With age, the thin, vulnerable skin on your neck may begin to sag, leading to issues like wrinkles and turkey neck drooping under the chin. Loose neck skin after 50 occurs as a natural part of aging due to other factors like photodamage and poor lifestyle habits.
People will often put a lot of effort into boosting the health of their face, forgetting that the skin of the neck requires just as much, if not more care. This article will discuss the causes of the loose neck skin, as well as some practical home cures and medical procedures that can help you achieve a tighter, more youthful-looking neck. Read on to discover how to get a smooth, youthful-looking neck after 50!
What Causes Loose Neck Skin After 50?
There are multiple reasons for changes in your neck skin after 50, some natural and others due to outside influences and life choices. Either way, this issue is certainly reversible, but understanding the root cause is the first step on how to prevent neck sagging at this point in your life.
Cause # 1 - Aging
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is my neck aging so fast?” One of the major causes of a sagging neck is the natural effects of aging. Over time, levels of the proteins collagen and elastin decline, leading to looser skin with less elasticity and possibly causing wrinkles and drooping.
Other factors like poor diet, exposure to UV rays without sunscreen, smoking, and excessive drinking of alcohol may further impact collagen and elastin levels, leading to neck aging signs.
In addition, the support of the muscles and connective tissue gets weaker with age, causing loose skin. The neck is especially vulnerable because the skin is quite thin in this area and more likely to sag.
Cause # 2 - Weight Loss
Losing significant weight, especially if you do it quickly, can harm the collagen and elastin fibers by causing them to stretch out and weaken. The neck is one of the areas which is particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. Over time it becomes more difficult for levels to recover, leading to loose skin all over the body and ‘old people's necks.’ Therefore, if you’re on a weight loss journey, make sure you take your time to minimize this.
Cause # 3 - Sickness
Before you blame your loose neck skin on any of the factors we have already mentioned, check with a physician to confirm there isn’t an underlying medical issue. One possible cause is a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which impacts the connective tissue in your organs and dermis. This leads to collagen breakdown causing fragile, loose skin, and the neck area is vulnerable to this symptom.
Cause # 4 - Sun Exposure
Repeated exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays without wearing sunscreen can cause the collagen and elastin fibers to break down much more quickly than through the natural aging process. The result may be looser skin, and the thin area on your neck is especially susceptible.
In addition, UV ray exposure can dehydrate your complexion, for dryness and a decline in plumpness. This loss could cause sagging skin and wrinkles on the face and neck. Dermaxsol is a hydrating moisturizer with SPF30 that protects your skin from UVA rays.
How to Get Rid of Loose Neck Skin After 50
If the signs of age on your skin bother you, you may be wondering how to keep your neck looking young after 50. Fortunately, this is more than possible with changes in your lifestyle and even the addition of clinic treatments. This section will highlight some of the best ways to keep your neck smooth as you age.
Exercise Frequently
Regular exercise improves your overall physical health and boosts circulation, which promotes healthier and more glowing skin. However, there is also a specific facial exercise that you can do to loosen up sagging neck skin.
Follow the steps for half an hour each day, and you should notice a great improvement in about 3 months. Begin by opening your mouth as wide as you can, then stretch your upper lip over your front teeth. Smile as widely as possible, then use your index fingers to touch your cheeks, relaxing the muscles as you do.
Use Skin Product Treatments
Include anti-aging products in your daily skincare regimen with ingredients like retinol and peptides, which increase collagen and elastin production, tighten loose skin, enhance elasticity, improve muscle tone, and smooth wrinkles on the face and neck.
When it comes to skincare, the best aging neck treatments also have ingredients high in antioxidants like Vitamins C and E to protect the skin from UV rays and photodamage. As we know, this can lead to collagen breakdown and further sagging.
Set a Healthy Lifestyle
If you’re wondering how to prevent saggy neck skin after 50, to begin with, a healthy lifestyle is key. Follow a diet rich in antioxidants and nutrients to heal skin barrier damage and reap the advantages of anti-aging. Include hydrating foods and drink plenty of water to prevent dry skin.
In addition, regular exercise does a lot to boost blood flow, improve the skin’s radiance, and improve muscle tone to tighten sagging skin on the body. Since stress can also harm skin health, try to keep your levels low by following yoga or meditation and mindfulness.
Take Supplements
There is a wide range of natural supplements on the market which offer benefits for skin health and decrease sagging, including loose neck skin. The top products contain organic ingredients which naturally boost levels of collagen and elastin, tightening the skin. They also offer hydrating benefits for plumper, smoother skin that glows with youthfulness and are high in damage-repairing antioxidants.
Consider Clinic Treatments
Some surgical procedures can tighten up a sagging neck significantly, but there are also non or minimally invasive clinical treatments that can be quite effective. These are the main options performed in a dermatologist’s office or clinic.
Microneedling - The practitioner pricks the skin with tiny needles, stimulating collagen production through the healing of the abrasions. This procedure tightens the skin and lifts a sagging neck. It may take a few sessions for full benefits, and you can do it every few weeks for the best results.
Laser Therapy - This procedure involves red light therapy stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis for a tighter, younger-looking neck. It takes about 3-5 treatment sessions for optimal tightening benefits.
Non-Surgical Radio Frequency - This powerful treatment is usually effective in one session. It involves using a radio frequency device on the skin, which emits heat, stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis.
Ultrasound Skin Tightening (Ultherapy) - The device sends ultrasound waves deep into the skin to enhance collagen production and lift sagging skin. Results typically appear within 2-6 months of the first procedure.
FAQs
Question # 1 - Why is my skin getting oilier as I get older?
While the glands often produce less sebum with age leading to dry skin, many people find that their skin becomes oilier as they age. The pores often enlarged over the years due to weight changes, poor skin care, repeated acne breakouts, and other lifestyle and health factors. This leads to added sebum production and oily skin. Several high-quality organic skin care products and lifestyle changes may significantly reduce this concern.
Bottom Line
While many people develop sagging or loose neck skin after the age of 50, understanding the root causes of the issue can help significantly in addressing the concern. As this article has indicated, the problem can be improved or even reversed by changing your lifestyle and non-invasive clinical therapies.
Our skincare collection offers a range of products that can lift and firm your skin, eliminate signs of age, get rid of dryness, and give you the smooth, elegant neck you deserve.
Melissa Feldman
Melissa Feldman lives in Toronto, Canada and works as an independent research writer. She has undergraduate degrees in both Teaching and Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Immigration. Melissa is skilled at writing compelling articles and producing academic, marketing, and creative content. She writes about a range of lifestyle topics, including health, fitness, beauty and nutrition. She has more than two decades of experience reviewing and editing publications intended for both public and professional audiences.
