Why You Should Master A Décolletage Skincare Routine To Prevent Signs Of Aging

If you're looking at social media as a barometer, anti-aging fads and fetishes seem more prolific than ever. Almost anywhere you turn, you'll find influencers or celebrities flaunting so-called self-invented or unheard-of hacks to have youthful skin and steer clear of wrinkles. However, what most of these aging-reversal hacks have in common is that they mostly focus on the most visible skin areas like the face, the neck, or the hands. You'll be hard-pressed to find advice on caring for the skin of your décolletage — the chest area that's exposed when you wear your low-cut neckline. "I am constantly surprised by how many women we see in our clinic who have neglected their décolletage and think skincare or sun protection stops at the chin," says aesthetic practitioner Dr. Aamer Khan (via New Idea).

Turns out, if you want to feel confident in a delicate dress with low cleavage, you need a flawless chest. According to The Cosmetic Skin Clinic, factors such as genetics, everyday habits, and photodamage can speed up premature aging of the chest area, leading to cleavage wrinkles. For fans of sensuous looks with plunging necklines that promise a supple feast for the eyes underneath, a crepey chest is the end of the fantasy. If you want to look good in your party dress, it's time you pay more attention to your décolletage skincare routine. Here are some tips for keeping signs of aging off your chest and keeping your décolletage youthful.

In order to prevent chest wrinkles, you must know what they are and how they're formed. Chest wrinkles or cleavage rhytides, per Westlake Dermatology, start off as skin creases or dynamic lines that form on the upper chest between the neck and the upper abdomen. These lines deepen into deeply furrowed creases as you age, eventually settling permanently on your chest. These lines become more difficult to cure when they become static.

Chest wrinkles can be caused by a variety of reasons. The two basic causes of chest wrinkles, according to SiO Beauty, are natural loss of collagen and persistent creases of the skin as a result of repeated body movements in a certain position. For instance, sleeping on your side all the time can speed up the pre-aging process of your chest. Other factors that play into the formation of chest wrinkles include genetics, prolonged exposure to the sun, considerable weight loss or weight gain, or overuse of medications that cause thinning of the skin. Because the skin around your chest and neck is very thin due to fewer sebaceous glands and fewer melanocytes, it's vulnerable to damage more easily.

Your chest is one of the body areas that is most exposed to UV radiation, making it particularly vulnerable to substantial sun damage if exposed for long periods of time. To avoid sun damage, wear skin protection before exposing your chest to the sun. "The most important product to recommend is daily SPF protection," says Tom Ogden, EU Business Manager at Alpha-H (via Cosmopolitan). If you're wearing a low neckline shirt that exposes your décolletage, take care to apply sufficient sunscreen to the area before stepping out. Remember to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen religiously whether it's sunny or cloudy because harmful UVA and UVB rays can penetrate the clouds to reach your skin.

Your décolletage skincare regimen might benefit from the inclusion of topical Vitamin C, an antioxidant recognized for shielding your skin from free radicals and reducing the appearance of fine wrinkles. "It can be helpful for those who are specifically looking to brighten the skin, and it can also help to even out the skin tone, improving the appearance of dark spots," dermatologist Marisa K. Garshick tells Byrdie. Keeping your skin hydrated by drinking lots of water and applying moisturizer to your chest daily also prevents dryness and keeps creases at bay. In case your lines are deeply set and over-the-counter can't do much to smooth them out, you can visit a dermatologist for more advanced treatment with faster results.