Anti-aging skincare extends beyond just applying product to your face, and treating your chest and neck with the same care as you do the rest of your complexion will make a world of difference as you grow older for maintaining your youthful appearance. Just as your hands begin to reflect your age, so too can your decolletage and failing to tend to these areas within your anti-aging routine can leave you with sagging skin and wrinkles. But while applying your entire skincare routine to your neck and chest is the best way to keep yourself looking fresh and young, there’s one ingredient in particular that is essential to use in the day to day to keep that skin taut for years to come.
The Mistake: Skipping SPF
Adequate sun protection is essential on all areas of your body, but seeing as sun damage is one of the leading causes of premature aging, making sure to apply SPF to your face and including your chest and neck is vital for maintaining a youthful appearance. Your skin is being constantly exposed to the sun even when you aren’t sitting out and tanning, and over the years this exposure can add up to cause sagging and wrinkles that many people are working to actively avoid.
“Much of the sun damage that accumulates in our skin is the result of daily incidental sun exposure,” explains NYC dermatologist, Dr. Hadley King. “This is true for the face as well as for all other body parts, including the neck and chest.”
Even mild sun exposure over the years can cause your skin cells to break down, and while integrating SPF into the daily skincare routine has become more commonplace in recent years, it’s unlikely that you’re lathering your entire body in sunscreen before starting your day. “Sun exposure leads to premature aging because it damages skin cells and causes degradation of collagen and elastin, and it leads to discoloration as well,” notes King.
While it may seem like extra effort to add SPF to your neck, chest, and other areas of skin that are exposed to the sun, this may make a world of difference years down the road in the elasticity and overall health of your skin.
In fact, King references an Australian study that tracked the skin texture of those who wore sunscreen everyday in comparison to those who only wore it in moments they were spending extended time in the sun or noticed the weather was particularly bright. “The skin of the people who used sunscreen everyday aged significantly better,” she notes. “In this study they used microtopography to assess skin aging—this is a study of the skin texture.” This just goes to show that any chance you have to protect your skin against signs of aging should be seized, and using SPF as frequently as a common moisturizer can prevent your entire body, neck and chest included, from revealing your age.
Fortunately the same skincare rules that apply to your face also work on your chest and neck, and if you’ve noticed sagging skin or fine lines beginning to show you can utilize retinoids and other popular anti-aging products to work against the clock.
“Topical skincare ingredients such as retinoids, peptides and growth factors can all help to prevent as well as to reverse signs of aging in the neck and chest,” says King. “In-office procedures can also be helpful options, including laser resurfacing, chemical peels, dermal fillers, neuromodulators, thread lifts, radiofrequency and microneedling, and ultrasound.”
While it’s always ideal to stop signs of aging from occurring before they’ve developed, starting with the use of SPF and other powerful ingredients at any time in life will ultimately provide some results in strengthening your skin and improving your overall appearance.
