This Part of Your Body Shows The Signs of Aging Fast (And It's Not Your Hands)

Crow’s feet, laugh lines, furrowed brows – a lot of time and energy is spent on slowing the signs of aging on the face.

But did you know there’s a place below the chin that can be a dead giveaway of premature aging? And no, it’s not the hands – though they deserve proper care and attention, too – it’s the neck and décolletage area.

The neck area is just as likely to show signs of aging as your face is – sometimes more. This aging can show up in the form of dark spots, wrinkles, and crepey skin. And unless you wear a turtleneck every day, premature aging of the neck area can be quite obvious.

It’s never too late to start caring for the skin on your neck and chest area. The key is understanding what forces work to age this fragile area – and knowing how to defend yourself.

Sun Damage

Catching a few rays might give you a glow – but it’s not a healthy glow. There are major downsides to spending time in the sun. Not only do the sun’s harmful UV rays have the potential to cause serious health problems, they also speed up the skin’s aging process. You see, those rays cause something called “photodamage” to the skin.¹

“Photodamage” can show up in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, redness, and even spider veins.² And because it gets quite a bit of sun exposure, your chest area is likely to show signs of photodamage and subsequent premature signs of aging.

To protect your skin and counteract the signs of sun damage:

Apply (and reapply!) a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day—even when it’s overcast. You see the sun’s rays still cause damage, no matter the weather. So, you want to make sure you’re getting full protection.
Invest in some pretty neck scarves – you can tie one on when you go outside for further protection.
Use a cream that helps diminish the appearance of spider veins.
To counteract hyperpigmentation caused by sun exposure, use a product formulated with Vitamin C. This can help fade sun spots by working to inhibit the pigment production process. ³

Dry Skin

Do you notice that your skin is becoming a bit more parched as the years pass? It’s natural.
As you age, your skin retains less water, which can lead to the development of dry skin.⁴ You may notice chapped hands and elbows, drier heels, and of course – you’ll notice it on your face.

But be sure to keep an eye out for dry skin on your decolletage area as well. This skin is particularly delicate, and it can benefit from the protection of a hydration-boosting neck cream. ⁵

A neck cream with collagen-boosting peptides and moisturizing ingredients like aloe vera can help keep skin firm and well-moisturized.^6,7

Collagen Loss

Speaking of collagen – did you know that your body’s natural collagen production greatly decreases as you age?⁸

Collagen is a natural protein in the body that provides the structure for skin.⁹ When your body is producing plenty of collagen, skin appears plump, smooth, and youthful.

But when collagen production slows down with age, wrinkles and crepey skin can result. This can be particularly evident on the delicate skin of the neck, which may take on a “saggy” look.

To counteract this, use a product with niacinamide, which is known to help boost collagen protection. Niacinamide may also help to fade dark spots, and it works to speed up skin cell turnover – which may result in smoother skin. ¹⁰

You can also try taking a hydrolyzed collagen supplement made with collagen peptides. Hydrolyzed collagen is a powdered supplement you can add to juice, smoothies, yogurt, or any liquid. Studies have shown that collagen supplementation greatly improves skin elasticity, and can even help keep skin moisturized.¹¹ After all, what you put inside your body eventually shows up outside.

Tech Neck

These days, phones and tablets help us navigate the world and stay connected. But you’ve probably found yourself looking down a lot more often because of them.

Your neck has noticed too. Compared to the face, the neck contains fewer elastin fibers – the fibers that keep your skin stretchy. This means your neck skin ultimately gets less support. When this lack of skin support is combined with constantly tilting your neck forward to look at your phone, and it can result in the accelerated development of wrinkles and saggy skin.¹²

So, switch it up every now and then. Hold your phone out in front of you, so you’re not looking down. Your arms will get a workout, too!

Try An Anti-Aging Neck Treatment

Regular skin care vigilance will do a lot, in the long run, to keep your neck looking young and taut. Daily application of sunscreen, moisturizer, and collagen ingredients — along with technology mindfulness — will make a major difference.

But we can all use an extra powerful boost of anti-aging care from time to time — and this is especially true in the rapidly aging neck area. For an aging neck treatment that will give you great results with repeated use, try incorporating a mask 2-3 times a week.

Our Firm + Balance Mineral Mask is a favorite when it comes to delivering potent ingredients to aging skin. One of the main ingredients in this mineral mask is Kaduku plum — an Australian fruit that contains more vitamin C than 100 oranges. And vitamin C — as we mentioned above — is a big asset when it comes to fighting the visible signs of aging. Not only does it play an essential role in collagen formation — it can also brighten the skin by fading dark spots.^13,¹⁴

We’ve combined vitamin C with other collagen-enhancing ingredients and tropical enzymes that work to exfoliate and renew the skin. The outcome? A brighter, tighter, firmer neck and decolletage area.

A Youthful Look Below The Chin

Don’t just concentrate on your face – give some time and attention to your neck and decolletage as well. Keeping this area firm and smooth will contribute to an overall healthy, youthful look.

Article updated: March 27, 2018

For more anti-aging tips, please check out:
ANTI-AGING SECRETS: SHOULD I BE TAKING COLLAGEN POWDER

Disclosure: The Beverly Hills MD team creates these articles as a way to provide you with the latest information on health and nutrition. Unfortunately, we cannot make specific product recommendations for our website visitors, such as “Dermal Repair Complex” or “Beverly Hills MD Deep Wrinkle Filler” Please consult with your healthcare provider to determine the best products for you.

Sources
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11696060
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27128235
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673383/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1845280
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26355619
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15648443
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17026654
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16723701
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846778/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921764/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23949208
12. https://aestheticsjournal.com/feature/an-introduction-to-treating-the-neck-and-decolletage
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23228664/
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/