How can I reduce my turkey neck? Generally at a relatively low body fat % (photos)

Question

What can I do to reduce my turkey neck? If my tongue is held to the upper palate it’s not as visible (see photos). I am generally at a relatively low body fat % and I workout 5-6 days a week. Thanks in advance.

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your photos. Based on what you've described and what I can appreciate in the images, your concern appears to be related more to skin laxity and neck muscle (platysma) prominence than excess fat. The fact that the neck looks noticeably smoother when you press your tongue against the roof of your mouth suggests that muscle tension and the underlying anatomy are contributing to the appearance.

Since you're already lean and exercise regularly, losing more weight is unlikely to make a significant difference and, in some cases, can actually make loose skin more noticeable.

The most appropriate treatment depends on which structure is causing the "turkey neck":

If the primary issue is platysmal banding (the neck muscle): Small, targeted injections of botulinum toxin can relax the muscle and soften the appearance in carefully selected patients. Results are temporary but can be quite effective for mild cases.
If mild skin laxity is the main concern: Energy-based treatments such as radiofrequency microneedling, ultrasound skin tightening, or radiofrequency devices can stimulate collagen and provide modest tightening over several months. These work best when the looseness is early and there isn't a large amount of excess skin.
If there is a combination of loose skin and deeper tissue laxity: Surgical procedures such as a neck lift or lower facelift with neck tightening provide the most predictable and dramatic improvement. Surgery is generally the only option that can remove excess skin and tighten the deeper supporting structures.

Looking at your photos, I don't see a significant amount of excess fat under the chin, so I don't think fat-reduction procedures alone would address your concern.

Overall, your neck changes appear to be in the mild to moderate range. If you're looking for subtle improvement with minimal downtime, collagen-stimulating skin-tightening treatments may be worthwhile. However, if your goal is a more noticeable and long-lasting correction, a surgical neck lift remains the gold standard. The best choice ultimately depends on how much improvement you're hoping to achieve and whether you're comfortable with the recovery associated with surgery.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Lucian Ion, FRCS · Answer

Thank you for your question and sharing your photograph. You seem quite young, so perhaps it’s better to discuss this in person with a surgeon rather than ask questions based on photographs. The images suggest prominence of the digastric muscles and visibility of the lower part of the submandibular glands. This is why, with the floor of the mouth lifted when the tongue is held to the upper palate, part of this is hidden. The same will happen when swallowing, which produces a relatively similar movement.

The procedure that can decrease the volume is the anterior neck lift because liposuction addresses fatty tissue under the skin, and this is not relevant in your situation. The anterior neck lift can deal with centrally seated fatty tissue, a relatively small volume in your case, the volume of the digastric muscles, and the volume of the lower part of the submandibular glands. It is an element that has hereditary roots and, when controlled, also has a lasting effect.

Your workout at the gym most likely involves weights, and this does lead to some increase in the digastric muscles, but probably is inconsequential to the visibility of the submandibular glands.

Matthew Schulman, MD · Answer

Since it only takes a small amount of excess fat in the chin area to give a full appearance, even thin people can have fat there. It just depends where the fat pocket is. Often, this is genetic, and not related to overally body weight. Liposuction is a great option for targeted fat removal in this area.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Facial aesthetics is primarily determined by bone structure.
This is especially true when assessing young people.
Bone structure is what gives each unique person their individual appearance, whether it is desirable or not.
Issues related to the lower 1/3 of the face generally related to issues with the shape and size of the mandible.
 Individuals who have a small mandible are prone to developing a premature double chin, loss of jawline, definition, and other signs of premature aging.
Even if your mentalist or chin has a strong projection issues further back such as in the body of the mandible, or vertical heights of the mandible can impact how soft tissues drape.
 The bone structure is essentially the foundation of what the soft tissue rests upon.
Individuals who have aesthetic ideal looks typically have an ideal, skeletal foundation. Most plastic surgeons are soft tissue oriented and will look at soft tissue solutions to address problems that are sometimes based on skeletal structure.
Whenever treatment doesn’t directly affect the primary problem partial results are the best you can hope for.
You do not have an abnormal fat distribution.
Removing fat isn’t going to do all that much because it isn’t addressing the problem nor do you have a lot of fat to work with.
A neck lift is another option, but again it doesn’t really treat The primary problem, and most people will tell you you’re too young for a neck lift.
Individuals who do become premature candidates for neck lift and facelift surgery often have a facial skeletal structure that is not ideal.
There is no simple treatment that’s going to have a that’s going to have a major impact and attempts at treating the primary problem. I’d probably going to be too extreme to justify the outcome.
I wish I could be more optimistic, but I’d much rather you not have surgery, then have surgery that leads to pour outcomes.
This is only my opinion, and I’m quite sure others will have a more optimistic view.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

How can I reduce my turkey neck? Generally at a relatively low body fat % (photos)

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