Get Rid of Turkey Neck: At-Home Solutions

I'll show you how I firmed-up sagging neck skin. See which turkey neck exercises worked with before after pictures.

Turkey neck, neck waddle, gobble neck, sagging neck… Whatever you call it – at some point we all get it, and we all hate it!

How do you get rid of turkey neck fast?

Just to be clear, firming up saggy skin on the neck takes time. Even with surgery, it can take months to a year to fully heal and see results.

At-home solutions, like face and neck exercises, can help improve the area, as you can see from my before and after pictures below.

But at-home solutions take time.

I know that's frustrating to hear, since you can't hide a turkey neck with jewelry or makeup.

But, if you're looking for inexpensive home solutions to a firmer neck area, give these suggestions a try for a few months.

Full Disclosure: If you have very loose, hanging skin on the neck and jowls, you may not see dramatic results. Keep in mind, nothing short of surgery will give you that super tight look of a surgical neck lift. But check out my before and after neck pictures to see what is possible.

Neck tightening exercise to get rid of turkey neck

The best neck exercise to get rid of sagging neck should involve a two-pronged approach:

Build up muscles in the face and front of the neck with facial exercises.
Massage the skin to smooth out lines, wrinkles and crêpy skin.

WHY? Because not only are we dealing with saggy neck skin, but many of us have issues with neck wrinkles or dry, crêpy, parchment-like skin.

Facial Exercises for a Firmer Neck? In order to firm up loose skin on the neck, you have to exercise the whole face and neck to create a good solid facial foundation first because all facial muscles are interconnected.

Facial Muscles are Interconnected

All the muscles from your scalp to your upper chest are interconnected. So trying to firm only the sagging muscles of your neck won't work very well.

It's important to engage, exercise, and firm-up all 57 muscles of the face and neck to establish a good foundation.

Best exercises for a saggy neck?

Here is what I did to help firm my sagging neck:

1. Start with a basic Face and Neck Exercise workout

Below is a sample of the complete Carolyn's Facial Fitness (CFF) workout I use. It includes all muscles of the face and neck (see exercises 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26).

Click on Chart to View Facial & Neck Muscles. Courtesy of Carolyn Facial Fitness (CFF).

Do the whole program (which takes 15 minutes) about 3 times a week, every week. Later, when you achieve the results you want, you only need to do them about 1-2 times a month for maintenance.

Once you start to see results (usually in about 8 weeks) you'll be so motived, it won't be hard to discipline yourself to do them... Trust me! :-)

I tried many exercise programs but didn't like them because they're too hard, confusing, or too time-consuming. Years ago, I found Carolyn's Facial Fitness (CFF) and loved it and have been using it ever since.

2. Stick with it!

Don't stop and start the exercises, or pick and select only the ones you like.

3. Take Pictures

Continue with the weekly face exercise/neck program and take pictures weekly to track your progress. This is important because in the first 4-6 weeks you won't see much difference in the mirror, but your pictures will pick up on the slightest changes. This will keep you motivated to continue.

Before and after pictures how the exercises tighten neck skin.

Note about before and after neck pictures: Make sure to take pictures at the same time of day, in the same place each time. This gives the best comparison.

4. OPTIONAL - Bonus Neck Exercises

This is optional, but some people might need or want additional improvements after doing the basic face & neck exercises.

After about 16 weeks, I saw improvements in my neck, but I wanted more. So, I added the following exercises to my weekly routine:

Bonus Exercise 1: The Brush

Bonus Exercise 2: The Neck Ring Eraser

Click on the picture to see the video. (Opens to new window).

Click here to see the written steps to this workout.

How long does it take to see results from neck exercises

Since everyone is different, this might be all you need to get your turkey neck firmed up. But, some might need more firming. I saw significant changes to my neck in only 8 weeks, but I still required more, and that's why I added the bonus exercise.

The bonus neck exercise only take a few minutes a week! But the beauty of this workout is that it address the underlying neck muscle - the platysma muscle - and helps thicken and smooth the neck skin, which helps address those pesky neck rings.

Don't spot train neck muscles

After seeing my results posted on this page, many women asked for specific neck exercises to help fix a sagging or wrinkled neck.

Basically, they wanted to just "spot train" a certain area and forget the whole face workout. But this is a bad idea for several reasons.

First - Regardless of what area of the face bothers you today - as you age - other areas will begin to show signs of aging too. As Deborah Crowely, creator of FlexEffect Facial Resistance Training states, "You may want to put emphasis on an area that concerns you, but do refrain from spot building (targeting an area exclusively). In time all areas will concern you."

Second - Since the muscles of the face and neck are interconnected, spot training - at the very least is not effective. At the very worse you risk the chance of looking imbalanced or overbuilt.

Neck and face muscles are connected

You'd be surprised how one group of muscles actually help lift and firm other surrounding areas of the face and neck.

The beauty of improving all the underlying face and neck muscles is that you'll also address other aging facial issues like:

sagging cheeks
nasolabial folds
marionette lines
puffy eyes
droopy eyebrows

Can you really tighten a turkey neck?

As stated before - depending on the severity of your sagging skin, the condition of your neck and skin muscles, and your age - results will vary.

The sooner you start to address your sagging neck, the better the results.

And, the more consistent you are with face and neck exercises, the better chance of seeing improvement.

But, just keep in mind, results with neck exercises will never be the same as a surgical neck or face lift procedure.

How to choose a face and neck exercise program

How to Find a Facial Workout Program

How do you find a facial workout program that's right for you? Visit several different facial workout websites and look for the following features:

See if they offer sample exercises. If so, try a few to determine if this is something you'll enjoy doing or will have the time to do it. Some workout programs are longer than others.
See if they offer online support or Skype classes. This can be very helpful if you're having a problem understanding how to do a certain workout correctly.
Try contacting the owner of the program to see the level of customer service you can expect. If they don't respond within a few days, move on!
See if they offer advanced or updated exercises. Workout programs that are updated periodically is an indication that they're testing new facial workout routines and/or are to keep up with current research. This means they'll be able to offer you the latest exercises or advanced exercises for stubborn or problem areas.

Carolyn's Facial Fitness FREE Sample Exercises

Non-invasive treatment options

Non-surgical ways include common treatment plans that use the latest technology such as radio frequency and ultrasound technology to stimulate the production of collagen, reduce fine lines and firm up delicate skin on the neck.

Also see 10 ways to firm up sagging neck skin using natural treatment options that worked for me.

Ultherapy treatment - This laser treatment uses ultrasound energy to heat the deeper layers of the skin to stimulate collagen production and lift and improve skin tone for a more youthful appearance.

Keep in mind that most ultrasound therapy treatments provide mild to medium results.

If you have a lot of excess neck skin or very lax skin, a neck lift surgery would be the best way to go. Most people will require several Ultherapy treatments before seeing significant results.

Botox - If your issues are due to vertical neck bands, then Botox is an excellent treatment plan.

But for best results, you will have to repeat Botox injections every few months or those vertical bands will come back.

For a long-lasting solution, vertical bands can be fixed with neck surgery. This is where the surgeon tightens the platysma muscles, eliminating vertical bands. Results are usually permanent.

How to Get Rid Of Turkey Neck Without Surgery: FAQ's

Q: Can I get rid of turkey neck without surgery?

A: Yes, you can improve the look of sagging neck skin. Visit my top 10 ways to firm the neck area here...

Q: Can Kybella treatments can help reduce the appearance of a turkey neck?

A: Kybella treatment involves injections of deoxycholic acid in and around the under chin area to help dissolve excess fat.

Sometimes, a double chin can cause the appearance of a turkey and if you reduce excess volume in the double chin area, you can improve the appearance of your neck.

Younger patients are a good candidate for this treatment since they have less skin laxity.

Q: What about PDO Threads for sagging neck?

A: PDO Threads are barbed sutures (which are temporary) that are threaded under facial skin to lift and tighten the lower face and neck.

This falls under the category of minimally invasive medical procedures. Expect results to last about 15-20 months.

Additional Information

Neck Wrinkles - See how to reduce them.

Sagging Neck - What causes the neck to sag over time?

References:

CROWLEY, D., ed. The FlexEffect, Facial Resistance Training. FlexEffect Publishing Eureka, CA. 1998,1999.

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