About 20 years ago I noticed that the area between my neck and my breast, my décolletage, was starting to look a lot older than my face. Oh, no!
It probably isn't surprising to anyone that the décolletage area usually doesn't get as much attention as the face. Unless we are in the habit of wearing necklines up to our chins, that area gets just as much sun, but it's not covered with make-up and we generally only apply sunscreen once a day, if that. When we get a professional facial, the esthetician works magic on our face and neck, but below that is ignored. We go home and ignore it, too.
The skin on your neck and chest area has less natural oil or moisture that can protect the skin from premature thinning and sagging. It also has less collagen than your face and cheeks, and contains fewer skin cells that produce melanin. Melanin protects the skin from the sun by blocking UV radiation. Because of the lower melanin production, the skin here is more susceptible to daily sun damage than other areas of the body.
Our clothing styles often expose this delicate area to the sun and other harsh elements, which set the area up for fine lines, sunspots, hyperpigmentation, and other skin issues that can make you look older. If we forget to apply and reapply sunscreen, the neck and décolletage become common areas for skin cancers to develop.
So how can you slow down and reverse the damage? Simply extend the skin care routine that you use on your face to your neck and décolletage areas. Then, instead of make-up, be sure to use a quality sunscreen. Reapply throughout the day if you spend time in the sun. It takes time, but if you keep at it, you will see a difference.