* What are Sleep Wrinkles?

* Causes of Sleep Wrinkles

* 4 Ways to Sleep to Avoid Sleep Wrinkles

* Conclusion

Once we’ve reached a certain age, our battle with wrinkles is a never-ending game of whack-a-mole.

Applying spot treatments, moisturizing with the right ingredients, layering on sunscreen, avoiding smiling, or frowning too much have all become the daily new normal.

But some fine lines just keep appearing overnight! If you have noticed that these wrinkles and fine lines happen to manifest around the neck and chest area, and you have been avoiding all the other possible triggers, you might be looking at sleep wrinkles.

For many of us, sleeping is the most relaxing activity of the day. Never would we have thought that sleeping could be a major culprit for neck and chest wrinkles. As disappointing as it sounds, aging skin is susceptible to many types of wrinkle formations.

With more and more of us realize that neck wrinkles and sometimes chest wrinkles are also a dead giveaway of our age and health, our mission to wrinkle-free skin has only become more difficult.

Sleep wrinkles are a type of static wrinkles.

Unlike dynamic wrinkles that are caused by muscle contractions such as facial expressions, static wrinkles are caused by repeated, frequent compression of the skin.

Sleep wrinkles generally appear in the form of chest wrinkles and neck wrinkles. The location and the shape of these wrinkles are largely determined by sleeping positions. For example, if you always sleep on the side, you might wake up to find vertical creases on your face and chest.

"Sleep wrinkles are the lines that are formed when the face is compressed against a pillow night after night and they occur in predictable locations based on fixed anchor points that hold the skin to bone." – Dr. Goesel Anson, Plastic Surgeon.

An average human spends one-third of their life sleeping.

While we sleep, our skin is compressed in many ways due to the posture we sleep in. The skin on our neck and chest is on the delicate side, which makes it prone to sleep wrinkle formation. Initially, the skin can bounce back from the folds and compression, and the fine lines disappear during the day without any help needed.

However, loss of collagen and the weakening of skin barrier due to skin aging can make those sleep wrinkles stay, deepen, and become more and more visible.

While it is incredibly hard to control the way we sleep when we are chasing the rabbit in our dreams, there are certain ways proven effective to protect our decollete from sleep wrinkles.

The Towel-Rolling Method

Healthline recommends the classic towel-rolling method, which is a great way of training yourself to sleep on the back.

A rolled-up towel can keep your head in place and eliminate the possibility of your face and neck pressing against the dry cotton pillowcase overnight. As long as you sleep on your back, the chances of developing sleep wrinkles are much smaller.

For this specific method, you will need to roll up a towel tightly into a log and secure the shape with rubber bands so it won’t unravel easily. You can then replace the pillow with the towel roll and place it right where your neck would go as you lie down on your back.

If the towel isn’t as comfortable as you expect it to be, try to experiment with different sizes or different materials.

Upgrade Your Pillow

Cotton, the most generic pillowcase material could potentially pull your skin as you toss and turn at night.

An upgrade from cotton to silk or satin is always a smart choice in preventing sleep wrinkles. “With a silk pillowcase, your skin slides on the pillow,” says Dr. Debra Jaliman, MD, an NYC-based dermatologist.

In fact, not sleeping on your back in cotton sheets can lead to sleep wrinkles such as chest wrinkles, neck wrinkles, and deep fine lines on your face. Another option is to look for special pillows that are designed to provide neck and lumbar support.

Those pillows can keep your head in place thus making you sleep on your back. Some of these pillows also come in special shapes that are designed to minimize skin compression, decreasing the possibilities of forming sleep wrinkles.

Sleep with Silicone Anti-Wrinkle Patches

It might sound a bit strange, but can some silicone patches really help you to prevent sleep wrinkles?

Oia’s Anti-Wrinkle Patches are the best chest and neck wrinkle treatments. They can also help you to prevent wrinkles all night long due to the special property of silicone. Silicone provides a breathable yet occlusive environment for skin to hydrate, rest, and heal, plumping the skin while smoothing out neck and chest wrinkles.

Because of silicone’s sturdy character, these patches exhibit great resistance against muscle contractions or skin compression. Bonus: they are so comfortable you won’t even feel their existence.

Even if you fidget around occasionally, these pads will prevent your skin from being compressed. Many of our long-term users claimed to see chest and neck wrinkles drastically reduced over time and the frequent use of these patches also prevents sleep wrinkles.

Switch Up Your Night Time Skincare Routine

The most renowned anti-wrinkle ingredient is retinol.

Retinol, also known as vitamin A, is a powerful antioxidant that prevents skin from the damages caused by free radicals.

A study has also shown its potential in boosting skin’s collagen production and prevent sun damages. Vitamin C is also known for reducing the appearance of fine lines, increasing cells’ ability to regenerate thus resulting in supple, radiant skin.

Then there is Hyaluronic Acid, the skin hydrator that replenishes the skin and strengthens the skin barrier to achieve an anti-wrinkle effect. Oia’s Vitamin C serum can brighten up your skin, even out skin tone, and boost collagen production significantly when used regularly.

With a powerful blend of antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, a few drops a week can make a great difference.

In short, to prevent sleep wrinkles, to treat chest wrinkles and neck wrinkles, these are the ingredients that you need to tick off your list when you are putting together a nighttime routine.