Found: A Derm's Top 3 At-Home Tips To Reverse Neck Laxity & Loose Skin
It is possible to soften the appearance.
Astrong
Beauty & Health Editor
Beauty & Health Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
Image by Leandro Crespi / Stocksy July 13, 2023 Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may In skin care, the neck is one of the most difficult areas to target. Why? Well, the region receives just as much (if not more) UV exposure as your face, yet is oft-overlooked when it comes to sun protection. Your neck is also super delicate, likely way more sensitive than the skin on your face. For those reasons, it’s commonly one of the first places to experience signs of aging. Think: fine lines, sunspots, and loose, sagging skin—otherwise known as neck laxity. “This is a result of natural aging, loss of collagen, [and] loss of elastin,” triple board-certified dermatologist Mamina Turegano, M.D., shares in a recent TikTok video. 
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Now, laxity is a tad more difficult to treat once it actually crops up, but it is possible to soften the sagging appearance. Here, find Turegano’s top three at-home tips. “In general, you want to use things that can help build collagen and tighten the skin,” Turegano notes. It raises the question: Can a topical cream with supposedly “skin-firming actives” really tighten sagging neck skin? It depends. If you have milder forms of neck laxity, “creams with really good peptides” can help, Turegano explains. Namely hexapeptides, which some claim can produce a mild, Botox-like effect1. However, if it’s late in the game and your sagging borders on severe, topical creams likely won’t make a huge difference. That’s not to say you should stop from moisturizing the area entirely (doing so prevents more sagging!), but you might want to opt for an in-office cosmetic procedure to turn back the clock, so to speak. One of the best things you can do for skin longevity is “just getting into the habit of moisturizing,” Turegano says. Dry skin exacerbates a crepey appearance and leads to a compromised barrier, which only accelerates sagging over time. “You don’t have to get too fancy,” says Turegano. Just make sure to send your neck and décolletage some love while applying your face lotion. If you’d like to use a targeted neck cream, feel free to browse these high-quality options. You can also feel free to use a rich hand cream or body lotion as an impromptu neck cream, if you please. Bonus points if yours contains biotech pre and postbiotics to improve skin firmness or wrinkle-reducing coenzyme Q10 for antioxidant support. (One of these options will surely catch your eye.) No matter which cream you choose, “Make sure you’re massaging it and applying it upwards,” says Turegano. “That can be helpful.” Because, you know, gravity. This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features. Remember when we said the neck area is generally more delicate than the face? Turegano agrees, which is why she approaches potent topicals with caution. “I’m a little cautious about recommending things like retinol or vitamin C, but you can use gentler forms of those ingredients, and that can also help build collagen and tighten the skin,” she shares. Still, if your neck cream contains retinol, AHAs, or BHAs, you might want to start slow and work your way up to a regular cadence. Even if you can tolerate these ingredients frequently for your face, your neck skin is quite thin and sensitive—treat it like so. Advertisement
The takeaway
Neck laxity is basically another way to describe sagging, crepey skin on the neck. As with crepey skin in general, delaying the onset is much easier than treating it once it arrives. That being said, it is possible to tighten the appearance if you have mild forms of sagging. “If you have pretty loose skin, procedures are probably going to make a bigger difference,” says Turegano. If you are interested in the in-office route, here’s an effective (albeit pricey) option you can try.
