When I met Strictly's new host Emma Willis a few months ago, she bemoaned her “stringy neck”, lamenting that every time she walks past a mirror, it's all she can see.
To me, the 50-year-old is flawless, but when one of showbusiness’s most beautiful women is criticising her neck, you know it's an area that’s easy to find fault with.
Emma is far from alone. Searches for "neck cream" soared by more than 60% in 2025, with this rush in attention driven by factors including a growing awareness of “tech neck” and a wider focus on maintaining firmness, elasticity and overall skin quality.
As a result, neck care has shifted from an overlooked part of our skincare routines to an area we're actively looking to treat and protect – but what happens when creams and serums aren't enough?
There are both surgical and non-surgical options for refreshing the appearance of our necks. We spoke to doctors specialising in both approaches to help you find out what's best for you.
The surgical option: A neck lift
What is a neck lift?
"There are several different types of neck lifts, depending on the patient's anatomy and goals," says the plastic and reconstructive surgeon Ms Monica Fawzy. "The most comprehensive neck lift involves tightening the superficial muscle layer from the side and front [platysmaplasty], as well as the reduction of structures that may be contributing to increased volume under the jawline and creating a double chin. This step is called a deep neck reduction."
The most common technique is for surgeons to lift the underlying superficial muscle layer and fix it to the area behind the ears, as well as bringing together the front edges of the muscle to tighten the entire muscle envelope.
© Getty Images/Image SourceAs for the deep reduction procedure? Ms Fawzy says: "If there is too much volume under the chin, several steps may need to be taken to address this, including removing the fat under the muscle, reducing small glands that help to make saliva and thinning thickened muscles, if required.
“As with the facelift, once the muscle layer has been tightened, any extra skin is trimmed."
The procedure tends to take three to six hours, and is performed under general anaesthetic.
What's the recovery like?
"Most people will be pretty much home-bound in the first week, when the swelling is at its peak. They will usually return to work after two weeks,” she says. “I generally advise planning for six weeks before an important social event.
“The final result is usually apparent about three months after surgery, but of course, these figures may vary slightly from one person to the next."
The non-surgical offerings
"The neck is trickier to treat than the face because the skin is thinner and there's very little underlying fat or muscle to hide problems, so we tend to combine a few different approaches rather than rely on one treatment alone," says Dr Tapan Patel, the founder of Phi Clinic. These are the treatments he uses most frequently for neck procedures.
1. BBL (BroadBand Light) by Sciton, for sun damage
"This is a light-based treatment for pigmentation, redness and early sun damage. It treats sunspots, redness, broken capillaries and uneven skin tone," Dr Patel says. "It works as a maintenance and prevention treatment as much as a corrective one."
He recommends it for patients in their late twenties and older, noting that it is best for lighter skin tones, as it works on pigment. The beauty of this option is that there is no downtime, other than occasional redness for a few hours.
© Getty Images/Westend612. UltraClear laser, to resurface and tighten
Dr Patel uses this ablative laser to address fine lines, crepey texture, dullness and mild laxity. "Because it resurfaces the top layers of skin while stimulating collagen underneath, it improves both quality and firmness," he says.
This option is best for patients between their forties and their sixties – Dr Patel notes that it isn’t something he normally offers to younger clients looking for their first treatment.
Of all of the neck procedures he mentions, this has the most visible effects. "Expect redness, swelling and skin flaking or peeling for around five to seven days – sometimes longer, depending on the intensity used.”
3. Fractional lasers, for texture, crepiness and fine lines
Fractional lasers create controlled micro-injury in a grid pattern; this triggers the production of new collagen without damaging the whole surface. Dr Patel says that this laser is milder than UltraClear, with patients typically experiencing two to four days of redness and mild swelling, with flaking possible.
4. Botox, for vertical neck bands
Neuromodulators won't address crepey skin or sun damage, as they simply relax the muscle bands, so they're a good option for people bothered by the bands in their neck that show when they talk or clench their jaw. As is customary with Botox, there's no downtime, though bruising can occur at the injection points.
© Getty Images5. Hyaluronic acid skin boosters, for hydration and glow
Although glow might not be at the top of your wish list for your neck, adding hydration via hyaluronic-acid injectables will plump and hydrate the skin from within. Dr Patel considers this an "entry point" treatment for younger clients, from their mid-twenties.
On the other hand, biostimulators containing PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid) or PDLLA (poly-D, L-lactic acid) encourage the skin's own collagen production over time, making them ideal for clients over 40 who are looking for gradual, long-term changes.
© Getty Images"These target loss of skin quality and early loss of firmness," Dr Patel says, noting that they work more slowly than fillers, gradually rebuilding the skin's own collagen scaffold over a few months. He says that clients can expect mild swelling for a few days, and cautions that many people need a course of two or three sessions, spaced a few weeks apart, to achieve the best results.
Dr Patel also name-checks Novojet, a needle-free jet injector that he uses to deliver hydrating and biostimulating injectables evenly across the neck. "It isn't a treatment in itself, but a delivery method," he says. Using a gentle high-speed stream of product, the device places active ingredients directly into the skin.
"It disperses skin boosters or vitamin complexes evenly and with far less discomfort and bruising than traditional needle injections, which matters on a sensitive area like the neck," Dr Patel says, making it ideal for the needle-phobic among us.
