The Holidays are here once again. You’ll be seeing friends, family, and yes probably the ex and his new wife!

You can consider yourself lucky if you’ve made it into your fourth, fifth, or sixth decade or beyond.  But, if a glance in the mirror tells you without hesitating that you’re looking a tad bit more saggy and droopy…you could also be developing  “turkey neck”.

Why do necks sag and droop more with age?  The skin around the neck is especially prone to aging because it’s thinner than facial skin and has a different collagen composition. Plus, it’s one of the most sun-exposed parts of the body, making it especially vulnerable to UVA/UVB damage.

What to do about it?  You can take preventative measures by using the same prescription-strength products on your neck that you apply on your face, including retinol and peptides (see link) and, of course, always apply a UVA/UVB approved sunscreen every day.

But the problem with a turkey neck is that once you have one, it’s harder to get dramatic improvement without taking dramatic action.  You can treat your neck with various lasers, which can help smooth the skin, and you can reinforce the skin by applying creams like retinoids that will encourage production of collagen and elastin, but  you won’t lose the excess skin without some serious plastic surgery. What does that look like?  An incision behind the earlobes, suctioned fat, lifted and tightened muscles, and a small scar from behind the ears into the hairline. (Not to mention a recovery time of 10 to 14 days, and a cost of about $11,000).

Bottom line:  If your turkey neck is better off hiding behind a turtle neck, then  lasers and creams may not make an appreciable difference. However, before you put your neck under the carving knife, think long and hard about starting right now to make a difference. Why? Because you can. It’s never too late to start taking care of your skin. Better to start now than to try to catch up later!

Need some help?  Contact me now, before the holidays are over!  Why wait? You’re not getting any younger!