When one grows older, it’s inevitable that parts of your body will start to sag and show signs of aging including lines and wrinkles. Now, most people often spend a fair amount of time taking care of their body and face to fight the effects of aging. Unfortunately, a lot of us pretty much forget to also treat our necks where one of the most common (and incredibly unglamorous) signs of aging occurs – the turkey neck.
What causes a turkey neck?
In case you’re not sure what it is, a turkey neck, also known as “the wattle,” is the sagging skin on the neck that resembles the appearance of a turkey’s neck, hence the name. There are many causes of a turkey neck. The most obvious cause is aging. When you grow old, the muscles in your neck start to become loose or weakened. This can cause your skin to sag due to a lack of support, resulting in a banded appearance. In addition, as you grow older, the production of elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid in your body slows down. These substances are what provide the skin with its structure. When these components become degraded, your skin loses its elasticity and sheen which, in turn, causes it to sag.
Aside from aging, another common cause of a turkey neck is smoking. When you smoke, the blood vessels in your neck become narrow which results in poor circulation. What this means is that your skin will be starved of oxygen and nutrients that it needs to repair any damage caused by aging.
In addition, smoking can slow down collagen synthesis. Not only does this leave you with thinner skin that can make you more vulnerable to environmental factors that can damage your skin, but this can also make it harder for your skin to keep moisture in which causes it to dry up. More importantly, the breakdown of collagen and the slowing down of its production can result in sagging skin.
Too much sun exposure can also cause a turkey neck. UV rays from the sun penetrate deep into your skin, breaking down its supportive connective tissue which lies just under the dermis. When this happens, the skin loses its flexibility and strength which results into sagging, wrinkles, and lines.
One other cause for turkey neck is excess fat which pulls the skin of the neck down. When you lose the fat, it leaves the excess skin with no support which causes it to sag resulting in “the waddle.”
How do you get rid of turkey neck?
Now, there are different neck treatments for sagging skin available. However, not all of them will be able to truly tighten neck skin. For example, skin-firming creams and lotions aren’t going to provide you with the results you desire. Any changes will be subtle, at best.
One of the most obvious neck tightening treatments available is the neck lift. And yes, undergoing this type of surgery will provide you with tightened, youthful looking skin but there are disadvantages if you go with this option.
This is a surgical procedure that will require some downtime; you’ll need around 10 days off work. This can be incredibly stressful for individuals who have a very busy schedule or cannot afford to lose that much time in the office. Also, there are inherent risks such as possible allergies to medication and anesthetics. Infection may develop. Bruising and swelling are common side effects of undergoing any surgery.
Fortunately, you don’t need to go with a surgical procedure just to deal with sagging skin. There are also several minimally invasive procedures you can choose from for tightening your turkey neck. Most experts agree that the best option among all those available is radiofrequency treatment.
What is the radiofrequency treatment?
During this procedure, radiofrequency waves are delivered in short pulses to the deeper layers of the skin. The heat from RF waves stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. It also encourages cell turnover. All of these help your skin to tighten up, become thicker, and look more youthful. In short, the radio frequency treatment is a neck lift without surgery.
The main advantage of this type of treatment is the fact that it is very safe while producing actual results – the visible improvement of skin tone and structure. It can be used on patients of varying skin types, even those with rosacea. It doesn’t cause permanent discoloration like some of the other treatments. Other advantages include short recovery time (if any), limited to mild swelling which is temporary, redness, and no bleeding. Best of all, you’ll typically see results within about a month and for as long as a year.
Which RF treatment is right for me?
Even if RF treatments are effective, convenient, and very low risk, it’s still important that you choose a provider wisely. There are several RF treatments available so you’ll need to make sure that you make the right choice. Among all the options you’ll see, the BellaFX is hands down the best in all aspects. And we have the science to back that up.
As recommended by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, you need to choose an RF treatment that is administered by a board-certified cosmetic surgeon. The BellaFX is actually an innovation of Dr. Anna Guanche using the Scarlet SRF device. Using the device, the doctor has created an algorithm that enables her to produce a maximal tightening of the skin located around the neck (and other body parts).
This protocol is FDA-approved and minimally invasive. There’s no need for you to do any special preparation. There’s also little to no pain involved. And a single treatment, which lasts 10 to 20 minutes, can produce visible results that usually last for 6 months to a year.
What makes the BellaFX so different from other RF treatments? The microneedle electrode system of the Scarlet SRF device utilizes non-insulated micro-needle electrodes which are able to deliver precisely controlled RF energy to the deeper layers of the skin with a wide area of effect.
Because the needle is non-insulated, it is also able to ensure that the heat produced by the device is at the most optimal temperature which has been proven to boost coagulation and stimulation of the dermal tissues but not to the point that it causes collagen denaturation. More importantly, the BellaFX protocol uses the ideal treatment depth which enables the device to fully target both the epidermis and the dermis for maximum skin tightening and rejuvenation while safeguarding the patient’s comfort.
