Will Losing Weight Help Turkey Neck? Fighting the Gobble

Are you struggling with how you look because of some unexpected weight gain OR weight loss over the last few months, or even years? Recognizing ourselves in the mirror can be difficult after a fluctuation in weight, especially when that change gathers in our face and neck.

If you’re struggling with this problem, our experts have just the thing for you. Explore all of the reasons why you might have this extra skin around your neck and what you can do to fix it.

What Is a Turkey Neck? Is It the Same as Double Chin?

As the not-very-nice name implies, “turkey neck” is a term used to describe hanging or sagging neck skin. It’s not quite the same as a double chin, and it doesn’t have the same causes. A double chin is a distribution of fat, usually around the jowls and jaw of the face.

This distribution of fat gives you the appearance of having a “second” chin. In contrast, a turkey neck has a lot more to do with skin elasticity, fat, and muscle tightness and its ability to bounce back to where it once was.

People who have sagging neck skin are usually older or have experienced significant weight loss in a short period of time. As we age, our skin elasticity isn’t the same as it used to be.

What Does a Turkey Neck Look Like?

While the name might give you some idea, it looks like excess skin that is loosening and wrinkling around your chin and neck. Instead of having a defined jawline and neck area, people with loose neck skin often look like there is a draping of skin connecting their chin directly to the bottom area of their neck.

What Causes a Turkey Neck?

This issue is caused by a number of factors, and all of them primarily affect the skin around your face and neck. Much of these factors have to do with weight gain, rapid weight loss, and aging. Here’s what the experts have to say about the top causes of this loose skin.

#1 Skin elasticity

When we age, our bodies have trouble with collagen production. Collagen is a protein found in the skin that helps with the support and structure of our skin tissue. When we don’t have that same collagen production, we start to see the skin sagging.

#2 Fat distribution

When you gain weight, you inevitably gain weight in your face and neck area. This excess weight causes the skin to stretch over time. When that weight is then lost, sometimes the skin has trouble tightening back to what it once was, causing a loose appearance.

#3 Muscle tightness

As we get older, our muscles naturally lose their tightness. This can cause sagging issues as well. As your neck muscles start to loosen, they have trouble supporting the skin on your neck and head, which can cause it to look as if it’s sagging.

3 Ways to Get Rid of a Turkey Neck Without Surgery

Cosmetic surgical procedures are expensive, risky, and rarely covered by insurance. There’s no reason to undergo surgery to try and get rid of the turkey neck when there are plenty of ways to help the appearance of your skin without it.

#1 Exercises

There are plenty of skin tightening and muscle toning exercises you can do to help with loose skin. These exercises focus entirely on the neck and face area.

One exercise we suggest is sitting up with your back straight. Then, lift your chin in the air so that it’s pointed all the way to the ceiling. Make a chewing motion with your mouth. Repeat this exercise at least twenty times to help with loose neck skin.

Another exercise that really helps with the muscle tone in your neck involves carefully laying on your bed with your head hanging over the side. Slowly and carefully lift your head as much as you can, using your neck muscles. Repeat five times, but cease the exercise if you experience neck pain.

#2 Skin tightening products

There are plenty of cosmetic products that help with tightening the skin around your neck, especially as you start to age. Loose neck skin can be helped by n-acetyl glucosamine, a naturally occurring glucosamine that is often found in anti-aging creams.

Several studies have found that women who have been consistently using anti-aging cream containing glucosamine were able to reduce the appearance of their saggy skin and tighten their neck skin over a period of several weeks.

#3 Healthy lifestyle habits

One of the best ways to combat sagging skin and ensure firmer skin is to focus on living a healthy lifestyle. This means diet, exercise, and hydration! The last one is particularly important. Dehydration is bad for our skin cells, and a healthy diet f.e a keto diet can ensure good collagen production.

You might also want to limit your time in the sun! Sun exposure can cause all kinds of damage to your skin, including a breakdown of collagen fibers that you need to keep the skin around your neck tight and firm. When you spend too much time in the sun or even in a tanning bed, your skin loses its firmness.

And finally, only drink in moderation. Excess alcohol is a one-way ticket to skin dehydration, as well as losing the vitamin A in your skin, which it needs in order to stay healthy. A glass of wine with dinner is fine, but make sure to keep excess drinking to a minimum.

Conclusion

So, can losing weight help with turkey neck? Yes and no. It’s important to maintain a healthy weight if you want to reduce the risk of neck fat stretching out the skin and causing it to have a sagging appearance when you lose weight.

But, it’s also important to focus on slowly losing weight rather than losing it as fast as possible. When you lose weight at a healthy pace, your skin has time to heal and snap back to its original position.

If you’ve already lost weight and are still struggling with keeping the skin around your neck tight, make sure to try our tips and tricks. A healthy lifestyle and exercise are the way to go when you’re looking to combat the appearance of loose neck skin.