result in less fat overall, with the neck and face often some of the most obvious areas you will notice the decrease.
The best way to reverse a turkey neck appearance is to encourage the body to create more collagen with a non-surgical neck lift treatment like Ulthera. Ulthera, or Ultherapy, is a non-invasive treatment that uses ultrasound energy to stimulate tissues deep within the skin.
Most people notice neck skin beginning to sag and wrinkle in their late 30's or early 40's. “Turkey neck” occurs when the neck muscles start to weaken, and your skin elasticity dissipates, losing its capability to stretch and tighten.
Losing weight might help reduce the appearance of a turkey neck slightly. This is because you'll have less fat beneath your chin and around your neck. However, losing weight might not do much if you don't carry much excess weight and already have a turkey neck.