Has Judy Murray got you worried about ‘turkey neck’? How to avoid it...
There comes a time when we start to feel bad about our necks
(UNSPLASH)If the news of Judy Murray’s so called ‘turkey neck’ has got you craning yours in anxiety, fear not, because there are plenty of solutions to swerve and perk up sagging skin, many of which negate the need for a costly £4,500 non-surgical neck lift (she had the Morpheus 8 treatment at Synergy Skin Clinic in Glasgow for those of you who have been furiously googling).
Otherwise known as ‘cervico-mental laxity’, consultant plastic surgeon Dr Paul Banwell says that the slackening of the skin around the neck is the result of age-induced muscle laxity, sun-prompted photodamage and loss of collagen which is “an essential structural protein that gives skin its foundation, elasticity and firmness.”
According to cosmetic doctor Sophie Shotter, the exact age the neck begins to droop is difficult to pinpoint. “The natural ageing process differs between individuals, and some are genetically more prone to rapid collagen breakdown than others.”
While to some extent unavoidable, Banwell says that many miss the opportunity to slow down the ageing process. “Many women have a skincare routine in place for their face from their 20s, but their neck area gets little attention. By their 40s a lot of women then begin to notice the signs of premature ageing in this area that is ahead of their face.”
SKINCARE: THE PRODUCTS TO KNOW
The key to prevention? You guessed it: extending your skincare routine down the neck and across the decolletage, which should include at least free-radical fighting antioxidants and a high level SPF, found in products such as Sunday Riley’s CEO Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream, £60, and La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid SPF50+ Sun Cream, £17.50.
To “slow down the collagen decline in the skin which begins from around the age of 25,” Shotter recommends dedicated products such as the Revision Skincare Nectifirm Advanced, £143.90, SkinCeuticals Tripeptide R Neck Repair, £95, and the Neostrata Triple Firming Neck Cream, £50, which include skin resurfacing retinol and rebuilding peptides that will help to reduce a visibly sagging, creased neck to some extent.
AT-HOME TREATMENTS
In lockdown, treatment options are limited. For results at-home, the pain and downtime-free CurrentBody Skin The Neck and Dec Perfector, £255, is clinically proven to reduce wrinkles by 35% in as little as four weeks with the use of red light therapy to reenergize cells, in turn increasing cell turnover.
COSMETIC TREATMENTS: FROM MICRO-NEEDLING TO THREAD LIFTS
When we’re able to visit clinics once more, there are an array of options available depending on your pain threshold. Coolsculpting, from £480, which “freezes the fat cells under the chin,” with a mild cooling and suction sensation, comes recommended by Shotter, and “permanently eliminates about a third of the cells in this area, shrinking the fat pad”, therefore “reducing the amount by which this fat pad can drop and sag.”
On a more invasive level, Shotter recommends the new Tri-lift treatment, £3,200, launching in April, which will use a combination of cell rejuvenating micro-needling and radiofrequency to “stimulate a five-fold increase in elastin, two-fold fold increase in collagen and an increase in hyaluronic acid levels”, and injectable filler to add definition to the face. Local anaesthetic is used so pain is minimal, but downtime is about two days of redness and a slight stinging sensation while the skin heals.
Banwell’s treatment of choice is the APTOS Lift, £2000, a procedure designed for those who are seriously concerned with an ageing neck, which involves having biodegradable threads inserted inside the skin which are then “pulled up to lift the jowl of the face and remove sagging across the jawline area,” which may sound scary, but promises instant results with only general anesthetic and minor downtime.
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