Will Losing Weight Help Turkey Neck? Everything You Need To Know

Turkey neck is a common concern for many people as they age. The loose saggy skin that develops under the chin and along the neck can make you look older and feel self-conscious. If you’re wondering “will losing weight help turkey neck?” then you’ve come to the right place. This article will explain what causes turkey neck, whether weight loss can improve its appearance, and provide an overview of other treatment options.

What Causes Turkey Neck?

Turkey neck occurs due to a combination of factors:

• Aging As we get older our skin loses collagen and elasticity. This allows gravity to pull the facial tissues downwards and cause sagging.

• Genetics Some people are just prone to carrying excess fat and skin around the neck and jawline area.

• Lifestyle factors: Smoking, sun exposure, and poor nutrition can all degrade skin quality over time.

• Weight fluctuations: Gaining weight can increase fat deposits around the neck. Even after weight loss, the skin may not bounce back if it has lost elasticity.

• Weak neck muscles: The platysma muscles along the neck can separate and weaken with age.

Can Weight Loss Improve Turkey Neck?

Losing excess body fat can potentially slim and tighten the appearance of the neck to some degree. However, results vary from person to person based on age and skin elasticity.

Here’s a quick overview:

• If you’re young with healthy skin: Losing weight may help your skin retract and tighten on its own. The results can be dramatic.

• If you’re older with sun-damaged or sagging skin: You may only see minimal improvement even after significant weight loss. The skin simply lacks the elasticity to bounce back.

• If you don’t have much weight to lose: Slimming down won’t make a noticeable difference in neck tightness if excess fat isn’t the cause.

• If weight fluctuates frequently: Repeated weight loss and gain can damage skin elasticity over time. At a certain point, the skin stops snapping back.

The takeaway? Weight loss might help reduce a turkey neck somewhat for certain people. But it has its limitations, especially for older individuals whose skin has lost collagen and elasticity. Additional treatments are often needed.

Nonsurgical Options for Turkey Neck

Aside from losing weight, there are nonsurgical options to improve turkey neck:

Topical Creams

• Antioxidant creams with vitamin C, vitamin E, and retinol can mildly improve skin tone and elasticity over several months of daily use. However, dramatic tightening is unlikely.

• Neck creams containing peptides may provide mild muscle-firming benefits to keep neck skin taut. Collagen-stimulating ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides also hydrate.

In-Office Procedures

More intensive options include:

• Injectables: Botox can relax neck cords. Kybella dissolves fat under the chin.

• Energy-based treatments: Ultherapy, radiofrequency microneedling, and laser skin resurfacing promote collagen regeneration to lift and tighten neck skin. Several sessions are required.

• Body contouring: CoolSculpting freezes away small pockets of fat. Results are subtle.

• B12 injections: Can potentially firm neck skin tone. More research is needed.

While these treatments don’t provide dramatic changes like surgery, they can help rejuvenate neck skin to a moderate degree. Ask your dermatologist or plastic surgeon about your options.

Exercises for Turkey Neck

Targeted neck exercises can strengthen the underlying muscles. This may provide mild improvements in neck tightness and profile:

• Chin tucks: Draw your chin straight back to align it over your neck. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Do 2 sets of 15 reps daily.

• Neck stretches: Gently tilt your head to each side, holding the stretch for 30 seconds on each side. Repeat 2-3 times.

• Isometric presses: Press your palm gently against your forehead as if pushing back. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Do 15 reps.

Be patient, as it may take weeks or months to notice a difference. But combined with other treatments, exercise supports neck tightening.

Surgical Options for Turkey Neck

For moderate to severe turkey neck, the gold standard treatment is surgery:

Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty)

This procedure addresses turkey neck caused by:

• Excess neck skin
• Weak or separated platysma muscles
• Excess fat

Incisions are made under the chin and/or behind the ears. The surgeon redistributes excess fat, trims away skin, and sutures the platysma muscles together to tighten the neck. Liposuction may be used as well.

The results are dramatic and long-lasting (10-15 years), but there is 2-4 week recovery. Risks include scarring and numbness.

Lower Facelift

A facelift targets sagging facial skin along the jaw, cheeks, and neck. Incisions are made near the hairline, in front of the ear, and behind the earlobe. Excess skin is removed, and underlying tissues are lifted vertically. The neck and jowls become sharply defined.

A lower facelift focuses specifically on neck rejuvenation. Combined with a platysmaplasty, results are transformative. There are surgical risks to consider.

The Bottom Line

Mild turkey neck may improve somewhat with weight loss in younger folks with good skin elasticity. But surgical neck lift or lower facelift procedures typically provide the most dramatic, long-lasting improvements in neck tightness and definition.

Nonsurgical options like skin-tightening treatments can also enhance neck tightness moderately when performed in a series over time. But your age and skin quality will factor into results.

Your best bet? Talk to both a plastic surgeon and dermatologist. Together, they can help devise a customized treatment plan based on your unique needs and goals. With a combination approach, you can finally say goodbye to turkey neck!