The least invasive and less expensive "cures" for turkey neck are scarves and turtleneck sweaters. This delicate part of the anatomy can begin drooping and sagging for several reasons: weight gain or loss, laxity of the platysma muscle, loose skin or swollen neck cords. The cause and extent of the sagging will determine the cure. Treatments include lasers, skin creams and surgery. Which is best for you depends on your skin, your determination and your pocketbook. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
The Causes and Cures
1. Examine your chin in a mirror. If your neck sags from fat, this can be cured with simple liposuction. If the sags are just loose skin, this too can be removed and tightened. Neither of these is an authentic turkey neck. If the skin is wrinkled or the neck cords are prominent, there are treatments for these. If the whole neck is wattled and droops, you have advanced turkey neck.
2. Choose Thermage or Fraxel Re:store or Fraxel Re:pair laser treatments in mild cases of turkey neck. These tighten skin, remove age spots and stimulate collagen. Recovery is two to three days, with red skin possible for two to three weeks. Select a certified plastic surgeon who also knows fractional laser treatments. Lasers tighten the skin by contracting the overlying collagen. Try less invasive external lasers or fractionated lasers for very mild tightening. More than one treatment may be necessary.
3. Apply retinol cream or a retinoid like Retin-A, Tazorac or Differin that stimulates the production of collagen and elastin to tighten a wrinkled turkey neck.
Restore some of the neck's elasticity with topical vitamin C in serums like SkinCeuticals' C E FerulicRestore, which Dr. Leslie Baumann says has been shown to boost collagen production. It may irritate the skin if applied more than two or three times per week. Another product, Relastin Skin Revitalizer, promotes the formation of new elastin while it moisturizes the skin.
4. Relax prominent bands on the neck with Botox injectons. The muscle will sink into the hollow of the neck. Botox can also soften horizontal wrinkles over the neck, but only lasts one to six months.
5. Opt for a neck lift with significant sagging. Surgery is the most effective and long-lasting treatment. In a few hours, surgeons cut behind the ears, suction fat, tighten or shorten the platysma muscles and sculpt the neck. Recovery takes two to three weeks. The cost is about $10,000. A new wrinkle is to insert a sling inside the neck skin. Surgeons can tighten the strap as needed without further invasive surgery.
