NEW YOU Beauty Tip: Take advantage of natural anti-aging exercises and habits to tighten the neck.
No woman is happy when her neckline shifts from a taut 90-degree angle to an age-betraying 45. Gathered skin at the neck—please don’t make us say “waddle”— is a natural way in which certain bodies deposit fat. Genetics strike again! Fear not, gazelles… Sure, Ultherapy and Thermage are great, but there are a number of ways to work that turkey neck without surgery.
Your first line of defense: Facial aerobics. Like your abs, arms, and rear end, your neck gets its support from muscles. Exercises that engage the neck muscles are going to stave off sag. Here are three NEW YOU favorites:
- Slap On, Slap Off: Stand tall with your mouth closed and let your neck protrude. With a firm hand, slap the underside of your neck and your jawline with the back of your hand. You’ll want to feel a little tingle, but please, don’t slap yourself silly. Slap for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Chew Chew: In a tall, seated position, position your head at an angle so you are looking at the ceiling a few feet in front of you. With your lips closed, open and close your teeth as if you’re chewing on a stick of gum in slow motion. Repeat 20 times.
- Lift and Separate: Spread out a yoga mat or towel and lie with your back against the floor. Using small, controlled movements (no Weeble-Wobbles, people) lift your head slightly off the ground. Slowly and in a controlled manner, pivot your head from left to right. Repeat 10 to 20 times but stop if this feels at all painful.
- Hokey Pokey: Standing up straight, bring your two index fingers to the divot between your jawline and windpipe. Knead this divot area firmly but gently for 20 reps with the tips of your index fingers. Be gentle and please, do not poke yourself in the esophagus.
NEW YOU Product Pick:
For a quick, pain-free fix that delivers a lifted look in a second, we recommend Secret Life face lift tape by CosmeSearch. Hypoallergenic tape pads adhere to the neck area behind the earlobes and link together with a rubber band. Easily concealed by hair of bob-length or longer, this brilliant band restores years to your appearance. (Secret Life provides a primo eye-lift effect, too.)
