Prevent Decollete Wrinkles with These Easy Steps

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Décolleté or Décolletage?

If you are a beauty enthusiast like us, you're surely not a stranger to the fancy words “décolleté” and “décolletage”. Both words are of French origin, décolleté means a low-neckline dress or the part of a woman’s chest from the neck to the bosom, and décolletage refers to the shoulders and chest of a woman’s body shown by the low neck of a dress. While there is still ongoing confusion on which one is the noun and which one is the subjective, either way, the frank English interpretation of both words is “the neck and chest area”.

 

Décolleté (Chest and Neck Area) of an older woman bearing wrinkles, moles, and age spots.

 

Why Do You Need to Care for Your Décolleté Area? 

 

“There are certain parts of the body that French women pay particular attention to: the décolleté, upper arms, hands and nails, and upper thighs (particularly due to cellulite), the veins on the legs, and the feet,” writes Clemence von Mueffling.

 

Most people, even us, start their skincare journey with a sole focus on the face. This is a mistake though, that becomes more apparent the older we become. “Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth,” Nora Ephron explains. “You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, and you wouldn’t if it had a neck.” People are often quick to notice if a celebrity has chosen a wrong shade of foundation, applied a fake tan, or rejuvenated with some injectables because their neck skin looks different from their face. The décolleté is often just as exposed as the face due to the design of most clothes, which is why it requires the same amount of care. Furthermore, the skin of the décolleté is thinner and has fewer oil glands. As a result, it lacks natural hydration and develops wrinkles easily over time.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Décolleté Care

#1: Apply skincare products on your decollete area

Whatever your face needs, your décolleté needs it too. The delicate skin on your décolleté wants the antioxidant serum, the anti-aging cream, the barrier-repair moisturizer as much as your face does. Antioxidant skincare ingredients protect the skin from free radicals - dangerous chemicals found in the outside environment, and slow down the aging process; a good and thick moisturizer will deeply hydrate your skin thus making the skin plump, firm, and radiant.

 

Woman using serum on decollete (chest and neck area). Decollete anti-aging skincare.

 

#2: Sleep on your back like a vampire

We need to pay extra attention to the area of our body where the skin is the thinnest. The repetitive action of skin folding is one of the biggest causes to wrinkles. Since décolleté skin is so fragile, poor sleeping positions could lead to premature wrinkles. Some women reportedly have even trained themselves to sleep on their backs to avoid developing more wrinkles on their décolleté.

If you have ever fallen asleep in a weird or uncomfortable position, you must have experienced the creases and marks on your face that won’t disappear even hours later. Doctors and dermatologists have found various benefits of sleeping on the back - it takes stress off the lower back, it evens out the pressure on the muscles, it reduces the chance of the facial or décolleté skin wrinkling, and it even prevents fluid retention so no more puffy face!

 

#3: Switch up Your Bedding Game

Silk is gentler on the skin than most bedding materials. According to NYC-based dermatologist Debra Jaliman, cotton and polyester can pull at and suck moisture from your skin and hair throughout the night. Silk pillowcases allow your skin to slide without causing any creases when you are tossing and turning at night. Anti-aging pillows or beauty pillows are also a thing. These special pillows are designed to hold your neck and face in place throughout the night so the skin won’t be compressed at all.

 

#4: Try Decollete Pads 

Another great way to wrinkles is to wear décolleté pads while sleeping. Décolleté pads such as Oia’s Anti-Wrinkle Patches for Neck & Chest have won over many hearts due to the leading silicone technology which effectively heals the skin and prevents wrinkle formation. Our premium silicone décolleté pads produce a sealed yet breathable bubble to heal and strengthen the skin underneath overnight, and they are designed to stay on comfortably. Many long-term users have claimed to notice significant differences after wearing our anti-wrinkle décolleté pads every night. Some users even saw instant results after just one use, noticing reduced wrinkles and plumper, more hydrated skin.

 

Woman wearing Oia Anti Wrinkle Patches for Neck and chest to reduce wrinkles in the decollete area

 

#5: Keep the Steamy Shower Short 

Studies have shown that minerals in tap water could potentially dry and irritate extra-sensitive skin. Frequent exposure to heat can also dry up the skin especially if it’s delicate. Hot showers help to ease muscle stress and boost blood circulation which makes us feel better afterward. However, board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein told Allure, “[Hot Shower] strips the skin of sebum, the healthy fats, and oils necessary for skin health, and dehydrates the skin.” Keep a hot shower under five minutes, suggested by NYC-based dermatologist Dhaval G. Bhanusali. He says a good indicator is that if the mirror gets steamy, lower the temperature immediately.

 

#6: Protect with Sunscreen

Rachel Nazarian, MD of Schweiger Dermatology Group, believes that volume loss and repeated folding of the skin are the biggest causes of décolleté wrinkles, but “collagen is degraded by sunlight and free radical damage which causes this already thin-skinned area to become even more so.” It is important to apply sunscreen on your exposed neck and chest area daily, and reapply if necessary just like what you would do with your face.

 

To prevent the décolleté wrinkles from forming in the first place, you need to understand the basics of aging and we have some really good tips on that. Be like a smart French woman, beat signs of aging by paying attention to the smallest details. Treat your décolleté the same way you would treat your face - cleanse, serum, moisturize, and protect. Tell us if you have started your décolleté care and share your results with us on social media, try all of our care tips, and join our ever-growing Oia community for more great skincare stories to come.