The New Wrinkle You Didn’t See Coming—And How to Make It Disappear

In the August issue of Vogue, we spotlight what’s been coined “the new wrinkle,” aka the accordion fan of fine lines that start to surface on your neck and chest with age, often most visible in the morning after a night (or lifetime) of side-sleeping has pressed them into place. Even the eternally youthful Cindy Crawford admits that décolletage maintenance is top of mind for her. “When you’re 20, pillow lines go away in fifteen minutes,” says Crawford. “But as I’ve gotten older, I notice those lines take a little longer.”

With fall’s most directional runways laying heavy emphasis on an exposed swath of décolleté—see Demna Gvasalia’s conceptual lineup of parkas, trench coats, and even bombers pushed off the shoulder at Balenciaga, for starters—new emphasis is being given to keeping the area as fresh as your face. According to experts, changing the position in which you slumber is the simplest, if perhaps the most difficult first course of action. “The best you can do is sleep on your back,” suggests New York dermatologist Misbah Khan, M.D. of the skin-care concern cropping up with increased frequency.

Other than attempting the near-impossible with head-positioning beauty pillows, back-steadying mattresses or melatonin-boosting sleep bracelets, your best short-term strategy may be booking one of a handful of in-office treatments that are shifting their sights below the chin. Mashell Tabe, the Albuquerque-based micro-needling pro whose clients include Gwyneth Paltrow and Alexi Ashe, has begun focusing her sessions on the neck and chest area to trigger a wound-healing response that stimulates the production of elastin. A dose of ultrasound energy via Ultherapy at your derm’s office could tighten the delicate décolletage area, according to Manhattan dermatologist Shereene Idriss, M.D., who suggests following it with a collagen-boosting session of the Fraxel Dual 1550 laser to fade fine lines.

At home, a supercharged nightly skin-care routine and, perhaps most importantly, daily SPF attention (Crawford always drives with a scarf handy to prevent sneaking sun exposure) are your best plan for prevention—and with a wave of chic new products targeting the neck and chest, you can rest easy knowing that your skin has a 24-hour game plan.

Above, five products to perfect your portrait neckline:

 

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