How To Get Rid Of Turkey Neck?
The skin and muscle that covers the neck are thin, delicate, and weak. But with years of twisting, turning, and stretching together with the pull of gravity and sacs of subcutaneous fat have a combined effect on aging. Since your neck skin is supported by muscles, their weakening with the passage of time or lack of use can weaken their ability to support the skin to which they are attached.
Meaning, your skin won’t be pulled back into place like before. Although your muscles won’t feel any different, the visible saggy skin is the result. But this is also considered good because you can do certain exercises to strengthen the muscles, increase circulation, and tighten the sagginess on your neck.
Skin Elasticity
Our skin loses the ability to repair itself and rejuvenate as we age. Unfortunately, collagen is the first to suffer the wipeout because of time. Collagen is the protein present in the skin’s middle layer, which is the dermis, that is responsible for providing structure and support for the tissue on top of it. But over time, collagen production starts to slow down and the already existing collagen is susceptible to a serious breakdown.
The reason for breakdown could be anything from the sun’s harmful UV rays, free radicals that build up in your skin, or by lack of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Because of this collagen breakdown, your skin’s youthful elasticity it once had will begin to lose.
Fat Distribution
While some people naturally have skin without extra fat, some people are more inclined to carry extra fat under their chin and along the neck. The excess fat contributes to the cause of your turkey neck. As excess fat residues, it causes your skin to stretch and, as a result, you get a neck waddle that resembles a turkey.
But this is no bad news either. A healthy diet, exercise, and slowly losing weight (extreme weight loss causes turkey neck) can help you decrease the fat deposits and tighten the skin on the neck.
Bone Position
The position of bones in the neck is another cause of turkey neck. For instance, the hyoid which is the strip of white just below the jaw can affect the skin underneath the chin and along the neck. The hyoid bone is naturally set back away from the front of the neck. Consequently, the skin is pulled back into more of a square angle (ninety-degree). But for some people, the hyoid bone is naturally set forward.
As a result, the skin underneath the chin and along the neck is pushed into a flatter and more rounded shape. Thus, the rounded neck makes your neck skin more susceptible to gravity as well as the looseness that comes with age along with a decrease in muscle tightness. All of which contributes to sagging turkey neck.
Other Causes
The lack of glands on your neck causes dryness, which in turn accelerates the aging process and makes your neck appear more weathered. Along with the daily twisting and turning, the neck skin has a tendency toward laxity which adds to the crepey texture with finely lined and saggy skin.
Also, the contraction of the underlying platysma muscle (the muscle that runs roughly underneath your chin to the sternum) starts to detach and loosen, thus, it may cause the vertical cords of the neck to look prominent from the chin to collarbone. Another factor is, of course, the damaging UV rays that add to the elasticity and collagen breakdown.
How To Get Rid Of Turkey Neck?
Fortunately, you don’t have to live with the banded appearance forever. There are different ways you can try to tighten loose skin under the neck and get rid of the turkey neck.
There are a good number of exercises, topical treatments, and natural beauty supplements you can try without resorting to surgery. But if you want more effective treatment, you can always choose surgeries or a more conservative approach.
