Let’s be honest – nobody wants to see a turkey neck in photos. That dreaded double chin and loose neck skin is unflattering and can instantly add pounds and years to anyone’s appearance. But with the right posing, angles, lighting and makeup techniques, you can easily fake a tighter, sculpted neckline and keep turkey necks out of your portraits.
Why Hide Turkey Neck?
A pronounced turkey neck draws the eye downwards, away from the face. It creates shadows and wrinkles that emphasize loose skin Your subject’s beautiful eyes and smile get overpowered by the wobbly chin(s) below. Hiding turkey neck helps rebalance and flatter the face for a youthful, confident look
Posing and Angles Matter Most
The simplest way to minimize turkey neck is through careful posing and shooting angles
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Lean head slightly forward – The peach tuck or turtle neck stretch elongates the neck. Have your subject tip their chin down while pushing it gently forward. Be patient – this feels unnatural.
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Shoot from above – A higher angle tightens up neck skin. Raise your camera so you shoot down at a slight angle.
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Turn or tilt head – Twisting the head or tilting toward shoulder turns turkey neck away from the camera.
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Crop in closer – Getting nearer to your subject and focusing just on face helps remove view of neck.
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Have hair down – Long hair hanging naturally helps hide neck. Style hair forward or pushed back to minimize skin showing.
Flattering Light Can Help
Strategic lighting choices also assist in turkey neck reduction:
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Raise your key light – Keeping main light high above head casts shadows downwards over neck.
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Avoid under-lighting – Never light from below as it emphasizes chin and neck wrinkles.
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Use backlights – A backlight or rim light helps separate face from background. Keep exposure low to avoid outlining neck.
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Watch reflections – Shiny surfaces can bounce light up under the chin unflatteringly.
Makeup Magic for Necks
When used skillfully, makeup transforms turkey necks:
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Contour underneath – Blend darker makeup powder or cream from jawline to chest. Adds shadow to recede.
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Highlight chin tip – Brightening the chin with highlighter pulls it forward for definition.
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Conceal wrinkles – Use primer and foundation to smooth out neck folds and lines. Avoid shimmer.
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Blend everything – Seamlessly blend all neck makeup for a natural, defined look.
More Turkey Neck Hacks
Additional tips to tighten up loose neck skin:
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Black high-neck tops or collared shirts hide turkey necks well.
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Have subject stretch neck regularly to tighten muscles before photos.
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Try profile poses to lose the second chin entirely.
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For men, keeping some neck scruff or stubble helps disguise loose skin.
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Neck and chin exercises build muscle and tighten over time.
Mastering the Long Game
Hiding turkey neck takes patience and practice. With time, you will learn how to pose subjects naturally to disguise double chins. Angles, lighting, lenses, and simple camera tricks will become second nature. Building rapport and offering gentle guidance helps coax out your subject’s best angles. And finally, owning the right editing tools makes finished portraits look tight and toned. Master these methods, and no turkey neck will ever see the light of day again!
Easily avoid this common problem
Fans, politicians, and influencers all use this simple trick every day to avoid having a double chin in pictures.
MAKE A DOUBLE CHIN VANISH
If you want to look great in pictures, don’t hold your chin in the normal way when you know someone is taking them. Draw your chin forward in a slight arc, as though you have a peach tucked under it.
It works if you actually have a double chin. It also works if you don’t have one-but seem to have a double chin in photos. It can feel unnatural at first, but the final result looks right.
Why do you need to do this? When you’re being photographed, especially if you think the camera is getting too close, you’ll probably tilt your head back a little. Putting your chin against your neck in that way makes your face bunch up and your neck thicker.
An extra-big smile makes it all bunch up even more. You will see your photo afterwards and go off thinking misguidedly about the size of your chin….
You can change this a lot, though, if you pull your chin forward and tuck that imagined peach under it.
Now you are physically separating your chin from your neck, and reducing the bunching-up effect. The camera sees your face and neck as two separate surfaces instead of letting them run together because there is more space between them.
This makes your jaw looks more contoured. Your neck looks slimmer. This may make a little shadow appear under your chin, which also makes you look slimmer.
In these side views, you can see that Betty is using the Peach Technique to bring her whole face forward, not just her chin. Let your forehead come forward too. Using the Peach Technique doesn’t mean putting your bottom lip closer to the camera than the rest of your face, which could change the shape of your face in ways you don’t want. Learn more here.
HIDE DOUBLE CHINS IN PHOTOS | Tips to hide Turkey neck | Camera Confidence
FAQ
How to disguise a turkey neck?
How can I make my neck look better in pictures?
How do you get rid of neck fat in pictures?
How to tuck your chin forward with a turtle neck stretch?
The turtle neck stretch is an easy exercise you can do to get your chin forward by holding it at a higher angle. It even helps ease your tense shoulder muscles. All you need to do is push your face forward first while keeping the rest of your body still. Then you bring your head back and tuck your chin.
What can I do if I have a turkey neck?
To improve your neck’s underlying muscle quality and tone, you can try: Turkey neck exercises: Daily neck exercises can strengthen neck muscles, which may help improve your neck’s appearance. For ideas on moves you can try, ask a dermatologist. Botox® for turkey neck: As the platysma muscles weaken, vertical bands or cords can appear on your neck.
Can Ultherapy help hide a turkey neck?
Plus, your good taste and attention to fashion trends will make your age even more undetectable. When you’re sick of rooting around in your closet for accessories that can hide your turkey neck, there’s an FDA-cleared non-surgical solution to the rescue: Ultherapy’s ultrasound skin tightening treatment.
Should you wear a turtleneck?
When you really need an extra boost of confidence, throw on a turtleneck and you won’t need to worry about your neck for the rest of the day. All you need is a sweater that covers all the way up to your chin (no mock turtlenecks here!) and you’ve found yourself a new favorite sweater.
Can a saggy turkey neck look younger?
Nothing ruins a great outfit like a peek of wrinkling, saggy turkey neck. But with just a few tricks of the trade, your neck can look younger than ever using accessories and a simple ultrasound treatment. Here are our smart tips for turning back the clock on your skin:
What causes a turkey neck?
Dr. Newman says these six factors can cause turkey neck: Aging: Your skin naturally loses elasticity as you get older. “Gravity takes over, and the skin on your cheeks starts to drift down,” explains Dr. Newman. “Your cheek skin then pools underneath your jawline and in your neck.”