Collagen and elastin are both proteins that keep skin firm and tight, including the skin on our neck, helping it to stay bouncy and allowing it to spring back easily when stretched.
Moisturizing your neck skin and décolletage, drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet filled with antioxidants and vitamins, limiting sun exposure, and getting plenty of quality sleep can help prevent sagging neck skin and other signs of aging. Maintaining your weight can also help prevent excess skin.
"Face products that are made to improve the elasticity and collagen in the skin are typically ok to use on the neck, but be careful using anti-acne products and/or retinols when first starting out, as you'll need a lot less of these products for the thin neck skin as compared to the face," she explains.
Does Collagen Tighten Saggy Skin? Studies have indicated that supplemental collagen is beneficial for skin health, including tightening sagging skin (known as elasticity), boosting hydration, and lessening the appearance of wrinkles.
Bottom line: Most people have 1 treatment and feel some tightening right away. It takes time for your body to make collagen, so you'll see the best results in about 6 months. Some people benefit from having more than 1 treatment. Results can last 2 to 3 years with the right skin care.
The main reason people take collagen protein is to replenish their body's collagen stores and thereby improve their joint, skin, and hair health and improve muscle growth and recovery. Unfortunately, collagen protein is little more than a low-quality food that likely doesn't offer any special benefits.
To increase skin's elasticity, firmness, and texture, and help prevent fine lines and wrinkles, studies show that taking up to 2.5 grams is effective. Here's a caveat: most users will find that they need less than 2.5 grams of hydrolyzed collagen to see skin-benefiting results.
"You can improve tone on the neck, but the amount of collagen and elastin in the neck skin is less than most other areas on the body. You can't really tighten that area up that much, unless you move to the more surgical end of the spectrum."
Natural ways to tighten your neck skin include hot stone massage, almond oil massage, stretching exercises, and various neck masks. Take collagen, avoid perfumes, take vitamin C, exfoliate and moisturize your skin, and maintain a healthy weight to keep your neck looking young and fresh.
Neck lines and wrinkles are a normal part of aging. They're caused in part by skin losing elasticity and being exposed to UV light over time. You may also notice premature wrinkles as a result of repeatedly looking down at the phone, smoking, or not using sunscreen.
Retinol (vitamin A) is the most frequently used ingredient in anti-aging creams. But tretinoin, another form of vitamin A, may be the most effective ingredient to firm the skin on your neck and face.
Loose skin can be problematic, but there are multiple ways to minimize or reduce it. Collagen is a huge factor in the skin's elasticity. Boosting your body's collagen production is one way to reduce loose skin.
If you take too much collagen, it can throw off the balance of amino acids in your body and lead to side effects such as headaches, digestive issues, and fatigue. Additionally, some people may be allergic to collagen or have an intolerance to it.
Many of the studies available suggest that you'd be able to noticeably see improvements in skin elasticity, hydration, and density anywhere between 6 and 12 weeks of regular collagen supplementation.
A plastic surgeon can remove the crepey looking skin, giving your body a more tightened appearance. Crepey skin shouldn't dictate how you see yourself in the mirror when there are so many options to improve its appearance.
Unlike non-invasive treatments like exercises, skincare routines, or collagen supplements, plastic surgery is the only neck rejuvenation option that will remove excess neck skin and fat cells for long-lasting results. Neck surgery is an effective and safe way to treat sagging neck skin and muscles.
“Neurotoxins [like Botox] can be used to soften neck banding, and smaller particle hyaluronic fillers can be used for fine lines and wrinkles in order to soften and rejuvenate the neck," she adds. Lasers and radiofrequency are a less invasive option.
Collagen supplements may lead to mild side effects such as bloating, heartburn, and feelings of fullness. If you have food allergies, make sure to purchase supplements that don't contain your allergens.
Can you take too much? Collagen is generally considered to be a safe and nontoxic daily supplement for healthy individuals, and most people won't experience adverse side effects. Still, some have reported symptoms, such as an unpleasant taste, feeling overly full, or other stomach complaints ( 27 ).
How can I naturally rebuild collagen? You can naturally support the collagen production process by using topicals such as vitamin C and retinol, collagen peptide supplements, eating a nutrient rich diet, and avoiding habits that damage the collagen (such as poor sleep and sun exposure.)
After daily collagen supplementation for a few weeks, you will typically start to notice a few things: hair growth, skin hydration and skin moisture, improvement in joint health and skin health, lessening of fine lines, and other possible anti-aging improvements.
Collagen Lift, also known as 'The Facelift Facial' is a non-surgical treatment for skin tightening and firming loose or sagging skin. This treatment tightens, tones and lifts achieving firm, youthful looking skin – without the telltale frozen stares and 'puffed up' look associated with injectables and fillers.
Lift your chin toward the ceiling while moving your jaw forward. You'll feel a little tightening under your chin. As your neck extends, the muscles in front relax while the side sternocleidomastoid muscles get a workout. Hold for 5 seconds then repeat the movement 10 times.