Can you really treat 'turkey neck' with an at-home device?
It’s not just Nora Ephron who feels bad about her neck – a slightly saggy décolletage can be a pain point for many of us as we age. What was once a smooth and supple expanse of skin that we barely even noticed now has us doing a little double take in the mirror.
Because the skin below our chin is thinner, it needs extra care and attention, a little like our delicate eyelids and under-eyes. As always, prevention is better than cure, which is why dermatologists tell us to treat the skin on our neck and chest with the same care as we do our faces: cleanse, massage in oil, wear SPF, and all the other good stuff.
However, if you’ve neglected your neck in favour of more glamorous spots, there’s still hope. Thanks to new developments in technology and increased access to salon-grade beauty devices at home, we have faith that firming up that loose skin is not just possible but highly plausible.
Better than relying on faith, though – as that’s not really good enough for us scientific sorts at GH – we enlisted the help of the Good Housekeeping Institute beauty lab experts and our trusty at-home panel to trial the latest neck-toning tools that promise to help firm and smooth with consistent use.
But are they really the neck’s big thing? Here are the ones we back at a glance.
How do a neck toning devices and masks work?
At-home beauty technology is booming, and there’s now a myriad of devices promising to lift, firm, smooth, tighten and tweak every inch of us – including the neck. As you’d expect, high-tech gadgets come at a premium, so you’ll want to feel sure you’re investing in something that’s safe and effective. Enter the Good Housekeeping Institute and our in-depth testing.
‘Home technology such as microcurrent, LED light and gentle radiofrequency heat really can work,’ explains aesthetics guru Dr Galyna Selezneva, who performs (incredible) non-surgical neck lifts using the professional Sylfirm machine. ‘But only if you're going to use them consistently. Buying a device and putting it again in your drawer is not going to do anything for your neck or jowls.’
‘Microcurrent devices are like a workout for your complexion, using low level electric impulses to contact your facial muscles. Think of it as Pilates for the face,’ she explains. ‘There's belief that a facial muscle workout will reduce age-related muscle loss. Every decade we lose approximately 7-10% of muscle bulk, face included. So, even though the instant visual effects from microcurrent might be temporary, we still want to "exercise" the facial muscles regularly to prevent haunted look in the future, which is essentially loss of muscle bulk.’
LED devices, on the other hand, can rejuvenate skin by using different wavelengths of light to encourage collagen production and increase blood flow, making skin firmer and healthier-looking. 'I love LED, it's my favourite at-home technology,' says Dr Galyna.
So, how did we test all this clever tech?
How we tested
With the help of our trusty panel, we trialled seven neck toning devices over a four-week period. We asked testers to give detailed feedback on ease of use, design, instructions and, of course, performance. They focused on specific skin claims, noting any improvement in hydration, plumpness, firming, and smoothing of the neck, as well as any change to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. They assessed how comfortable the microcurrents were, whether the gadgets sat well on the neck, the length of treatment time and the brightness of the LED lights.
In the lab, we used our specialist machine, the Skin Test Centre, to measure the elasticity of testers’ skin on their neck before and after the trial period.
After the month-long trial we whittled it down, and these are the five we'd stick our neck out for.
LED Neck Mask
Score: 87/100
We’ve tested a lot of tech in our beauty lab and rarely do devices achieve unanimous verdicts across multiple categories. But every single tester found this device easy to use and clean, comfortable to wear, and, most importantly, they said it left the skin on their neck much firmer, smoother and healthier by the end of the trial period.
‘It was mega comfortable to wear,’ said one panel member, while another added: ‘It was so easy to use and felt great quality – it even comes with a neat little storage bag.’ It mainly lost points for the lack of alarm to let you know when the 10-minute treatment time is up, but you can easily get around that by just setting the timer on your phone.
Contour Neck & Décolleté
Score: 81/100
In the brand’s before and after pictures, taken during its own panel tests, you can see a significant decrease in lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone. Our testers corroborated this, with the majority telling us they were satisfied with the results and that they would happily continue to use the product after the trial period.
The bib-like design was a hit, with everyone finding it super comfortable to wear and walk around in – the long cord between the controller and the mask helped. It also held its charge well according to our panel, but a few groaned about the Velcro fastener being tricky to strap together. Generally, though, they were all impressed with this high-quality device and how convenient it was to use.
BEAR Facial Toning Device
Score: 74/100
Microcurrent devices should never be used along the front of the neck because this is where the thyroid gland is located, and you risk interfering with the hormones it produces. However, what these tools are both safe and fabulous for is firming the sides of the neck and below the chin to snatch the jawline (goodbye saggy jowls). ‘I love how small and neat this device is – it’s really portable,’ raved one at-home tester.
‘I followed the treatment plan for four weeks and noticed such a difference to my neck. I like that treatments are short as I never have much time for self-care,’ added another. Some also praised the ‘great’ battery life. There were complaints about having to connect to the app to get information on how to use the device, but we found this relatively easy to do.
Ageless Throat & Decolletage Ionic Microcurrent Device
Score: 73/100
This is another microcurrent device that’s good for targeting jowls and jawlines. Panellists told us it was lightweight and easy to hold, which is a big plus point given the 10-minute treatment time – nobody wants an achy arm. There were lots of positive comments about the ‘good vibrations’ – not a Beach Boys reference, but more a general feeling that the device was doing something. ‘I felt like there was a difference in my jaw line whenever I used it,’ said one. In fact, a few told us it garnered ‘noticeable results’ for them, which is impressive at the price point.
A couple of panellists weren’t impressed with the lack of detail in the instructions – ‘I wasn't sure how often I was meant to use it or the benefits of using it,’ said one. We’ve asked the brand, who told us they recommend using it daily for the first two weeks, then three times a week ongoing. It's best used alongside a serum or cream, and it promises firmer skin in four weeks for just £50.
Neck & Chest Rejuvenating Mask
Score: 71/100
Most of the comments about this one focused on how convenient it was to incorporate into people’s routines, which is exactly what you want from a beauty tool – as with anything, if it’s easy to stick to, you’re more likely to make it a habit. ‘At only 10 minutes, three times a week, this treatment was super convenient,’ said one tester. ‘Each session was short and sweet, so totally doable,’ agreed another.
Every single tester said the mask fitted well and was comfortable to wear, with no slipping or disconnecting during treatment. It was also easy to walk around the house with and it didn’t get too hot. As for those all-important results, most were satisfied and said they’d continue to use it after the trial period, though a few told us that although it was comfortable and convenient to use while multitasking, they suspected it might take longer than four weeks to firm up fine lines.
A few complained that it doesn’t come with a hard-shell case, but this was a hit overall.
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