Dare to Bare

HOW TO PUT YOUR BEST CHEST FORWARD: Advice for a Younger Looking Decollete

I like a good turtleneck as much as the next woman, but when the right occasion warrants it, I’d still like to wear my fair share of cleavage-baring ensembles without feeling like I’m inviting criticism. Like many women, I take great care of my facial skin with antioxidant serums, sunblock, facials and other great rejuvenating treatments such as PRP and microneedling.  What most of us forget is that the neck and decollete are an extension of the face.  There is nothing worse than a pretty face and a wrinkly neck and decollete.

As women age, the skin on our chests thins, loses elasticity and can show environmental damage in the form of red and brown spots, broken blood vessels, as well as, wrinkles. Chronic exposure to the sun, and smoking accelerates this process.  If you have a light skin tone, you are more prone to chest wrinkles than women with darker complexions, since darker skin is naturally thicker and more photo protective.

What to do? If you have not already experienced the signs of aging, environmental exposure or sun damage, prevention is key. Playing catch up and treating the skin once it is damaged is obviously not as easy as prevention.  Preventing photo aging with the use of a good broad spectrum sunblock and sun protective clothing is the best thing you can do to guard against chest wrinkles.  There are a variety of anti-aging, over-the-counter products and spa treatments for the chest, but their efficacy has limited value because the skin in the chest and neck areas have fewer pilosebacious units (hair follicles and the oil producing glands in the skin, non surgical hair systems ) than the facial skin does.

The following are some recommendations for treating and even reversing the damage that has already occurred:

• Daily use of topical vitamin C products.  Vitamin C is a well-known powerful antioxidant, capable of shielding skin from free radical damage that can cause premature aging.  It is also instrumental in helping to even out skin tone, reduce inflammation and boost collagen production.
• Daily use of Retinol (a form of Vitamin A) has antioxidant properties that can help prevent and decrease wrinkles, boost collagen production and diminish an uneven skin tone.  Used in conjunction with other topicals, results are even more dramatic.
• Fractional or non-ablative lasers can help to smooth fine lines and wrinkles and improve the skin’s texture too.
• Ultherapy , the only non-invasive FDA approved procedure to lift skin on the brow, neck, under the chin and decollete.  This procedure stimulates the production of new collagen deep within the skin.
• Rejuvapen microneedling with PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma)infusion is a therapy system that creates micro-perforations in the skin to activate cell regeneration to increase firmer skin, increase elasticity, reduce fine lines and wrinkles with your own growth factors.  The benefits are minimized pore size, smoother skin texture and increased collagen manufacture.
• There are newer treatments for the chest area, including fat grafting and the injection of soft tissue fillers in the works, but further study is needed before they can be recommended as viable solutions.

To maintain the results you’ve achieved from any of these or a combination of these solutions, it is recommended that you continue use of topical vitamin C, retinols and periodic light peels. Make the use of a high SPF broad spectrum sunscreen a part of your daily skincare regimen. If wrinkles haven’t yet appeared on your chest, then you’re in luck!  Just because you live in the northeast, sunscreen is not just for summer season use. You’ll be showing off a health neck and chest with confidence for years to come.