11 Ways to Learn to Love Your Neck

4. Opt for a boatneck

This elegant neckline performs another neck-enhancing trick. Instead of revealing skin vertically like a V-neck top, a boatneck bares skin horizontally by exposing the collarbones and skin on either side of the neck. This imaginary triangle — with the boatneck as the base and your chin as the top point — stretches and slims the neck. Boatnecks are a modern alternative to crew necklines and are easy to find in everything from our striped sailor tees to sweaters and dresses.

(Left to right) Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Hydrating Moisturizer; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer SPF 30; No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream

CVS; Target (2)

5. Pamper your neck with face creams

Unlike faces our necks are usually neglected until the uh-oh moment. By then our dry thin-skinned neck has already lost collagen and elastin and is showing crepey texture, lines and brown spots. This is your signal to start treating your neck as an extension of your face not your body! Give it the same a.m. and p.m. daily cleaning, moisturizing and sunscreen routine. Since the proven face care ingredients — hyaluronic acid, peptides, ceramides, shea butter and niacinamide —work for necks, don't rush to buy a separate neck cream. Neck creams work, but for the same ingredients why not save a few bucks? Let a cream like Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Hydrating Moisturizer ($39, cvs.com), La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer SPF 30 ($20, target.com) or No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream ($23, target.com) treat your neck and face to all its hydrating, firming and plumping benefits.

(Left to right) Honest Beauty Clean Corrective Tinted Moisturizer with Vitamin C SPF 30; C’est Moi Tinted Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30; Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum

Target (2); Sephora

6. Make up your face and neck

Our necks and faces are often not a match. You neck may be darker or show more sun damage, especially when you've been diligent about sun protection for your face only. One way to get a more uniform look and daily protection is to apply a tinted moisturizer, CC or BB cream to your face and blend it lightly on your neck (and upper chest if exposed), too. You want a shade with just enough warmth and depth to blur the difference between face, jawline and neck. The combo of light reflectors and subtle tint in these sheer face makeups works like sheer pantyhose (you remember those right?!). Subtle makeups like Honest Beauty Clean Corrective Tinted Moisturizer with Vitamin C SPF 30 ($22, target.com), C'est Moi Tinted Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30 ($16, target.com) or Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($47, sephora.com) mute discolorations while adding some color and SPF 30 protection.

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision/Getty Images

7. Keep your neck flexible by stretching

There are seven vertebrae and around 26 muscles in your neck. Just ask any chiropractor. Over time the cushion of discs between vertebrae can deteriorate and so can your range of motion. Keeping your neck strong and movable makes you look graceful and healthy. You want to be able to turn your head and throw it back to laugh, don't you? Yoga with its poses and stretches can help improve flexibility and ease neck tension and upper back strain (they go hand in hand) and so can shoulder and head rolls. Make some kind of stretching a daily habit. Talk to your doctor, too, about bone loss, which is a common issue for women 50-plus, calcium supplements and other solutions for osteoporosis.

8. Change your pillow and your handbag

The less stress you put on your neck the better. Whether you sleep on your side, stomach or back, your pillow should provide adequate neck support for that position. If your neck is bending or twisting into the pillow you're just encouraging wrinkles and a stiff neck upon waking! While silk pillowcases can help minimize facial wrinkles, check out contoured pillows that are ergonomically designed for better neck alignment while you sleep. Then tackle your bag. A heavy shoulder bag or tote can wreck your posture and provide additional neck pain. At the very least lighten the contents and leave heavy items like that bag of coins and full makeup kit at home. You can carry your bag on alternate shoulders, but the best solution is to switch to a soft cross-body bag or chic backpack for better weight distribution.

(Left to right) Patti LuPone, Martha Stewart and Joan Baez

Walter McBride/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Rich Fury/Getty Images

9. Play with scarves and necklaces

Lucky us. Just when we've stockpiled a lifetime of pearls, necklaces and scarves our necks are ready to be adorned and adored. Long scarves always work to elongate and flatter so let them dangle rock star style or knot your scarf at the side for camouflage. Pearls — especially multistrand necklaces — make mature necks look fresh thanks to their luminous light-reflecting ability. Like brown eyeshadow, pearls are one of those things it's impossible to overdo. Pile them on. Statement necklaces from chunky ropes of beads to bibs provide a visual diversion or a celebratory embellishment. Never mind what's In or Out, just slip one on and know everyone will be admiring your style not noticing your neck.

(Left to right) Cate Blanchett, Catherine O'Hara and Vanessa Williams

Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images; Toni Anne Barson/WireImage; Michael Tran/FilmMagic

10. Make your hair and neck partners

They should be working together. Sometimes we consider our hairstyle only in relation to our face. That's a mistake because hair plays a part in neck flattery. For example, long, shoulder-grazing hair can soften the effect of lines and neck cords, while a few long layers can camouflage a not so firm jaw and discolorations. Long bobs (known as lobs) and classic chin-length bobs solve a whopping three neck concerns. They elongate your neck thanks to space between your shoulders and the bottom line of the cut, hide a double chin or wattle with their swingy shape, and add crisp definition to counteract loose skin, wrinkles or sag. Remember that people see you and your neck from all angles, including back and side. So, if you have short hair or wear your hair up, keep it piecey around the nape and neck for all the above reasons.

Flashpop/Stone/Getty Images

11. Stand, walk and sit up straight

Posture is everything when it comes to mature necks, which is why our new daily habit of looking down and hunching over cellphones and laptops is not helping. In fact, “tech neck” is contributing to everything from neck wrinkles to wattles and poor upper spine alignment. Make a conscious effort to lift your cellphone up to your face or get earbuds, try standing for Zoom calls, or get a laptop stand and look straight ahead into your computer.

A doctor demonstrating the noninvasive Ultherapy procedure.

Brian Ach/Getty Images for EvolveMKD

Last word: Consider noninvasive procedures, not surgery

Some women dream about a neck lift. Let me tell you something. The cutting, suctioning and tightening of neck surgery is not cheap ($10,000 ballpark), easy (presurgery tests, anesthesia, hospital or operating room fees) or painless (post-surgery healing, swelling, scars and numbness). If you can't let go of the idea, head to a qualified board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and ask about scalpel-free in-office procedures. The three to consider are Botox to soften cords and aid under-chin dribble, Kybella injections to destroy fat cells and a double chin, or Ultherapy, an ultrasound procedure that tightens loose neck skin.