How to Tighten Neck Skin: 10 Common Causes & 50 Solutions

People often wonder where the saggy or crepey neck skin comes from. There are many reasons for this, including genetics, aging, intense and frequent sun exposure, lack of exercise, hormonal changes, and much more.

However, tight and youthful neck skin is essential for leaving an energized and youthful impression. The quality of the neck skin hints at healthy neck muscles, meaning proper neck support and adequate protein, antioxidants, and water intake.

Below, we’ll go over:

• 📝 The steps to achieving tighter skin
• 👌 How peels and neck masks can keep your skin moisturized
• 👄 How you can avoid cosmetic surgery with mewing.

Let’s look at the most common saggy neck causes and the solution for each one of them!

Most Common Saggy or Crepey Neck Skin Causes

From the natural aging process to unhealthy habits like smoking and poor posture, the causes for saggy or crepey neck skin are numerous. The following are some of them:

1. Aging – The aging process negatively impacts collagen and elastin production, the two hormones crucial for healthy and smooth neck skin. No thanks to the reduction of the production of these two hormones, the neck skin loses elasticity.
2. Genetics – Genetical predispositions are another cause for a saggy neck because of the excessive under-chin skin fat and increased neck circumference.
3. Sun damage – Excessive sun exposure can damage the skin cells and disrupt blood circulation. Furthermore, sun damage robs your face of collagen and elastin reserves!
4. Weight loss – Excessive weight can stretch out the skin and make it saggy once the excess fat is lost.
5. Poor posture – Poor posture is another reason for neck pain and saggy neck skin. The sagging and double chin problems are caused by neck muscle loss.
6. Smoking – Nicotine can damage the blood vessels and circulation within your skin, and the toxins can seriously disturb the collagen and elastin reserves.
7. Lack of exercise – If you want to tighten your neck, you must exercise regularly. Lack of exercise can make your neck saggy because of weight loss, poor posture, and muscle loss.
8. Nutritional deficiencies – The lack of nutrients like vitamins and minerals can cause saggy skin. For example, the lack of Vitamin C can cause saggy neck skin.
9. Hormonal changes – Changes in hormonal production can cause saggy skin. For instance, when estrogen production wanes, elastin and collagen production drops.
10. Dehydration – Not enough water intake can also make the neck skin saggy and creepy. The reason for this is premature aging and less elasticity.

Top Strategies for Tightening Sagging Neck Skin Due to Aging

Following are some of the best strategies to tighten neck skin and battle your sagging neck skin:

1. Try Ultherapy

Ultherapy is an FDA-approved method for lifting your brow, chin, and neck. Ultrasound therapy uses high-intensity focused ultrasounds to lose excess skin and tighten it.

2. Use Chemical Peels

One of the foremost symptoms of aging is decreased skin elasticity and wrinkles. Chemical peels, like glycolic, lactic, or beta peels, can help you battle saggy neck skin and wrinkles.

3. Opt for Laser Resurfacing

Aging can also cause loose skin, which you can treat regularly with laser resurfacing procedures. The laser treatments are minimally invasive and heat the skin for higher collagen production.

4. Consider Radiofrequency Therapy

Radiofrequency treatments also use electromagnetic devices that generate heat for better collagen and elastin production, including the emergence of new skin cells. The results are similar to surgical facelifts and are temporary.

5. Get Dermal Fillers

Aging can have a significant impact on skin firmness and skin texture. That’s why many people decide to use dermal fillers to fill the soft tissue beneath the skin’s surface and battle sagging and wrinkled neck skin.

Treatments for Genetic Predisposition to Slack Neck Skin

Genetics is also one of the main reasons for losing neck muscles and developing sagging skin. The following are the most efficient ways to prevent and treat sagging neck skin caused by genetic predispositions:

6. Undergo Neck Lift Surgery

Sometimes, genetic predispositions can lead to loosened and weak neck and facial muscles, double chin, turkey neck, etc. The neck lift surgery is also known as “platysmaplasty” – a surgery for removing the excessive neck skin and repositioning and retightening the remaining skin.

7. Explore Thread Lifts

Thread lifts are minimally invasive surgical procedures that’ll help you tighten your neck skin by placing temporary medical-grade thread under it. The average lasting period of a thread lift is around 18 months.

8. Apply Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Therapy

The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is incredibly effective in battling neck wrinkles and skin damage. Doctors apply platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy by penetrating under the dermis to stimulate collagen and elastin production.

9. Take Collagen Supplements

Collagen supplements are among the natural fixes for sagging cheeks and neck skin. The increased collagen in your body will result in more elastic and strengthened skin in all body parts, including the neck.

10. Perform Facial Exercises

Facial exercises are one of the best ways to effectively lose a double chin and battle sagging neck problems. The facial exercises target the muscles on your face, skin, and mouth to strengthen and make the skin more elastic.

However, you’ll have to stick to a daily routine of a comprehensive list of facial exercises for facial fat loss and gaining elasticity. There are also a lot of tongue exercises that can help you get a more youthful neck appearance.

Sun Damaged and Wrinkled, Loose Neck Skin Prevention

There are many ways to battle loosening neck skin, and one of them is to stimulate collagen production.

However, excessive sun exposure – which we sometimes prefer – damages production and can permanently destroy the skin’s fibers.

Let’s see how you can protect yourself from those pesky sun rays:

11. Apply Sunscreen Daily

Sun protection creams can help your neck skin remain hydrated and thus stimulate collagen formation. Moreover, sun protection creams can block the UV damage that can lead to collagen breakdown.

12. Use Retinoids

Retinoids are derived from Vitamin A and can help you battle wrinkles and sagging neck skin by stimulating collagen production. You can always purchase over-the-counter retinoids for treating wrinkles and saggy skin.

13. Explore Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are the best non-surgical treatment for sunburned skin. They will help you scrape the old and damaged outer layer of skin and let the body produce a new layer, which will be much more elastic, soft, and smooth. While chemical peels mainly improve discoloration and reduce sun spots, they can also significantly tighten your neck skin.

14. Try Laser Resurfacing

Laser treatments are popular not only for skin aging problems but also for sun-damaged and wrinkled necks. Laser resurfacing is one of the laser treatments that will make your neck skin look fresh by removing all scars, spots, and blemishes while tightening it. Generally, laser resurfacing destroys the outer layers of the skin and, at the same time, heats the second skin layer – the dermis.

15. Go for Microdermabrasion

One of the best ways to treat deep neck wrinkles and saggy skin is microdermabrasion, a cosmetic procedure involving fine crystals and a vacuum to remove dead skin cells. You can combine microdermabrasion with face yoga and quality nutrition for the most visible results.

How to Tighten Neck Skin After Weight Loss

A significant weight loss can result in saggy mouth, face, and neck skin. The reason for this is that the skin stretches to store the increased body mass, and then it can’t stretch back to its original form.

Here are the best ways to tighten neck skin after weight loss without invasive treatments:

16. Maintain Regular Exercise and Weight Training

Facial exercises, cardiovascular exercises, or weight lifting can all help you get that youthful and smooth neck appearance. For instance, there are many exercises and tips to get hollow cheeks naturally. There are numerous post-weight loss neck exercises, such as chin-push-smile, natural facelift massages, pursed lips neck stretch, etc.

17. Add Nutritional Supplements

Nutrition is crucial for battling overstretched skin and increasing collagen production. Keep your diet rich in antioxidants, proteins, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.

18. Practice Massage Therapy

Massage therapists usually provide hot stone massage to reduce wrinkles, moisturize, and replenish the skin. Hot massages are among the most effective natural remedies for triggering collagen production and improving skin texture and firmness.

Wondering how to get rid of marionette lines without surgery? Massage therapy is the answer to this as well!

19. Seek Body Contouring Treatments

Body contouring treatments are popular non-invasive ways to reduce mid-cheek lines and methods to lose the smile lines naturally. Body contouring treatments can remove excess fat or skin from the neck.

20. Apply Skin Tightening Creams

Skin-tightening creams are home remedies that can support your neck by stimulating collagen and elastin production. The most frequently used skin-tightening neck skin creams are rich in retinoids, such as regional, that regenerate the skin.

Improving Posture Crepey Neck Skin

Facial and neck muscle exercises, increased cardiovascular activity, or even yoga can all help you get the right posture, which is crucial for preventing crepey and saggy skin! Here’s what you can do:

21. Do Neck Stretches

Neck stretches are maybe the most effective way to tighten loose skin. You should do them daily and combine them into a single program with multiple repetitions. You can do various exercises, such as kissing faces, extended neck face yoga, tongue pushes, and more.

22. Practice Yoga

It doesn’t matter if it’s standard or face yoga – all the exercises will help you tighten that saggy neck skin. There are neck yoga exercises for different purposes, including posture improvements, tightening neck skin, or battling tech neck. For instance, touching your nose with your tongue or “kissing the moon” are incredible exercises to prevent what causes tech neck.

23. Undergo Physical Therapy

Even though doctors prefer physical therapy combined with braces and medications, exercise alone can improve your neck and overall posture. Physical therapists strengthen the weakened neck and other body muscles to attain a correct posture.

24. Use Posture Correctors

If you tend to slouch without noticing, you might benefit from a posture corrector. You can find posture correctors in the shape of pillows, cross-back elastic braces, electronic posture reminders, and more.

25. Get Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments are another natural remedy for misaligned neck vertebrae. Chiropracticioners use their hands or small objects to deliver sudden force to the spine and align the neck.

How to Reverse Wrinkled, Saggy Neck Skin Related to Smoking

Nicotine and other smoking-related toxins can block cell formation and damage elastin and collagen production. Here’s what you can do to battle the implications of smoking on the neck skin:

26. Quit Smoking

The most obvious solution! Quit smoking and minimize the intake of nicotine and other smoking toxins, like metals, glues, and more.

27. Consume Antioxidant Supplements

Smoking depletes the vitamins within the body, especially vitamin C. That’s why, if you’re a smoker, you must ingest antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E to keep your neck skin healthy and youthful.

28. Chemical Peels

You can also use a chemical peel combined with a balanced diet to reduce smoking-related neck skin problems. Chemical peels will exfoliate your skin and make it look fresh, young, and hydrated.

29. Laser Resurfacing

You can schedule a laser resurfacing treatment to reduce smoking-related skin problems like decreased elastin and collagen production and damaged skin cells. Laser treatments will remove the outer skin layers and heat the dermis.

30. Hydrating Facials

Keeping your neck skin hydrated is crucial for diminishing skin damage due to tobacco and nicotine intake. Tobacco can dehydrate your body and deprive your neck’s skin of moisture.

Exercises for Tightening Sagging Neck Skin

Following are some of the most effective and affordable methods for tighter skin and increasing the firmness of your neck muscles:

31. Stick with Exercise and Weight Training

Neck exercise and weight training are home remedies for crepey and sagging skin. With neck exercises, you’ll target the neck muscles, lose the extra neck fat, increase the muscles’ firmness, and support the proper neck posture.

32. Indulge in Massage Therapy

Massage therapies target the weak and loosened muscles of your neck and other body parts. This way, massage therapy can help your neck muscles regain firmness and properly align your neck, thus avoiding a double chin or similar problems.

33. Slather on Skin Tightening Creams

Across the cosmetic market, there are numerous skin-tightening creams. These products are usually made from amino acids or peptides, supporting the neck skin’s structural molecules.

34. Opt for Body Contouring Treatments

Body contouring treatments can be both surgical and non-surgical. People with “turkey neck” usually do neck lifts to remove the excess fat and tighten the neck’s muscles and skin. Non-surgical body contouring treatments naturally stimulate muscle firmness and fiber production.

35. Try Lymphatic Drainage Massage

If you want to get rid of toxins and waste from your neck’s skin, lymphatic drainage massages are the right choice for you! The purpose of these massages is to move the lymph to the areas where the lymph vessels are functioning correctly. These massages support healthier skin and neck muscles.

Remedies to Restore Your Skin’s Elasticity

A healthy diet is an initial milestone to a healthy, tight, and youthful neck appearance. The following are the most effective nutrients for restoring your neck skin’s elasticity:

36. Take Vitamin C Supplements

Vitamin C is the most potent antioxidant for restoring fibers and supporting collagen and elastin production. On top of that, there are skin creams rich in vitamin C that can directly stimulate collagen production and increase elasticity.

37. Boost with Collagen Supplements

Along with hyaluronic acid, collagen supplements reduce neck skin wrinkles, improve blood flow, and increase elasticity. Collagen supplements also improve skin hydration and density.

38. Add Zinc Supplements

Studies show that zinc increases dermal elasticity and improves overall skin health. Zinc helps collagen production and keeps the skin firm and elastic. It is also a great way to battle aging or photodamaged neck skin.

39. Include Omega-3 Supplements

Omega-3 fatty is another nutrient essential for healthy skin, and you can find these acids in fish and evening primrose oil. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements can soften and tone dry and spotted neck skin.

40. Eat and Drink Hydrating Options

Water, vegetables, and fruits are your best friend! Try to eat more hydrating foods and drinks to ensure proper blood flow and fiber production within your neck’s skin and muscles.

How to Avoid Hormonal Changes Impact on Flabby, Loose Neck Skin

Hormonal changes have a huge impact on the skin’s health and elasticity. For instance, estrogen decrease can lead to ultrastructural elastin alternations, resulting in wrinkles and flabby neck skin.

Here’s what you can do to prevent or avoid hormonal changes:

41. Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy

Even though doctors apply HRT to relieve menopausal symptoms, you can use it for almost any hormonal disbalance. For example, women can use hormone replacement therapies to increase estrogen production and improve overall epidermal hydration and skin thickness and texture.

42. Apply Retinoids

Retinoids, especially retinol products, can slow collagen breakdown and stimulate elastin production. The most effective retinoids for a loose neck are Topical Tretinoin and Tazarotene.

43. Get Dermal Fillers

Xeomin, Botox, and Dysport are dermal fillers that can be injected into your muscles and tighten your neck skin along the jaws. For example, botox injections can increase the amounts of elastin and collagen in the skin.

44. Use Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

PRP is a method that doctors use to mimic a healing skin response. The PRP injections induce minor damage to the epidermis and thus stimulate the body’s natural skin damage repair response, producing additional collagen.

45. Sign Up for Laser Resurfacing

You can use laser resurfacing to improve loose and saggy neck skin due to hormonal changes. Laser resurfacing can help your neck skin and muscles regain the lost fibers and produce even more collagen.

Other Cures for Saggy, Crepey Neck Skin

Hydration is the key to a soft, youthful, and toned neck appearance. Here’s what you can do to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized:

46. Focus on Hydrating Foods and Drinks

Caloric restrictions and intake of hydrating foods will improve your skin’s elasticity and support skin cell regeneration. Eat avocados, mangos, tomatoes, seeds, fatty fish, and any fruit or vegetable to stay hydrated.

47. Invest in Hydrating Skincare Products

Across the pharmaceutical and skin care market, you’ll find numerous skincare products with hydrating features. When you apply hydrating skin care products, the substance is absorbed by the skin and significantly increases the water content.

48. Refresh with Facial Mists

Facial mists provide instant hydration of the upper layers of the skin. For instance, when you use a facial mist made from cucumber, aloe vera, and distilled water, you instantly seal in the extra moisture and refresh your neckline.

49. Use Humidifiers

A humidifier is one of the most effective methods for retaining the skin’s moisture and water content. A humidifier will pull back all the moisture back into the room’s air and significantly improve the dehydrated and itchy neck skin.

50. Moisturize with Creams

Skin lotions or moisturizing creams can keep the water content in your skin at a desirable level for a tight and youthful neck. The humectant molecules of the moisturizing cream attract moisture from the environment and keep it in the neck skin. Moisturizing creams also boost water retention and make the skin look fresh and shiny.

Mewing as a Universal Solution for Saggy Neck Skin

Even though we’ve listed 50 effective ways to get a tight and youthful neck, nothing can beat facial exercises like mewing. Mewing is a facial exercise that targets the muscles along the jaw and the neck by pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth.

By training your tongue to remain in that position for long periods, you can experience all the mewing benefits, including neck skin tightening.

Mewing and similar exercises – if done correctly and repeatably – can be effective ways to reduce smoker’s lines. The mewing technique strengthens the buccinator, hyoid, and masseter muscles, supporting the right neck posture, diminishing excessive neck skin and fat, and reversing aging and smoke-related wrinkles.

If you want to achieve steady progress with mewing, you can download and install the fully-fledged mewing app Mewing.Coach. There, you’ll find the clearly explained mewing method along with customized mewing and facial exercise programs and educational content. You’ll also get a set of tips for various skin problems, like tips for treating lip incompetence, for example.

Mewing.Coach is realistic, reliable, and based on science. You can check it out and find many ways to improve your neck skin!

Final Thoughts

Depending on the reason for having a crepey or saggy neck, you can choose numerous tightening methods – from improving sleep quality and strength training to laser and radiofrequency treatments.

However, the most effective methods to tighten the neck and make it look more appealing are facial exercises, proper water, antioxidant, and natural supplement intake. That’s why facial exercises like the mewing technique can be quite helpful in attaining the right posture, strengthening the jaw and neck muscles, and getting a tight and appealing neck.