One Dermatologist’s Fix for an Aging Décolletage

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images

This column first ran in Valerie Monroe’s newsletter, How Not to F*ck Up Your Face, which you can subscribe to on Substack.

Q: At 39, I think I’m doing all right in general, appearance-wise — but my décolletage could use some work, and I have no idea how to go about that. Treat it the same as my neck (minus retinol)? I apply sunscreen and limit sun exposure, but my chest does get some exposure, which probably has made things worse.

A: Same, Dear Reader, same. Years of sun exposure have had their fun with my décolletage, which makes me think I should never have de’d my colletage (removed the collar, in a literal translation) without always applying sunscreen first.

You are correct that treating your chest with the products you use on your face and neck is the way to go. So: no harsh soap; occasional mild exfoliation with a washcloth or an alpha-hydroxy acid; a prescription retinoid (or over-the-counter retinol); moisturizer; and sunscreen should help reduce sun damage and prevent accelerated signs of aging. (By the way, skip those silicone patches that claim to prevent wrinkling; they don’t.)

At the physician’s office, there are various lasers and peels that can also help attain a clearer décolletage; best to speak with your doctor about which one might give you the most visible results.

Dermatologist Tina Alster has a protocol. “In addition to ‘priming the skin’ with topical vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening for a month, my go-to in-office treatment is Fraxel Dual laser with the addition of pigment-specific Picolaser for discrete sun spots, if you have them,” she said. If you choose an in-office laser treatment, Alster says the optimal time is in the fall or winter when any tanning has faded and when limited sun exposure is anticipated for at least two to four weeks following treatment.

After that, you know the drill if you want to sustain the treatment effects: sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.

Originally published on October 29.