Your daily skincare routine should include taking care of your neck. It’s an extension of your face, after all. The often-neglected neck area is one of the first places to show signs of aging. So, if you don’t give it the care it needs, it can become craggy and saggy and create a harsh contrast between your face. Let’s dive into all the ways you might be unintentionally creating “turkey neck” and what to do about it.
1. Not Using a Neck Cream
Your neck is an extension of your face, so you need to extend your skincare routine to it and your décolletage. Applying your usual moisturizer or anti-aging cream is better than nothing, but in an ideal world, you need to add a firming neck cream to your arsenal. The skin on your neck is finer, dryer, and has less collagen, so it is more prone to losing elasticity and sagging. Invest in a neck cream or serum specifically infused with firming, tightening ingredients like peptides, ceramides, vitamin A, and antioxidants to prevent a crepey turkey neck.
2. Skipping Sunscreen on Your Neck
It’s important to diligently apply sunscreen to your face every day, and that includes your neck. The sun’s UV rays don’t discriminate, and your neck is just as vulnerable to damage, if not more, given the skin is finer. Sun damage can cause the demise of healthy skin cells, breaking down collagen and leading to wrinkles, sagging, and dreaded dark spots. Opt for a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and apply it to your face, neck, chest, and body daily and reapply it every two hours if you’re in the sun.
3. Using Harsh Skincare Products
Considering the skin on your neck is more delicate, it’s important to use products that are gentle but also scientifically proven to fight aging. Choose clean, ideally, plant-based products infused with skin-boosting ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, niacinamide, and peptides. Steer clear of products that contain chemical ingredients like drying alcohol-based toners, very active retinoids, synthetic fragrances, or harsh scrubs. These can all irritate and stretch the skin, increase sensitivity, and cause inflammation, which can speed up aging and sagging.
4. Neglecting Exfoliation
While harsh scrubs can stretch, damage, and tear the skin, not exfoliating isn’t the answer. It’s important to exfoliate 2-3 times per week to remove dead skin cells, promote cellular turnover, and add radiance to the skin. If you don’t, your neck looks dull and aged, and dead skin cell buildup and congestion can prevent products from penetrating effectively. Use a gentle liquid exfoliating product turbo-charged with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or enzymes to slough off dead skin without causing irritation
5. Sleeping on Your Stomach
If you always sleep on your stomach, your neck could be paying the price. Pressing your face and neck into the pillow at night can cause creases that can eventually turn into permanent wrinkles. Try to sleep on your back or side, and switch out your pillowcase for a silk one to minimize friction and help keep your skin smooth and clean. Wash pillowslips and sheets regularly also, as they are a breeding ground for dirt and bacteria, and this can be absorbed by the skin, causing irritation, congestion, and speeding up wrinkles.
6. Bad Neck Posture
If you are constantly hunched over your phone or laptop or your posture is slouchy in general, this can cause “tech neck.” Not only is this painful, but it can also cause horizontal lines to form on the skin from constantly looking down, resulting in sagging skin on the neck area. Be more mindful of your posture. Position your devices at eye level and take regular breaks to stretch and align your neck properly throughout the day.
7. Inadequate Water Intake
Dehydration dries out the skin and accelerates signs of aging, and your neck is often the first to show signs. Given your neck is naturally drier and more fragile, when your body lacks water, your skin loses its plumpness, making wrinkles and sagging more noticeable. Drink 2.7 liters of water per day to keep your skin hydrated from the inside out.
8. Not Stimulating Collagen
Collagen is the building block for healthy, plump, firm skin. As we age, collagen production decreases, leading to skin sagging and wrinkles. Given that the neck naturally has less collagen, it’s often the first to head south. Incorporate collagen-boosting products into your daily skincare routine. You can also drink your collagen by adding collagen powder to your morning glass of water or a smoothie to keep production levels pumping.
9. Unprotected Neck
Exposing your skin to environmental elements can be brutal. Pollution, cold weather, and windburn can all cause dryness and chaffing, which can make your neck look older. They also strip the skin of moisture, leaving it more vulnerable to damage. Protect your neck from extreme weather by wearing a scarf or turtleneck, and keep it well hydrated in winter to maintain moisture levels and keep the skin’s barrier intact.
10. Poor Diet
Science has proven a direct link between diet and skin health. A diet high in sugar, processed foods, and trans fats can accelerate aging by disrupting collagen production and breaking down the skin’s elasticity. And it’s the neck that will sag fast first. Be more mindful of what you put into your body. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and healthy fats. Foods like berries, nuts, oily fish, and leafy greens give the skin vital nutrients to keep it healthy, hydrated, and younger-looking.
11. Drinking and Smoking
When you indulge in toxic habits, your body produces free radicals, which overthrow antioxidants and speed up the rate of aging. Smoking is one of the biggest culprits of premature aging and a surefire way to age your skin and neck fast. Toxins from cigarette smoking reduce blood flow to the skin, leading to a dull, wrinkled appearance, particularly in thinner-skinned areas like the neck. As for alcohol, it’s a natural diuretic that is very dehydrating to the skin, and its high sugar content can cause inflammation in the body, which accelerates aging. Stop smoking and limit your alcohol consumption, as there is no healthy amount you can drink to protect your skin from damage.
12. Ignoring Dark Spots
Dark aged spots, hyperpigmentation, and uneven skin tone can make your neck look older. Dark spots can form as a result of sun damage, genetic aging, and hormonal fluctuations. To combat and fade dark spots and even out your complexion, use brightening treatments infused with vitamin C, niacinamide, or hydroquinone.
13. Weight Fluctuations
Significant weight gain or loss can stretch the skin and damage its elasticity, so it has a hard time snapping back into place. This will show up very noticeably on your neck, creating that sagging “turkey neck” appearance. Never yo-yo diet as it is bad for your health and robs you of vital nutrients, which can also accelerate skin aging. Maintain a stable weight through a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise. If you do experience extreme weight fluctuations, use firming and tightening skincare on your neck and body.
14. Avoiding the Dermatologist
If a saggy turkey neck is a major issue, your skincare routine and over-the-counter products may not be enough to remedy this. So, it might be time to consult a dermatologist for advice on treatment options. Laser skin tightening treatments, injectables, micro-needling, and ultrasound therapies can all improve the texture, appearance, and elasticity of the skin.