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How Do I Fix a Sagging Neck?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

A sagging neck is marked by the appearance of loose, wrinkled-looking skin under the chin area. Often, this occurs as people age, but it can also develop after a person has lost a good deal of weight. You can try exercises to tone the area if the platysma muscle, which extends from the chin area to the chest, is at fault. If your main problem is loose skin, however, you might have to consider surgery. Some people do try using skin creams to fix this problem, but that often results in disappointment.

You can attempt exercise to fix a sagging neck. The exercises that work on this area involve the platysma muscle that extends from your chest up to your chin. You can work this muscle by looking straight ahead and positioning your chin parallel to the floor. Then, you'll need to move your head backward until you are staring at the ceiling. After holding your neck in this position for several seconds, you can move back to the starting position and begin the exercise again.

Neck lifting can make a significant difference in the self-esteem of an individual.
Neck lifting can make a significant difference in the self-esteem of an individual.

In many cases, however, such exercises fail to produce significant results. The reason they often fail is due to another primary cause of a sagging neck; when the sagging in this area is caused by loose skin, exercising is unlikely to fix it. If you believe muscle tissue is playing a significant part in the look of this area, you might want to attempt exercises and wait a reasonable amount of time for results. In the event that you put in diligent effort but do not obtain results, you may do well to seek another option.

Plastic surgery may help treat a sagging neck.
Plastic surgery may help treat a sagging neck.

Often, medical intervention is necessary to fix a sagging neck, and one common method is referred to as neck lift surgery. With is type of surgery, a doctor will cut into your skin and then re-tighten it. Excess skin that is contributing to a sagging neck is usually trimmed away during the procedure. Sometimes a surgeon also works to remove part of the platysma muscle during this operation. Once he has removed a portion of the muscle, he can then tighten the remaining muscle tissue and cut away any loose skin.

Skin creams are sometimes used to fix a sagging neck.
Skin creams are sometimes used to fix a sagging neck.

There are many creams that claim to tighten the skin in this area, but most are only proven as moisturizers. As such, using such products often leads to disappointment. Instead, you might decide to put effort into consuming a nutrient-rich diet for the promotion of skin health. While this is unlikely to fix a current skin issue, it may help slow the development of additional problems.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

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Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Talentryto
@rundocuri - I have a friend who had the loose skin around her neck tightened surgically. She is very happy with the results, and said it was worth the cost and downtime. She said the pain was minimal, too. Tell your mom to make sure that any surgeon that she is considering is board certified and has experience doing neck lift surgery.
Rundocuri

My mother tried many different kinds of creams that claimed to help tighten loose skin. However, she was always disappointed with the results. She is thinking about consulting with a surgeon. Has anyone had a neck lift that can share their experience?

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    • Neck lifting can make a significant difference in the self-esteem of an individual.
      By: Piotr Marcinski
      Neck lifting can make a significant difference in the self-esteem of an individual.
    • Plastic surgery may help treat a sagging neck.
      By: WavebreakmediaMicro
      Plastic surgery may help treat a sagging neck.
    • Skin creams are sometimes used to fix a sagging neck.
      By: photodsotiroff
      Skin creams are sometimes used to fix a sagging neck.
    • Various neck exercises can help to treat a sagging neck.
      By: olly
      Various neck exercises can help to treat a sagging neck.