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Neck and cleavage: at risk from the sun

Take time to review your skin care routines as low-cut necklines take centre stage for summer

17 JUNE 2011

All year round we lavish care and attention on our faces, but all too often we neglect necks and decolletage only to get a rude awakening when the summer comes and necklines plunge to reveal more cleavage.

The fact is, the skin of these areas is thin and delicate, and requires even more care than the face. The neck is practically devoid of supporting bone, and there are few sebaceous glands to provide natural oils; in addition, the relative lack of collagen causes skin to lose elasticity and become dehydrated very easily.

These, then, are the places where the first wrinkles usually appear, and where the signs of ageing are most apparent over the years. Experts distinguish between different types of wrinkles: the horizontal lines we tend to see on the neck are usually determined by genetic or hormonal factors, while the wrinkles that form at the base of the neck are caused especially by excessive exposure to the sun. The wrinkles on the cleavage area tend to be vertical, and are due to the passage of time, exacerbated by postural habits such as sleeping on one side. In order to slow the ageing of neck and chest, follow our five recommendations:

• Use moisturiser daily. When you are applying your usual facial product it doesn't take many extra moments to smooth the moisturiser downward extending it over the neck and decolletage.
• Use a nourishing cream at night to feed and protect the skin from damaging environmental factors.
• The neck should be exfoliated once a week. Apply the product with a circular motion, massaging gently to revitalize the skin and remove impurities.
• Always use sunscreen. There is clear evidence that excessive exposure to the sun accelerates the ageing process of the skin.
• Avoid sudden changes in weight, which can cause stretch marks.

If these steps are not enough, you may decide to resort to medical and aesthetic treatments to treat the different problems of skin ageing on the neck and cleavage. IPL (intense pulsed light treatment), is particularly effective in reducing redness and removing small surface thread veins and skin blemishes such as sun-spots and fine wrinkles.