How To Fix Your Turkey Neck. Gobble gobble.

Growing up on a small holding I have long been used to seeing the comical wobble of a turkey neck and, back in those halcyon days , the sight of that pocket of sagging skin was a source of excitement because turkey = Christmas = presents etc… However, as I’ve aged it’s slowly dawned on me that I am seeing the comical wobble of a turkey neck all year around without going anywhere near the festive food source. Yes, the dreaded saggy, turkey neck is fast becoming an enduring feature for me and my “aging” friends.

Now, I know more than anybody that a normal part of aging is that skin will sag and change and I also know that there’s nothing wrong with it. I do also know that I don’t like this change to the structure of my face and that no amount of facial yoga or looking skywards and praying to the God’s of chins, will get rid of this source of annoyance. So, what’s out there for me? (and you, if you’re interested). A quick internet search throws up a number of options from the very invasive ( full face lift ) to the downright bizarre ( google Cow Face) so here’s a handy guide to some of the most effective, non-invasive treatments and what you can expect from them.

PDO Threads - No, you won't end up looking like a drawstring bag.

This is a fairly new treatment out there and can be quit costly but it does yield almost instant and long lasting results Not for the squeamish, the treatment involves inserting threads into the chin / neck area ( don’t worry, you’ll have some decent numbing local anaesthetic) using a needle or a blunt ended cannula.

The threads are used to reposition the skin and basically pull the skin upwards, lifting the saggy skin and eliminating the dreaded turkey neck. And no, you won’t end up looking like a drawstring bag - this is more like an internal underwired bra for your face.

Does this require a lot of downtime?

Not really. You might experience some redness, pin prick marks, and some degree of swelling and possibly some puckering along the site of the entry wound, but the immediate side effects are expected to settle within two weeks. Some paracetamol should take the edge off too.

Ok – that sounds great but I’m not sure I want threads - anything else out there for me?

Try Ultherapy/ Radio frequency

Ultherapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses ultrasound energy to send heat deep into the tissue beneath the outer layer of skin without causing damage to the outer layer of skin. As the tissue heals in the wound-healing new collagen is produced which tightens the skin and lifts that sagging neck. Radio frequency is a similar process that just uses a different form of heat producing energy. Both treatments involve little to no downtime though you may have some redness swelling and bruising for a few days after.

This process isn’t quick though, or cheap, so be prepared to pay a few visits to your clinic before you see results. Good news it that once you do see the results then you can expect them to last for up to a year.

I’m impatient - is there something quicker?

My, you are a demanding lot. And rightly so. Yes, there are a few treatments out there that are quick in easy but are probably more suitable for preventative treatment.

Regular wrinkle relaxing injections can help stave off the onset of turkey neck as can treatments such as microneedling and silicone neck masks.