Women's Health July 10, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock the Secret to a Youthful Neck: Tighten and Firm Without Ever Going Under the Knife!

If the eyes are truly the windows to the soul, have you ever stopped to wonder what your neck is quietly telling the world about your real age? Crazy to think about, right? While we’re all busy pampering and fussing over our faces—as guilty as I am myself—the skin just beneath the chin often escapes the spotlight. It’s like that overlooked understudy who suddenly steals the show, but in this case, it might be shouting “I’m older than you think!” Dermatologists like Dr. Kristina Collins have noticed this all too often: stunning faces paired with necks that seem to have their own timeline. It turns out the neck’s delicate skin, combined with our daily habits (hello, tech neck!), conspires against us more than we realize. But fret not—there’s a silver lining. With the right strategies—from savvy skincare tweaks to cutting-edge treatments—you can keep that neck just as vibrant and youthful as the rest of you. Ready to give your neck the love it deserves? Let’s dive in. LEARN MORE

6 min read

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the neck may very well be the window to your true age.

While many of us—myself included—are hyper-focused on preserving the youthfulness of our face, the skin below the chin is often just an afterthought. And it’s not just me: “I see so many cosmetic patients whose faces look amazing, but whose necks look…different,” says Kristina Collins, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Austin, Texas.

Meet the experts: Kristina Collins, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Austin, Texas. Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York and New Jersey. Alexandra Bowles, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at MONA Dermatology in Cincinnati, Ohio.

You can blame this cosmetic concern on both natural biology and individual behavior, as a unique list of factors contribute to the visible signs of aging on the neck.

Luckily, there’s a host of treatment options to choose from that can effectively address those issues, smoothing, firming, and lifting the skin on your neck skin to defy the natural aging process. This is what dermatologists want you to know so that you can keep your skin below the chin looking just as taut and radiant as the skin above it.

Why does the neck age so quickly?

The skin on the neck is thinner and more delicate than on other areas of the body, explains Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York and New Jersey. It has “both a thinner dermis and less fatty tissue below the surface, making it more prone to wrinkling and sagging,” she says.

There are also fewer oil glands in the neck compared to the face, she adds, meaning the area is more prone to dryness and, in turn, superficial wrinkling. Plus, the neck muscles are very strong and constantly active. Over time, those muscles pull down on the lower face, increasing sagging of skin and soft tissue below the jawline, also known as jowls, Dr. Collins adds.

But there are lifestyle factors to consider, too. Many people don’t apply the skincare products they use on their face as diligently to the neck as well, even sunscreen, Dr. Collins notes. (And in case you didn’t know, sun damage is public enemy number one when it comes to signs of aging—and there’s an exact amount of sunscreen you should be apply to your face and neck daily.) If you’ve made this mistake, you’re not alone: Even as a beauty writer, I’ll admit to being guilty of this from time to time. You better believe there’s sunscreen on my face 365 days per year. My neck? Erm, not so much.

“While many of us—myself included—are hyper-focused on preserving the youthfulness of our face, the skin below the chin is often an afterthought.”

You may have also heard the term ‘tech neck,’ which refers to horizontal fine lines that stretch across the neck. The moniker comes from constantly looking down at your phone—a habit practically everyone has these days. This exacerbates signs of aging in the area because neck skin is just like the face: Repeatedly making the same muscle movement creates a wrinkle will ultimately become permanent, explains Alexandra Bowles, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MONA Dermatology in Cincinnati, Ohio. “We’ve always had these neck wrinkles, but now they’re becoming more and more prominent, even in younger generations because everyone is constantly on their phones,” she adds.

All that’s to say, the neck is 100 percent susceptible to all the same concerns you have with your face—and then some. Like I said, I’ve never given much thought to it, choosing to prioritizing keeping my forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet at bay, instead. It wasn’t until one of my one-year-old twins recently started touching my neck—and was able to grab a full handful of loose skin—that I realized I better step up my neck game.

So, what can be done? These dermatologist-backed solutions—both topical products and in-office treatments—can make a huge difference.

Treat your neck at home.

There are some smart adjustments you can make to your at-home skincare routine to treat the area effectively. These are the biggies:

Apply SPF daily. Sounds simple, but it’s the most effective way to ward off the UV damage that causes everything from a mottled complexion and uneven skin tone to the breakdown of collagen that leads to laxity and wrinkles, Dr. Garshick says. No need to buy a separate SPF; go ahead and apply whatever you’re using on your face onto the neck.
Bring your skincare routine southward. To that point, the dermatologists we spoke with say that pretty much any anti-aging ingredient you’d use on your face can—and should—make it onto your neck. That includes antioxidants like vitamin C to protect against free radical damage, peptides and growth factors to strengthen and firm the skin, and hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin, says Dr. Garshick. But, “you don’t really need to invest in a separate neck cream,” says Dr. Collins. “Most of the time you’re totally fine to apply the same products you’re using on your face on your neck.” One caveat: Retinoids like a retinol serum. They’re great for the neck thanks to their collagen-boosting effects, but because the neck lacks sebaceous glands and is drier, it can be more susceptible to side effects like dryness and irritation, Dr. Bowles notes. Her advice? Stick to once or twice weekly use.
Try a neck cream. If you do want to invest in this extra step, knock yourself out. It can be a great way to combine many of these ingredients in a formula you know will be suitable for neck skin, Dr. Bowles adds. She likes the SkinMedica Neck Correct Cream; Dr. Collins is a fan of Revision Nectifirm.
Go high-tech. Dr. Garshick adds that certain at-home devices may also be helpful for the neck, including microcurrent tools and LED light therapy, to stimulate circulation, boost collagen, and temporarily tighten the skin. Her picks? “The SolaWave Radiant Renewal 4-in-1 Skincare Wand can be a great option as it combines microcurrent, LED, massage and therapeutic warmth to help tighten and lift the skin, while also being easy to maneuver the different contours of the face and neck,” she says. (It also happens to be a Women’s Health beauty award winner.) She also likes the Omnilux Contour Neck & Décolleté LED Mask, a device with collagen-boosting red light that’s specifically created to fit these areas. While these won’t provide the same benefits as certain in-office procedures, with consistency and time, they may be a helpful addition to your routine, she says.

With so many options to treat the neck, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are a few picks that are Women’s Health-approved:

Dermatologist-Recommended Products To Treat The Neck

Best Neck Cream

SkinMedica Neck Correct Cream

Credit: SkinMedica

No, you don’t need to buy a neck cream, but investing in one may help you remember to take care of this important area. This one has peptides and plant extracts to smooth and tighten skin.

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

The first step in protecting your neck from the visibly signs of aging is to shield skin from UV damage. This sunscreen will do the trick—just make sure to slather it on daily.

CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum

Now 15% Off

Retinol is proven to stimulate collagen production and resurface skin, and this one does a great job at both (just take a look at one WH editor’s experience using it).

Best At-Home Device

Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand

If you want to go with some high-tech age-fighting, light therapy is a good option (research shows it stimulates fibroblasts to churn out collagen). And you can’t go wrong with Solawave’s wand—it’s a Women’s Health beauty award winner.

Best Retinol Serum

CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum

Now 15% Off

Retinol is proven to stimulate collagen production and resurface skin, and this one does a great job at both (just take a look at one WH editor’s experience using it).

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum

A hyaluronic acid serum is aging skin’s best friend, locking moisture into its deeper layers to visibly plump and dew-ify. This one is from dermatologist-favorite brand, La Roche-Posay.

Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand

If you want to go with some high-tech age-fighting, light therapy is a good option (research shows it stimulates fibroblasts to churn out collagen). And you can’t go wrong with Solawave’s wand—it’s a Women’s Health beauty award winner.

SkinMedica Neck Correct Cream

Credit: SkinMedica

No, you don’t need to buy a neck cream, but investing in one may help you remember to take care of this important area. This one has peptides and plant extracts to smooth and tighten skin.

What dermatologists can do.

To address laxity and tighten the skin, there are treatments like Sofwave and radiofrequency microneedling, which heat the dermis to build collagen, says Dr. Bowles. Injecting biostimulatory fillers like Sculptra and Radiesse is another way to do this, she adds. If discoloration is your chief concern, cosmetic procedures such as resurfacing lasers or intense pulse light treatments are effective.

However, keep in mind that because neck skin is different from the face, it’s much more susceptible to scarring. The aforementioned procedures involve the use of devices that can be set on a variety of settings—from gentle to aggressive. And even though cosmetic dermatologists are beginning to use artificial intelligence to automate these devices and make the procedures less risk, the neck simply can’t handle the same settings as the face. As such, it’s imperative to see a trained professional (such as a board-certified dermatologist or facial plastic surgeon) who knows what they’re doing and how to treat the neck specifically, cautions Dr. Collins.

To address tech neck, neurotoxin injections reign supreme. “To address wrinkles that are caused by muscle movement, topical products aren’t going to cut it,” Dr. Collins explains. “Neurotoxin injections soften the platysma muscles, helping to both lift the lower face and smooth out the neck,” Dr. Collins explains. FYI, because these muscles are large, you will need more units than are usually needed in the face, she points out. (And that will cause the price tag to tick up.)

As I firmly enter my late 30s and am reckoning with my loose skin, I’m committed to being more diligent about slathering on sunscreen and my facial anti-aging faves below my chin every single day. I’ll also be asking about neck injections at my next regularly-scheduled Botox appointment.

Hopefully, by implementing these strategies now, I’ll be able to ensure that my face and neck stay looking equally youthful—and that there’s no saggy skin for those baby hands to grab.

Melanie Rud is a beauty writer and editor with over 15 years of experience in the industry covering skincare, makeup, hair, and more. Her work has appeared in Shape, Real Simple, Byrdie, In Style, RealSelf, Good Housekeeping, PopSugar, and multiple other print and digital outlets. Additionally, she works as a personal beauty coach and also offers consulting services for beauty companies.

Brian Underwood is beauty director at Women’s Health, where he oversees content strategy for the brand across all platforms, including digital, print, and social. Underwood previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily and O, The Oprah Magazine. During his tenure leading beauty content for the Oprah brand at Hearst, stories Underwood commissioned were awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Media Award and a Fragrance Award for Editorial Excellence (his second). He was the launch Beauty Director of Dr. Oz THE GOOD LIFE, and has held additional editorial positions at Fitness, Organic Style, Good Housekeeping, Life & Style Weekly, and Woman’s Day and has written for Self, Shape, Seventeen, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many more. Underwood previously served on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and as partnerships director of the Trans Beauty Clinic, a New York-based charitable organization that provided beauty services and workshops to the city’s trans community.