When we think of skin care, we focus on the face. In an effort to maintain youthful, glowing skin, many people spend a lot of time and money perfecting a sun protection plan, beauty salon treatments and daily skin care routines. All too often, one important area is overlooked: the neckline.
Décolleté is a French word that describes the low neckline of a woman’s dress or blouse and, in the beauty world, means the area of the chest and neck that would be exposed with a low-cut top. Precisely because of the latter, the skin of the neckline is more fragile and sensitive than other areas and must therefore be cared for with specific products.
Why should we pay attention to the care of the neckline?
As you already know, as we age, the production of collagen and elastin decreases and with it expression lines and wrinkles manifest. In the skin of the neckline we have much fewer sebaceous glands than in the face. As a result, skin aging is even faster than in other areas. In fact, the skin of the neck in particular is much thinner and more fragile. In addition, due to the sensitivity of the skin of the neckline, it is an area that is highly exposed to UV rays, so it can burn more often than other areas. Broad-spectrum sunscreen is recommended to prevent sunburn and other serious skin problems. Remember that the skin “has memory” and it is useless to apply photoprotection on other days or only in the summer, because the skin in that area burns much faster than others.
Causes of sagging skin on the neck and neckline
The skin of the neck and décolleté is very fragile and, like that of the hands, has a tendency to age prematurely and therefore wrinkle. The causes of this sagging skin are multiple:
- The skin in this area, especially thin, is poor in sebaceous glands that secrete lipids to protect the epidermis from external aggressions and to maintain good hydration.
In addition, the skin of the neck and décolleté is put to the test every day: pollution, stress, sun, bad posture for - screens, spraying perfume directly on the skin (alcohol dries it out and can be responsible for the appearance of pigmentation spots).
- Finally, the skin of the neckline can be affected while we sleep. Why? Very easy. Certain positions we adopt while sleeping, especially on the side or joining both arms, cause the breasts to come together, creating folds that lead to the formation of vertical wrinkles in the long run.
How to fight the signs of aging of the neck and décolleté?
By teaching certain everyday gestures, such as trying to stand up straight, doing stretches in front of the mirror, or not sleeping on your side, you slow down the aging process. It is also important not to neglect these parts of the body in the beauty routine. Belén Acero, owner of Avenida América Pharmacy, also recommends that “from the age of thirty, pay special attention to the skin of the neck and décolleté, as a preventive measure, without forgetting to moisturize the skin and apply firming treatments. passes designed specifically for these areas. †
Retinoids are one of the active ingredients with the greatest scientific evidence against facial aging. Because the skin of this area is so thin, it is common for them not to be tolerated in high concentrations as they are in the rest of the face, so we will opt for retinoids with a better tolerance such as retinol or retinal esters. In addition, we can use mild depigmenting treatments if the neckline is very aged or stained from excessive sun exposure.
It is also interesting to use creams or serums with peptides and DMAE for this area, pro-aging active ingredients that increase the firmness and elasticity of the skin, but at the same time are well tolerated in the décolleté. Last but not least, we must not forget to moisturize the skin of the neck and décolleté by applying the usual moisturizer that we use for the face.
Source: Marie Claire
