How to Tighten Neck Skin
Aging changes the skin in many ways, and one of the most noticeable is loose neck skin. Sagging neck skin affects appearance and confidence. However, there are natural neck skin-tightening strategies that can help.
Before discussing how to tighten neck skin, it’s helpful to understand why saggy neck occurs. Loose neck skin results from aging and the natural loss of collagen and elastin proteins, which lead to decreased skin elasticity. Further, loss in muscle tone contributes, as does the effect of gravity, sun damage, and weight changes.
Keep reading to learn more about how to tighten neck skin. We will explore how to tighten neck skin naturally with:
- Neck tightening exercises
- Neck tightening home remedies
- Neck skin-tightening lifestyle habits
- Neck tightening cream and other supportive products from NassifMD® Skincare
Exercises to Tighten Neck Skin
Neck exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in the chin and neck, which can become relaxed because of age-related changes. Toning the underlying muscles improves the appearance of the neck and helps deter fat accumulation in the area.
These natural exercise solutions are noninvasive and may be helpful for preventing and treating loose skin under the chin, before turning to expensive and invasive neck tightening procedures.
Chin Tucks
The first neck exercise is a simple chin tuck. Sit or stand with your back straight, lower your chin to the chest, hold for a few seconds, and release. Work up to 10 repetitions and repeat two or three times throughout the day.
You can also practice chin tucks lying flat on your back on a bed or similar surface with the upper part of your head over the edge. Tuck your chin into your chest, hold, release, and repeat.
Platysma Exercise
Tighten neck skin by exercising the platysma muscle, the muscle at the front of the neck, under the chin, that connects the upper chest to the lower jaw. It’s part of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS), which is involved in facial aging. With age the platysma can become thinner, shorter, and less toned, contributing to loose skin or “turkey neck.”
Exercising the platysma is an essential “turkey neck” treatment. Here are a couple of simple exercises:
First, sit or stand with your spine straight. Position the lower lip over the upper lip and lift the head to look at the ceiling. Hold the position for several seconds, release, and then repeat. Work up to 10 reptations several times daily.
Second, tongue exercises can engage the platysma and SMAS. Open your mouth, stick your tongue out, and hold it there. Then relax and repeat. Alternately, stick out your tongue, reach it toward the chin, hold, release, and then repeat.
Neck Stretching
Stretching is essential for maintaining a healthy range of motion as you age and helps keep neck muscles flexible and healthy. Stretch your neck from side to side and front to back daily to engage the platysma muscle and other muscles in the face, jaw, and neck, and tighten neck skin.
Yoga or Pilates
Yoga and Pilates are exercise modalities that promote good alignment and posture. They strengthen the entire body and offer overall toning and tightening benefits. Both modalities are a great addition to your other neckline exercises.
Home Remedies for Tighter Neck Skin
In addition to exercises, consider neck skin tightening home remedies. These safe DIY treatments are gentle and effective.
Facial Massages
The muscles in the face connect directly to the neck, and just like we can hold a lot of tension in the neck, the facial muscles can become tense and tight, too. Giving yourself a facial massage as part of your skincare routine can help release the tension in the face and neck, nourishing the muscles and supporting neck skin tightening.
Gently rub the face in circular motions, always sweeping upward to prevent sagging. A gua sha or double roller tool can aid in facial massage.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts, rich in antioxidants that nourish the skin. Many essential oils have anti-inflammatory actions that benefit muscles and skin and can be used as part of a facial massage or saggy neck treatment.
Always add essential oils to a carrier oil, such as jojoba, sunflower, or almond oil, and do not apply it directly to the skin.
Some essential oils to consider include:
- Rose geranium
- Frankincense
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Bergamot (note that citrus oils can increase sun sensitivity, so always use sunscreen).
Natural Masks
You may already use homemade face masks made with ingredients such as avocados, cucumbers, clay, yogurt, honey, green tea, aloe, oatmeal, and others. When you do these masks, simply apply them to the neck along with the face to extend the tightening and firming benefits.
Lifestyle Changes for a Smoother Neck
We’ve covered neck skin tightening exercises and DIY home remedies to help restore a younger appearance to the neck. While exercises and massages target the muscles in the neck, topical skincare products target the skin itself and can play a critical role in restoring the skin structure and elasticity.
As important as a daily skincare routine is, we often neglect the neck. In most cases, you can use the same products you use on your face and on your neck, too, including moisturizers, sunscreens, creams, and serums.
Moisturizing
Dry skin can contribute to loose, saggy skin; dryness is more common with aging skin. Neck tightening treatments have a moisturizing component to nourish, protect, and restore the skin and help it retain moisture. Learn more about moisturizers with these popular articles:
Sun Protection
Sun damage is an often-overlooked component of saggy skin. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun creates oxidative stress and structural damage to the skin, causing it to age more rapidly.
Protecting the neck from the sun with protective clothing and sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) helps slow aging and loss of firmness in the neck skin.
If you already use a facial sunscreen, such as NassifMD® Simply Hydration or NassifMD® Protect and Hydrate, extend the benefits by using it on your neck, too. If you don’t regularly wear sunscreen, the time to start is now. It’s one of the best ways to protect your skin and prevent future sagging, aging, and concerns.
Creams and Serums
Creams and serums can deliver targeted active ingredients to the neck skin. While you can use your regular facial products on your neck as part of your daily skincare routine, also consider specific creams and serums to firm the neck skin. Let’s explore those next.
Neck Tightening Product Recommendations
When applying tightening products to the neck, always apply in an upward sweeping motion. Try to avoid pulling down on the neck skin.
NassifMD® Age Defying Neck and Decollete Serum is designed to tighten, smooth, and brighten the delicate skin of the neck and decollete (upper chest). The targeted ingredients include powerful peptides, niacinamide, glycoin (blue-green algae extract), and betaine to treat crepiness, laxity, and texture issues. The best part is that the formula works quickly, in as little as four weeks.
NassifMD® Deco-Lift Neck & Decollete Firming & Lifting Complex is another neck tightening formula from NassifMD® facial plastic surgeon skincare. This lightweight gel contains intensive ingredients to even the skin tone, texture, and sun damage on the neck and chest. The formula includes peptides, humectants, vitamin C, glycolic acid, and DMAE derived from choline to hydrate, firm, and improve the overall appearance of mature skin.
NassifMD® Crepe Inhibitor Triple Action Body Butter is a luxurious, moisturizing body butter designed to moisturize, firm, and smooth dry, crepey skin, including neck skin. It slows aging, hydrates, and repairs with Aquaxyl, Renovage peptides, and shea butter. Use it wherever your skin is dry!
Dr. Paul Nassif designed NassifMD® Skincare with a detailed understanding of the neck structure, physiology, and years of plastic surgery experience to bring you professional tools in the comfort of your own home.
How to tighten neck skin naturally isn’t as tricky as you might think. Good lifestyle habits, such as neck exercise and stretches, combined with quality skincare products, are the key to tightening stubborn neck skin.
References
- Whitney, Z. B., Jain, M., & Zito, P. M. (2024). Anatomy, Skin, Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System (SMAS) Fascia. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
