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We all strive for skin that’s firm, smooth, and has that healthy-looking glow, maintaining skincare routines to try and nourish our faces with everything needed to combat skin aging. But how often do you think about a skincare routine for your neck and décolletage?
The delicate skin in the neck area can be prone to sagging and wrinkles, which is why the neck is often the second most targeted area for wrinkle reduction treatments, following the face and jawline. Here, we’ll talk about a variety of techniques, from skincare routines to innovative treatments like red light therapy, that can help to firm the neck for younger-looking skin.
What Causes Saggy Neck Skin?
Loose neck skin, also described as a “sagging” neck, occurs when the skin loses its elasticity and firmness, leading to a drooping or wrinkled appearance. While external factors like smoking or quickly losing a lot of weight can cause sagging in the neck, the appearance of wrinkles and sagging in the neck area are typically caused by skin aging. As collagen production and elastin fibers in the skin diminish over time, the neck area becomes more susceptible to sagging as it loses the compounds responsible for structural support and elasticity.
How To Tighten Neck Skin Naturally
Tightening neck skin naturally involves using a combination of: lifestyle changes, skincare treatments, and targeted exercises that help promote skin elasticity, muscle tone, and firmness.
Regularly performing neck exercises, such as face yoga and specific movements like chin parallel to the floor and kisses, can help tone the muscles and improve skin appearance. In terms of lifestyle changes, minimizing sun exposure and sun damage, staying hydrated, and quitting smoking can help support the skin from the inside out. When it comes to skincare, pairing topical treatments like retinol and almond oil with at-home skincare technology like red light therapy can together help restore radiance and firmness in the skin.
Lifestyle Changes To Tighten Neck Skin
Limiting Alcohol Consumption and Smoking
Alcohol consumption can significantly impact skin health, including contributing to the development of fine lines and a reduction in skin volume. Smoking, on the other hand, is known to accelerate skin aging, in addition to dehydrating the skin, which can make sagging and wrinkles more pronounced.
Limiting alcohol consumption and avoiding or quitting smoking can help improve overall skin health, especially when done sooner than later.
Exercising Regularly
Engaging in regular physical activity helps to maintain overall skin health by boosting circulation and promoting the production of collagen. Neck exercises specifically, which we’ll cover below, can also help tone the muscles in the neck, contributing to a firmer appearance.
Eating a Balanced, Skin-Healthy Diet
A balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help support overall skin health. Specifically, try to incorporate foods that are high in collagen-boosting nutrients, such as vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids, to help maintain firmness and structural support in all of your skin, not just your neck. Just a few of the foods that can help boost skin health include fatty fish, walnuts, avocado, and berries.
Applying Sunscreen Regularly
Applying sunscreen regularly helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays, which can cause premature aging and sagging. While most people include SPF in their daytime skincare routine, a lot of people tend to neglect the neck and décolletage unless they’re specifically doing an outdoor activity like hiking or going to the beach. If you’re not wearing a turtleneck, your neck is getting exposed to UV rays, so don’t forget to extend your SPF coverage all the way to your top’s neckline.
Skincare Treatments To Tighten Neck Skin
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy is a non-invasive skincare treatment that’s becoming more and more popular because it offers professional-grade skincare from the comfort of home, not to mention the 93% of red light therapy wand users who said their skin looked lifted and healthier after just two weeks.
Specifically made for the neck and chest area, our Neck and Chest Rejuvenating Skincare Mask is designed to give your skin a lifted and firmer look by combining red light therapy to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and near-infrared light therapy to visibly restore and rejuvenate. You can incorporate red light therapy into your regular skincare routine for just 10 minutes per day to help bring back that radiant, healthy-looking glow without the need for invasive, costly surgeries or in-clinic treatments.
Explore the rest of our red light therapy collection here!
Skin-Smoothing Creams
Using skin-tightening cosmetic creams that contain ingredients like retinol and peptides can help firm the skin and visually smooth fine lines and wrinkles, offering a non-surgical alternative for less saggy-looking skin.
Our Plumping Peptide Serum with Solabiome™ soothes and nurtures skin thanks to our blend of skin barrier-strengthening ingredients, avocado peptides, and three weights of hyaluronic acid!
Hot Massage
Performing a hot massage to the neck area can help improve blood circulation and promote collagen production, which can enhance skin firmness and elasticity. Incorporate topical almond oil for an additional boost, as almond oil’s high vitamin E content can help support overall skin health while the oil works as an emollient to soothe skin.
Cucumber Paste
Applying a chilled homemade or professionally-formulated cucumber paste to the neck can provide a cooling and hydrating effect, while also helping to tighten and rejuvenate the skin. Cucumbers are becoming increasingly popular in skincare thanks to their rich antioxidant and vitamin content that help nourish the skin; vitamin C, in particular, has been shown to promote collagen production and reduce wrinkles.
Holistic Skincare Routine
Incorporating a holistic skincare routine that includes cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing can help maintain the skin's health and elasticity (see our blog on how to layer your products for the best results here!).
How To Tighten Neck Skin with Exercises
Tightening neck skin through neck skin tightening exercises involves engaging and toning the muscles in the neck and jawline to counteract the effects of gravity and enhance skin firmness and elasticity. Note that while neck exercises won’t eliminate sagging completely, they can be combined with the other tools above to help lift the skin by toning underlying muscle and improving overall neck shape and contour.
Chin Parallel to Floor
Sit or stand up straight with your shoulders relaxed and your back straight. Gently tuck your chin in towards your neck, aiming to keep your chin parallel to the floor. Avoid tilting your head down; instead, think of it like trying to move your head backward over your spine. Hold this position for a few seconds. You should feel a slight stretch at the back of your neck and a gentle engagement of the muscles in the front. This exercise helps to stretch and tone the neck muscles, which can help improve skin firmness.
Kisses
Keeping your head level and facing forward, pout your lips in a kissing motion toward the ceiling. “Kiss” toward the ceiling 20 times. This movement targets the muscles in the neck and jawline, promoting a tighter and more defined appearance, and you should feel the muscles in your neck engage with just the first “kiss.” If you don’t feel anything, try to gently push your lower jaw outward more to “aim” your kiss more upward instead of forward.
Neck Stretch
Sit or stand with your back straight. Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling, then pucker your lips as if trying to kiss the ceiling. Hold for a few seconds and repeat. This exercise stretches and strengthens the neck muscles, which can promote skin tightening.
Head Lifts
Lie on your back with your shoulders relaxed. Slowly lift your head toward your chest without lifting your shoulders off the ground. Hold for a few seconds and then lower your head back down. This exercise can help to tone the front neck muscles and reduce the appearance of sagging.
Side Neck Stretch
Sit or stand with your back straight. Gently tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear toward your shoulder. Hold for a few seconds and repeat on the other side. This stretch helps to improve flexibility and firmness in the neck muscles.
Neck Rotation/Neck Roll
Start by sitting or standing up straight with your shoulders relaxed. Slowly drop your chin towards your chest, feeling a gentle stretch at the back of your neck. Begin to roll your head to the right, moving your ear towards your shoulder, and continue to roll your head toward your back, making a semi-circle. Bring your left ear towards your left shoulder, and finally, return to the starting position with your chin to your chest. Repeat the motion in the opposite direction. Perform this exercise 2-3 times in each direction to help increase flexibility in your neck muscles.
Platysma Exercise
Sit or stand with your back straight. Open your mouth slightly and pull the corners of your mouth down and back, making an exaggerated frowning face. Tighten the muscles in the front of your neck by pressing your lower jaw forward and down. Hold for a few seconds and release. This exercise targets the platysma muscle (a thin, broad sheet of muscle in the front of the neck), helping to firm and tighten the neck skin.
Skin Care Products For Tightening Neck Skin
Skin care products designed for tightening the skin often include ingredients that promote collagen production and improve skin elasticity.
- Retinol-based creams and serums can help promote cell turnover, increase collagen production, and reduce dark circles.
- Products containing peptides and hyaluronic acid help to provide deep hydration and support skin firmness, enhancing suppleness and smoothness (which is why we include both ingredients in the serum we mentioned earlier!).
- Additionally, antioxidant-rich products, especially those with vitamin C and E, help to protect the skin from free radical damage while also promoting collagen production.
Explore our Glowing Skin Starter Set to help you set the foundation for nourished, hydrated, glowing skin. It includes our cleanser, serum, mist, and moisturizer, all packed with ingredients specifically selected to give your skin what it needs to combat signs of skin aging.
Non-Surgical Treatments To Tighten Neck Skin
Non-surgical treatments for tightening neck skin include the red light therapy we mentioned above, laser treatment, and micro needling, and can serve as effective options without the need for costly, invasive procedures.
- Red light therapy works to stimulate collagen production, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and, especially in the neck skin, create a lifted, tighter look.
- Laser skin resurfacing uses heat to stimulate collagen production and rejuvenate the skin, resulting in a firmer and smoother texture.
- Ultherapy® employs focused ultrasound energy to lift and tighten the skin by promoting collagen regeneration deep within the tissue.
- Microneedling stimulates collagen and elastin production in the skin by using fine needles to create tiny punctures in the skin and trigger its natural healing process.
Surgical Options To Tighten Neck Skin
Surgical options for tightening neck skin, such as a neck lift, can provide long-lasting and dramatic results for those seeking significant improvements.
- Neck lifts typically involve the removal of excess skin and the tightening of underlying muscles to create a smoother, more contoured appearance, addressing issues like turkey neck.
- Liposuction can be used to eliminate excess fat deposits, enhancing the neck's definition and reducing sagging.
- Platysmaplasty, another surgical technique, specifically targets the platysma muscles to address vertical bands and improve overall neck firmness.
- Options such as Botox® injections can temporarily paralyze the muscles, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and sagging.
These surgical interventions can offer a solution for those looking to achieve a more youthful and rejuvenated neck, with results that can last for many years depending on the procedure.
All of that said, keep in mind that if you’re interested in surgical options, you’ll need to consult with a surgeon and/or healthcare provider about your candidacy for surgery. Some people may not be able to undergo this type of surgery because of medical history and risk, as well as the high costs and long recovery times.
Conclusion
Achieving and maintaining a neck and décolletage area that looks firm and radiant requires a multifaceted approach that combines skin-supporting lifestyle changes, targeted neck exercises, and effective skincare products and treatments like red light therapy. By understanding how to tighten neck skin through these various techniques, you can take proactive steps to get closer to your skin goals and boost your confidence.
Looking for more ways to help reduce the visible effects of skin aging so you can get back glowing, radiant skin? Explore our professional-grade at-home skincare treatments here!
Sources:
- Resistance training rejuvenates aging skin by reducing circulating inflammatory factors and enhancing dermal extracellular matrices
- Impact of Smoking and Alcohol Use on Facial Aging in Women: Results of a Large Multinational, Multiracial, Cross-sectional Survey
- Vitamin C and Skin Health | Linus Pauling Institute
Disclaimers: Botox® is a registered trademark of Allergan. Ultherapy® is a registered trademark of Ulthera, Inc.
