The at-home DIY fix for ‘turkey neck’

One of the best parts of sharing content on YouTube is the interaction with viewers from all over the world who feel similarly motivated to discover how to age well, look and feel good for longer.

I learn so much from their feedback and from those who share their own experiences of different approaches, products and treatments with me.

Recently a 55-year-old aesthetician called Lee from Canada got in touch with me to say she had tried a neck massage technique that she’d seen on YouTube which promised to tackle the dreaded turkey neck where our skin and muscle start to weaken and we start to see sagging around our neck and jawline.

Lee had noticed a video posted on the Aysel Massage Therapist channel that had gone viral with over 1.5 million views.

The neck-lifting massage method

In it the massage therapist showed viewers a simple technique involving applying a ‘nourishing moisturizer’ to your neck then buffing your skin with a rolled up towel (turned into a tourniquet) that’s first soaked in warm salted water.

She claimed doing this for between 1 to 3 minutes daily would help get rid of turkey neck and you’d see results within two weeks of trying it.

Had it not been for Lee, I wouldn’t have taken this advice very seriously but she told me this simple technique has indeed made a dramatic difference to her neck and she sent me the before and after pictures to prove it.

I interviewed Lee about her experience on my channel – and you can watch it by scrolling down to the bottom of this article.

And what struck me about this method is that it actually incorporates quite a few of the elements that you find in skin tightening devices and some facial treatments.

How does this neck lifting massage work?

The action of buffing your skin boosts blood flow and oxygen going to it which supports cell productivity, including collagen formation.

There is a massaging effect as well on the muscles, and by using a wet towel soaked in salted water there is a kind of microdermabrasion effect on the skin which may help smooth it as well.

But is it a good idea to be slapping our necks like this as part of a massage routine?

Safety

In the original video itself the massage therapist advises anyone with a thyroid condition to seek medical advice beforehand which would be a given. I would almost certainly avoid the throat area and stick to the sides and just under the chin.

And I would warn against going too hard, so if you’ve decided to try a technique like this it should not be painful or uncomfortable.

Too much impact on the skin is not a good idea, so you’re looking to increase blood flow and cause the skin to flush but you shouldn’t see marking or bruising after the flushing subsides – we don’t want to do any damage.

I wanted to check safety with a medical professional, so I turned to aesthetic specialist Dr Emmaline Ashley.

She told me she didn’t have safety concerns when reasonable precautions are taken but noted there is only anecdotal evidence for this method which does appear positive.

She added: “The massage therapist suggests applying a rich moisturiser to the neck before the treatment.

“A lot of people neglect to use skincare on their necks – so the regular use of good moisturiser in itself could make a difference to skin quality.

“This technique encourages elongation of the neck which could help with ‘tech neck’ where frequently looking down at phones and devices contributes to the appearance of lines horizontally around the neck and loss of elasticity.”

Nourishing neck creams

For a nourishing neck cream I would opt either for your favorite face moisturizer (I use Calecim’s multi-action cream) .

Something like No7’s Lift and Luminate Night Cream with its blend of peptides, hyaluronic acid and shea butter, covers a lot of bases and is budget friendly – as is Weleda’s Skin Food Nourishing Night Cream.

It’s packed with antioxidant-rich oils, also including shea butter which is a champion among emollients, and contains squalane for added hydration.