Turkey Neck: Exercises, Cosmetics, And Surgeries - Healthline

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Can You Treat Turkey Neck?

Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT — Written by Erica Cirino — Updated on July 8, 2025

Exercises
Cosmetics
Surgery
Takeaway

“Turkey neck” refers to the saggy or wrinkled skin on the neck that develops with aging. Exercising the neck muscles may help tighten them. But to remove excess skin, you may need surgery.

Turkey neck occurs when your neck muscles begin weakening, and your skin loses its elasticity or ability to stretch and stay tight.

Exercises that treat turkey neck

Many facial and neck exercises claim to help alleviate turkey neck. Yet, to date, no reputable studies have analyzed whether or not these exercises actually work.

Exercise is good for your health and can tone your muscles, but it doesn’t eliminate excess skin. So, while exercises might help tighten up your neck muscles, the skin on top of them might not see a change.

A examined the results certain yoga neck exercises had on the tonus, stiffness, and elasticity of the neck. The researchers noticed increased elasticity and relaxation in the superficial muscles of the neck, as well as improved tone and elasticity in functional muscles.

While they agree that face yoga can support the muscles and their aesthetic appearance in the aging process, more research is necessary to confirm these findings.

Neck exercises performed in the study

Some neck stretching exercises include:

Stretching side neck muscles: Grasp the side of the chair with one hand, then grasp the side of the head from the side with your other hand.
Stretching back diagonal neck muscles: Grasp the side of the chair with one hand, then grasp the front of the head with the other hand. Pulled the head slightly forward and to the other side to stretch the muscles.
Stretching back neck muscles: Grasp the top of the head with both hands and tilt the head forward. This will stretch the back muscles.

Neck exercises may help improve tone and elasticity, but they won’t necessarily remove saggy or excess skin.

Cosmetics that treat turkey neck

N-acetyl glucosamine, a natural form of the chemical glucosamine, is found in many types of neck and other anti-aging creams. There is some research suggesting such creams can help improve the appearance of neck aging by firming and smoothing the skin while reducing the effects of hyperpigmentation.

In one older 2016 study, 42 participants had continuously improving neck appearances while using a cosmetic cream containing N-acetyl glucosamine over a 16-week period.

A 2023 study examined the effects of a topical treatment against signs of aging in the neck. This cream contained three ingredients:

retinol
tripeptide
glaucine

Formulated to reduce neck aging, wrinkles, laxity, and skin texture, the treatment seemed to improve neck wrinkles and skin texture.

Surgeries that treat turkey neck

Surgical procedures are by far the quickest and most effective treatments for turkey neck. Surgeries require cutting and tend to leave scars, while some of the newer treatments are less invasive. Here’s a list of common surgeries and medical procedures that can help reduce the appearance of certain signs of neck aging:

Botox (botulinum toxin type A)

Botox isn’t surgery by definition, but it is a time consuming treatment done by specialists. It’s noninvasive and requires no recovery time. Results last about 3 to 4 months, and repeated injections are necessary to maintain firm skin.

Hyo neck lift

This is a relatively new surgical neck lift procedure that helps tighten and smooth neck skin. Research suggests the procedure is a promising way to reduce or eliminate the appearance of sagging neck skin.

MST operation

This surgery is a minimally invasive technique that involves rejuvenating the neck by tightening the skin with barbed threads. The surgery leaves only small scars.

Skin tightening laser

Various medical devices can heat and tighten the skin. Skin tightening laser is a noninvasive treatment producing mild to moderate results. Repeated treatments over 4 to 6 months are necessary for results. The benefit is that there is no recovery time involved for this procedure.

Z-plasty

Also called anterior cervicoplasty, this surgery was introduced in the 1970s. It involves direct excision of the neck’s excess skin. It’s fast and effective, but leaves a visible scar on the back of the neck.

Takeaway

Neck exercises appear to be the least effective type of treatment, while surgeries and medical procedures are most effective, and cosmetic creams fall somewhere in the middle.

If you’re concerned about signs of skin, talk with your doctor or dermatologist, who can recommend the treatment or treatments that are most appropriate for you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Güzel HZ, et al. (2025). Effect of intensive face yoga on facial muscles tonus, stiffness, and elasticity in middle-aged women: A pre-experimental clinical trial. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12112979/
Louarn CL, et al. (2016). Hyo neck lift: Preliminary report. http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26791743/
Schlessinger J, et al. (2016). A firming neck cream containing n-acetyl glucosamine significantly improves signs of aging on the challenging neck and décolletage. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26741381/
Sullivan K, et al. (2023). Evaluation of a retinol containing topical treatment to improve signs of neck aging.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocd.15904

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Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT — Written by Erica Cirino — Updated on July 8, 2025

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