Turkey Neck: Exercises, Cosmetics, and Surgeries

Medical note: This article is for education, not personal medical advice. If you’re considering in-office treatments or surgery (or you have pain, a lump, sudden swelling, or trouble swallowing), talk with a board-certified dermatologist, facial plastic surgeon, or plastic surgeon.

First: what “turkey neck” actually is (and why it shows up)

“Turkey neck” is the nickname for the loose, crepey, or sagging look under the chin and along the front of the neck. It can show up as:

• Skin laxity (looser skin that doesn’t “snap back” the way it used to)
• Platysmal bands (two vertical “cords” that pop when you talk, smile, or tense your neck)
• Submental fullness (fat under the chin, also known as the “double chin” zone)
• A mix of all three (because the neck loves teamwork)

Why it happens is less mysterious than it feels in the mirror. The neck has thinner skin, fewer oil glands than your face, and it gets plenty of sun… while often getting exactly zero skincare. Add normal aging, genetics, gravity, and lifestyle factors like significant weight changes, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a neckline that’s suddenly auditioning for a Thanksgiving table.

The big drivers

• Collagen and elastin breakdown: UV exposure speeds up the loss of the proteins that keep skin firm and springy.
• Muscle changes: The platysma (a thin neck muscle) can separate with age, creating bands.
• Fat shifts: Some people gain fullness under the chin; others lose volume in ways that make skin look looser.
• Bone and posture changes: Jawline definition can soften, and “tech neck” posture can emphasize creases.

A quick self-check: which “type” of turkey neck are you dealing with?

Stand in good lighting, relax your shoulders, and look straight ahead (no chin-jutting like you’re posing for a passport photo). Then try these clues:

• Crepey texture and fine lines: More skin quality than muscle or fat.
• Two vertical cords that appear when you grimace: Likely platysmal bands.
• Fullness under the chin that you can gently pinch: More submental fat (sometimes plus loose skin).
• “Loose drape” skin that hangs even at rest: More advanced laxityoften best improved with procedures.

This isn’t a diagnosisjust a helpful way to match solutions to the real cause. Because using a “tightening cream” for a muscle band is like trying to fix a squeaky door with a scented candle. Pleasant, but… not the point.

Exercises: the truth, the hype, and what they can actually help

What exercises can do

Neck and posture exercises can help with:

• Posture (less forward-head posture can reduce the “folded” look of horizontal lines)
• Muscle endurance (supporting the neck and upper back can improve overall silhouette)
• Confidence (which is underrated and 100% free)

What exercises can’t do (sorry)

Exercises generally cannot remove excess skin or “melt” fat in a targeted way. And if vertical bands are your main issue, strengthening the platysma won’t necessarily make them less noticeablesometimes it can make them pop more when the muscle tightens.

That said, some facial exercise programs have shown modest improvements in perceived aging in small studies. The key word is modestand the improvements were not the same as what procedures can do. Think “better posture and a little lift” rather than “new neck, who dis?”

A practical 10-minute routine (safe, simple, and not weird)

If you want a routine that supports your neck and posture without promising magical skin shrinkage, try this most days of the week. Stop if you feel pain, dizziness, or tingling.

1. Chin tucks (2 sets of 8–10): Sit tall. Gently glide your chin straight back (like making a subtle double chin on purpose). Hold 3 seconds, release. This strengthens deep neck flexors and counters forward-head posture.
2. Shoulder blade squeezes (2 sets of 10): Pull shoulder blades “down and back,” as if you’re tucking them into your back pockets. Hold 2 seconds.
3. Wall posture reset (1 minute): Stand with head, upper back, and hips near a wall. Relax shoulders. Breathe slowly.
4. Neck side stretch (30 seconds each side): Tilt ear toward shoulder gently. No bouncing.
5. Jawline “press” (2 sets of 6): Place the back of your hand under your chin and apply light resistance as you gently press down with your jaw (tiny motion). This is about control, not intensity.

Expectation setting: You may see better posture and less “scrunching” of lines in 4–8 weeks. If your main issue is loose skin or banding, exercises are best used as a supportive habitnot the headline act.

Cosmetics and non-surgical options: from skincare to in-office tightening

Start with the boring winners: sunscreen and consistency

If your neck had a group chat, sunscreen would be the friend who keeps showing up with water and snacks: not glamorous, but somehow responsible for everybody still functioning.

• Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30+ is a common dermatologist recommendation) applied to the neck and chest, not just the face.
• Reapply if you’re outdoors for long periods (especially after sweating or wiping your neck).
• Protective habits like shade and clothing help, tooespecially because the neck gets sun from above and reflected light below.

Topicals that can improve “crepey” texture over time

Topicals won’t lift hanging skin like a surgical procedure, but they can improve the quality of the skin: texture, fine lines, and brightness. Useful ingredients include:

• Retinoids/retinol: Often used for mild fine lines and uneven tone. Start low, go slow, and moisturizeneck skin can be sensitive.
• Antioxidants (like vitamin C): Support brighter-looking skin and help address discoloration from sun exposure.
• Niacinamide and peptides: Helpful for barrier support and a smoother look (results vary).
• Moisturizers with humectants (hyaluronic acid, glycerin): Plumpness and comfortespecially if your neck feels dry or looks crepey.
• Gentle exfoliants (like lactic acid): Can improve texture, but overdoing it can irritate the neck fast.

Pro tip: Apply face skincare down to the neck and upper chestyour neckline doesn’t want to be the “before” photo for your face’s “after.”

In-office skin tightening devices: what they do and who they help most

Energy-based devices aim to stimulate collagen and tighten tissue gradually. They tend to work best for mild to moderate laxity, not dramatic hanging skin.

Common categories

• Ultrasound skin tightening: Targets deeper layers to encourage lifting and tightening over time.
• Radiofrequency (RF) tightening: Heats deeper skin layers to firm sagging skin gradually.
• Laser resurfacing (select cases): Can improve texture and fine linesespecially crepey skinwhen appropriate for your skin type.
• Microneedling: Traditional microneedling can help texture; RF microneedling adds heat-based energy and may increase tightening but also changes the risk profile.

Important safety note: The FDA has warned about potential serious complications with certain uses of RF microneedling, including burns, scarring, fat loss, disfigurement, and nerve damage. Translation: don’t treat this like a casual add-on at a “spa day.” Choose a properly trained, licensed medical professional and ask what device is being used, what settings are typical for the neck, and what their complication plan is.

Injectables for the neck and jawline

Injectables can be helpful when chosen for the right problem:

Neuromodulators (like Botox) for platysmal bands

When the main issue is vertical banding, carefully placed neuromodulator injections can relax the bands and soften their appearance for a few months. It’s often used for early banding and mild laxity, sometimes as part of a broader plan with skin tightening or skincare.

Fillers (selected cases)

Some clinicians use fillers strategically around the jawline or adjacent areas to improve the look of contour and shadows. But fillers require an experienced injector and thoughtful anatomy-based planning.

Why the caution? The FDA notes that the most concerning risk of dermal fillers is unintentional injection into a blood vessel, which can lead to serious complications. This is rare, but it’s why “cheap and fast” should not be your selection criteria.

“Double chin” treatments: when fat is the main player

If submental fullness is the main issue, options include:

• Deoxycholic acid injections (brand name Kybella): FDA-approved for reducing submental fat in adults. It can take multiple sessions and swelling is common. It’s best when fat is the issuenot when loose skin is the primary concern.
• Submental liposuction: A surgical option that can be very effective for fat, often with faster visible contouring than injections, depending on the person.

Safety note: The FDA warns that unapproved “fat-dissolving” injections marketed online or used in some nonmedical settings can cause serious adverse reactions (including infections and scarring). If it’s not FDA-approved and it’s being pitched like a smoothie cleanse for your chin, that’s a no.

Surgery: when you want the biggest, most predictable change

Non-surgical options can be great for early to moderate concerns. But when you have significant loose skin, prominent bands, or a “draping” look, surgery often provides the most noticeable and reliable improvement.

Neck lift (platysmaplasty): the classic solution

A neck liftalso called platysmaplastytargets the key causes of turkey neck by tightening underlying muscle, removing or repositioning fat when needed, and addressing excess skin. Incisions are typically placed around the ears and sometimes under the chin, depending on the technique and your anatomy.

Many people combine a neck lift with a facelift for a more harmonious jawline and lower-face resultbecause fixing the neck while ignoring jowls can sometimes look like you edited one side of a photo and forgot the rest.

Neck liposuction or submentoplasty: for fullness with decent skin elasticity

If you have submental fat but your skin still has reasonable elasticity, a surgeon may recommend liposuction (sometimes with additional tightening steps). This can sharpen the angle between the chin and neckoften called the cervicomental anglewithout needing extensive skin removal.

Risks and recovery: what people often underestimate

Every procedure has trade-offs. Surgical options usually mean:

• Downtime: Swelling and bruising are common early on, and you may wear a supportive dressing for a period.
• Temporary tightness or numbness: Sensation changes can happen during healing.
• Risks: As plastic surgery organizations outline, risks can include bleeding, infection, anesthesia risks, fluid collection (hematoma), scarring, asymmetry, prolonged swelling, andrarelynerve injury.

In real life, “recovery” isn’t always dramatic painit’s often a mix of tightness, swelling that comes and goes, and the emotional roller coaster of looking puffy before you look polished. Planning for that is half the battle.

How to pick the right clinician (this matters more than the device)

Whether you’re choosing a dermatologist for tightening procedures or a surgeon for a neck lift, look for:

• Appropriate board certification (for surgery, many patients specifically look for certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery)
• Experience with neck anatomy (the neck is less forgiving than cheeks)
• Before-and-after photos of patients with similar starting points
• A clear discussion of risks and a plan for complications

A decision ladder: choosing the best turkey neck treatment for you

If you want a simple, sane way to choose, use this ladder:

Step 1: Improve skin quality (almost everyone benefits)

• Daily sunscreen on face, neck, and chest
• Moisturizer + gentle retinoid/retinol routine (as tolerated)
• Posture habits and a short neck/upper back routine

Step 2: Add targeted non-surgical treatments (mild to moderate concerns)

• Energy-based tightening (ultrasound, RF, select lasers)
• Neuromodulators for visible platysmal bands
• Kybella for submental fat when skin laxity is not the main issue

Step 3: Consider surgery (moderate to advanced laxity or strong banding)

• Neck lift (platysmaplasty) for skin + muscle concerns
• Neck lipo/submentoplasty for fat-driven fullness with decent elasticity
• Combination with facelift for jawline/jowl concerns

Reality check: Many people do best with a combination: skincare + a device + a small injectable, or surgery plus skin-resurfacing later. The neck often needs a team, not a lone hero.

What results last the longest?

• Skincare: Ongoing maintenance. Changes are gradual and depend on consistency.
• Devices: Results typically build over weeks to months; maintenance treatments may be needed.
• Neuromodulators: Temporary; many people repeat every few months.
• Kybella: Fat cells treated are reduced permanently, but remaining fat can still expand with weight changes; swelling during treatment cycles is common.
• Surgery: Often the most dramatic and durable improvement, though aging continues (because time is rude like that).

Frequently asked questions

Do neck creams work?

They can improve hydration and texture, and retinoid-based products may help mild fine lines over time. But they won’t remove significant extra skin or fix muscle banding. If the marketing sounds like it’s promising surgery in a jar, it’s selling you fiction.

Is turkey neck preventable?

You can’t out-sunscreen genetics, but you can slow down visible aging with consistent sun protection, good skincare habits, and avoiding dramatic weight cycling when possible.

Are at-home tightening devices safe?

Some at-home tools are marketed for cosmetic use, but “safe” depends on the device, the user, and the condition being treated. If you’re considering anything that heats skin, uses needles, or feels “medical,” it’s wise to talk with a clinician firstespecially given reported risks with certain energy-based procedures when misused.

Conclusion: your neck isn’t failingyou’re just finally noticing it

Turkey neck is common, multifactorial, and (thankfully) treatableif you match the solution to the cause. Exercises and posture work can support your neck’s overall look, skincare can improve texture and slow down photoaging, and in-office procedures can tighten mild-to-moderate laxity. For more advanced sagging or strong platysmal banding, surgical options like a neck lift tend to deliver the most predictable change. The best plan is the one that fits your anatomy, budget, downtime tolerance, and comfort with riskpreferably guided by a qualified professional who treats the neck like the complex structure it is.

Real-world experiences: what people commonly report (about )

These are composite experiences based on commonly reported patient journeys in clinics and consultationsshared to help you anticipate the “feel” of each option.

1) “I did the exercises… and my neck looked better in photos, but the skin didn’t magically vanish.”

One common story starts with posture. A person notices their neck looks worse on video calls (hello, laptop angle), so they commit to chin tucks and upper-back strengthening. After a month or two, they report fewer “stacked lines” when sitting, and their jawline looks a bit cleaner in selfiesmostly because their head isn’t drifting forward anymore. They’re pleasantly surprised by how much posture changes the shadow under the chin. But they also realize the honest limitation: when they pinch the loose skin at rest, it’s still there. Their takeaway is usually: “Exercises helped my posture and confidence, but they’re not a substitute for a procedure.” That’s a winjust not a miracle.

2) “Retinol made my neck smoother… after I stopped treating it like my forehead.”

Another frequent experience is the skincare learning curve. Someone brings their face routine down the neckthen overdoes it. The neck gets irritated, flaky, or red, and they conclude “retinol doesn’t work for me.” Later, with guidance, they restart slowly: a gentler formula, fewer nights per week, and more moisturizer. Over a few months, they often notice the skin looks less crepey and makeup sits better. The result isn’t a lift, but it’s a refinement: smoother texture, less “papery” look, and fewer fine lines. The biggest lesson they share is consistency and patience. Also, sunscreen. Always sunscreen. The neck is basically a billboard for sun exposure.

3) “The tightening device was subtleuntil I compared photos.”

People who choose ultrasound or RF tightening often describe a slow-burn improvement. Right after the appointment, they might look a bit puffy or flushed, then everything seems… normal. A few weeks later, they realize their neck looks slightly firmer, especially when turning their head or in side profile. The most common emotional arc is: “I expected instant drama, but it’s gradual.” Many are happiest when they treat it as incrementallike polishing a look that’s already closerather than trying to erase significant laxity. When expectations are realistic, they’re often satisfied. When expectations are “I want surgery results without surgery,” disappointment is more likely.

4) “Surgery was the biggest changeand the recovery was a mental game.”

People who go for a neck lift often describe the result as the most dramatic and the most predictable. They also mention that recovery is not just physical. Early swelling can make them question everything, and they may feel tightness or temporary numbness that’s unsettling at first. Many say the turning point is when bruising fades and the contour starts to “settle,” which can take weeks. Those who feel happiest usually planned well: time off, help at home, and a surgeon who explained the timeline clearly. Their recurring advice is simple: choose credentials over convenience, and don’t judge your final result while you still look like you lost a pillow fight with gravity.