The face is not the only place where wrinkles and fine lines rear their ugly heads. They can also grace us with their presence on the chest, cleavage, and neck, an area also known as the décolletage.
The chest area is one of the first areas to show signs of ageing, due to sun damage and the natural ageing process. Often called the décolletage, the chest commonly develops wrinkles and thin, crepey skin over the years. This is caused by a decrease in collagen production and less elasticity. Collagen and elastin, the proteins that give your skin its firm appearance, live in the dermis, your skin’s second layer. Most of the factors that cause wrinkles on your chest are connected to these proteins breaking down, resulting in visible fine lines. Lines on the chest are also quite common among women as a result of breast tissue pulling on the skin.
Body wrinkles, also known as rhytides, are folds on your body where the skin has lost its structure. The difference between wrinkles and rhytides is subtle. While rhytides is a term that’s used as a synonym for wrinkles sometimes, the two aren’t exactly the same.
Rhytides are fine lines and creases that appear first, while wrinkles are the deeper folds or creases that often follow rhytides. Seeking treatments for rhytides can be the most effective way to keep skin looking smooth and firm; in other words, it’s best to get to the root of the problem before too many wrinkles are involved.
Causes of wrinkles on your chest
Sun exposure
Sunbathing in a low-cut bathing suit top can give you a sexy, bronzy tan, but it comes at a cost. Not only does prolonged exposure to the sun cause premature ageing, but it creates free radicals, toxins that break down the elastin fibres in your skin. Learn more about how the sun is to blame for the wrinkly skin on your body in our post, Blame it on the Sunshine: The Truth About Photoageing, Extrinsic Ageing, and Solar Radiation.
Genetics
Even if you can’t blame your body wrinkles on the sunshine, you can blame it on your parents! Genetics is the main factor that determines your skin’s texture and structure, so it makes sense that getting wrinkles at a certain age can run in your family. But, don’t be upset. They can be fixed just like the ones on your face!
Significant weight change
When you lose a significant amount of weight, sagging skin and wrinkles can be a side effect. Gaining weight stretches the elastin and collagen in your skin. When you lose fat underneath your skin layer, these fibres don’t always shrink back. This can result in wrinkles in your chest area, similar to those stretch marks you can get on your belly and breasts when you’re pregnant.
Tobacco smoking
Smoking tobacco increases exposure to environmental toxins, which can be a trigger for free radical production on your skin. This is especially true for exposed areas of your skin like your face, neck, and chest.
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding and pregnancy cause your breasts to swell for a period of time. While your breasts fill with milk, they become heavier, which can put stress on the proteins in your skin layers. Sometimes even after you are done breastfeeding, you will notice that there is a new shape to your breasts and potentially, wrinkles on and between your breasts.
Bras and shapewear
The bras that you wear can influence whether you get chest wrinkles. Some people need a lot of support for their breasts to work against gravity and keep from damaging elastin and collagen in the skin layer. If you wear bras that fit improperly, don’t offer enough support, or crush your breasts down, you may notice wrinkles on your chest over time.
Sleep position
In addition to the amount of time you sleep, experts have also discovered that the way you sleep might also be a contributing factor in the early ageing process. Stomach sleeping has been found to be a cause of wrinkles in the late twenties and early thirties.
This is because of the long amount of time your face is pressed into a pillow. Because of this simple-to-solve solution, experts suggest sleeping on your back might be where it’s at. So, next time you’re about to drift off to dreamland, turn over a new leaf and sleep on your back.
If you are a side sleeper, you may be at a higher risk of developing wrinkles on your chest. Sleeping on the same side every night causes your breasts to hang over in one direction for the duration of the night. Over time, gravity can contribute to deep, vertical wrinkles on your chest from sleeping on your side.
Topical steroid medications
Topical steroid medications are sometimes prescribed to treat skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. These medications can actually atrophy and thin the skin’s layer. Once your skin layer is thinner, it’s more likely to become leathery, crinkled, or wrinkly.
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Ways To Prevent Wrinkles On Your Chest, Neck, and Cleavage
The fact is—all skin is ageing skin. Not one of us can travel back in time. Cleavage wrinkles affect all age groups, so it’s never too early to start some proactive habits. Here are a few:
Set Them Free
If your breasts are supported in their natural, comfortable position, they won’t be overly subjected to the pull of gravity, and they won’t be smashed together to form creases and crinkles. So, wear a properly fitting bra, avoid push-up bras, and ditch your sports bra as soon as you finish your workout.
Stay in the Shade
Sun is your skin’s worst enemy, so the best thing you can do is to avoid those UV rays whenever possible. When you are in the sun, wear sunscreen with an SPF 30 every day, rain or shine—and that means the chest and neck too! In fact, just one sunburn on your chest can break down collagen and cause irreparable damage to the elastic structure of the skin, which not only thins out the already delicate skin there but affects its ability to stretch and bounce back.
Develop Good Sleep Habits
Getting plenty of sleep is crucial for good skin, but take it a step further and try sleeping on your back.
Treatments
While it’s well-known that facial wrinkles can be minimised with certain products and procedures, many people may not realise that the wrinkles on the body can also be improved with medical treatments and even some home remedies.
Ultimately, the skin on your chest and cleavage is just that: skin. It responds to the same ingredients we use on our faces, even though most of us aren’t slathering our bosoms with anti-ageing creams on a daily basis (though we probably should be.) But, remember, the chest is a high histamine area, meaning it’s very sensitive, so tread lightly.
Below are a few ways to get rid of chest wrinkles naturally:
Wrinkle creams
Wrinkle cream for your décolletage can include many of the same active ingredients that you use on your face. Topical antioxidants and retinoids can encourage cell turnover while protecting your skin. Soothing natural ingredients, such as aloe and shea butter can seal in moisture and help skin look more firm. Products with hyaluronic acid also have a hydrating and “plumping” effect on the skin.
Mask-up
Sunday nights are a great time to unwind and mask up. While you’ve got that face mask marinating already, why not incorporate a chest treatment, too? Aloe vera is a phenomenal natural ingredient when it comes to skin healing. It’s been used for thousands of years to treat wounds, burns, and more—but it’s also well-respected as a powerful anti-ageing resource with highly effective wrinkle-fighting properties that have been backed by science. It’s especially perfect for the chest area, as it’s soothing, hydrating, and gentle.
The most potent and effective form of aloe vera is straight from the source. Get your hands on a fresh aloe plant and chop off a thick, juicy leaf. Slice it longways, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Apply the gel to your chest and cleavage area and let it absorb for about 20 minutes.
Silicone Décolleté Pads
Over-the-counter silicone pads are sometimes used to treat wrinkles in the area right above your cleavage. These silicone pads claim to restore structure to the area.
Cindy Crawford told Vogue Magazine in 2016 that she keeps a scarf in her car just to protect her décolletage from the sun, and she sleeps with a silicone pad in between her breasts in preparation for red carpets and photoshoots. Say what? Yes! It may seem crazy that a pad made from 100% silicone could have such a serious impact on our skin, but these sticky patches are a celebrity secret weapon.
Note: Silicone sheets are used for the treatment of hypertrophic scarring, however, the success of this treatment is just anecdotal at this point.
Exercise
So you’ve got all the creams, masks, scrubs, and tools—but if your chest has turned to mush from the inside, your efforts could be null and void. Part of the reason the cleavage area is so prone to lines and folds is the lack of muscle volume in that area, combined with thinner-than-average skin.
Try sneaking in 20 pushups a day before you jump in the shower, or incorporate a few days of yoga a week (those vinyasas are major pectoral boosters!), and you could see some impact on skin volume over time. As an added benefit, exercise means extra blood flow and oxygen to the cells, which helps to nourish the skin, too.
Hormonal Therapy
As if we didn’t have enough to deal with during menopause, this “change of life” is also associated with an acceleration of skin ageing, which naturally means more chest lines, sagging, dryness, and even hyperpigmentation. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been shown to improve skin texture, hydration, elasticity, and even thickness.
Note: There are some health risks that may be associated with HRT, so you should always consult a doctor before taking any medications.
Medical-Grade Treatments
Chest wrinkles may benefit from some home therapies such as wrinkle cream, serums, and over-the-counter chest pads, but treatments such as laser therapy, chemical peels, filler injections, and medical-grade skin care products are much more effective. Two of the most common solutions recommended are injections and laser procedures.
Laser Genesis
Do you have scars from cystic acne, broken capillaries on your nose, or unsightly age spots? Restoring and rejuvenating skin from beneath the surface, Laser Genesis uses a heat-based laser to target deep layers of the skin. Triggering the skin’s natural healing process to stimulate collagen production, Laser Genesis leaves skin resilient, radiant, and healthy-looking skin, revealing a youthful glow in just one session.
Laser Genesis is the latest in technological innovations for skin rejuvenation, a medical procedure effective for softening wrinkles, reducing dark spots, healing acne scars, making large pores appear less visible, and reducing fine lines around the delicate eye area.
Laser Genesis effectively heals scarring caused by acne, surgery, or burns and redness and broken blood vessels caused by rosacea and simultaneously erases fine lines, reduces the appearance of deep wrinkles, evens texture, reduces pores, and eliminates age spots. The icing on the cake is the boost of radiance and firmness Laser Genesis gives the skin by stimulating collagen production. Laser Genesis can be used to treat any part of the body; however, it is predominantly used on the face, neck, chest, and hands.
Laser Genesis is a non-ablative laser used to treat the dermis – the middle layer of skin. The basic difference between ablative and non-ablative treatments is that ablative lasers remove the top layer of skin, while non-ablative lasers work by heating the underlying skin tissue without harming the surface, allowing the body to naturally produce new collagen And Laser Genesis does not wound the skin. Instead, it works by penetrating the top layer of skin and delivering thousands of micro-pulses of light to the dermis. The warming action shrinks blood vessels, breaks down scar tissue, and stimulates collagen production, leaving skin free of scars, broken blood vessels, and redness.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers contain hyaluronic acid, a substance that is naturally produced by the body. HA fillers can add volume to the lips and enhance their shape and structure by not only plumping the lips but also by trapping water within the lips for a more naturalistic, full pout.
There are several hyaluronic acid fillers on the market, each of which works to smooth lines and wrinkles, minimise the signs of ageing, and improve the look of the skin on the chest and neck areas
The procedure takes anywhere from five to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of product used. It can take several days to see the full results from HA filler injections, though many patients see results immediately.
Anti-wrinkle injections are safe and relatively painless, though slight swelling or inflammation is common after treatment.
Other possible risks and side effects of HA injections include:
- Bruising
- Allergic reactions
- Bleeding
Collagen Fillers
In addition to hyaluronic acid anti-wrinkle injections, collagen dermal fillers work to soften wrinkles and reduce fill lines. A medical injectable gel made from hyaluronic acid, fillers help the skin stay plump and hydrated.
Like anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers are not permanent but results can last longer, from 6 to 18 months.
We know this might be a lot of information to digest, which is why we suggest that you contact us to learn more about the safe and effective options we offer at Specialist Skin Solutions. We believe in educating our clients which is why a thorough consultation takes place prior to treatment. At this time we will discuss your concerns and make a plan to find a solution.
Takeaway
Skincare doesn’t start at your forehead and end at your chin. Great skin should actually be an entire-body self-care regimen.
No matter your age, the extent of damage, or the reason, the prognosis is good! Chest and cleavage wrinkles can be avoided, improved, and reversed if you have a few weapons in your arsenal.
It’s never too late to turn back the hands of time and put lines and wrinkles on the chest, neck, décolletage, and Cleavage in the rearview window.
Contact us to book an appointment and begin to look as young as you feel.
