Remember the Delicate Décolleté!

While we know most clients are great with following their twice daily skincare regime on the faces, some also religiously include their necks but fewer extend it down to the upper chest. 

With spring in full swing and hot, sunny summer on its way we will soon be leaving our polo neck woolies behind as we reach for our plunging necklines of lightweight tops. Even though it is one of the more neglected parts of the body it is easy to include in their daily skincare routine and they’ll be happy they did when they’re peeling off our top layers and revealing their décolleté.

 The décolleté is a French word meaning low cut neckline of a garment according to Miriam Webster dictionary. In the esthetics industry we have used the term for decades, along with decolletage, when referring to the upper chest of a client.

 Easy as 1 or 2 or 3 

Here are 3 easy ways to encourage your client to extend their skincare onto their décolleté. When you treat this area during your skincare service the client is more likely to follow suit.

1. If the décolleté isn’t included in your facial protocol you could include it during the month of June as a free add-on to a facial treatment.

2. If you already do include the décolleté in your facial protocols perhaps consider including a more hydrating or firming mask for this area. This too could be held as a promotion in the run up to summer and included for free when booking your signature facial.

3. Create a 20-minute service covering the neck and décolleté;

*Cover front, sides and back of neck, décolleté, upper shoulders and the shoulders themselves when cleansing. Work the area that would be revealed if the client was wearing an off the shoulder dress. Remove with warm steam towel.

*Power cleanse by combining cleanser with a gentle scrub. Remove with a warm steam towel. If skin is highly vascular in this area choose a non-abrasive exfoliant such as cleanser containing hydroxy acids. 

*Apply hydrating face mask to front and sides of neck and across the décolleté, following the line of the platysma muscle (see photo below) While the mask is on massage the upper shoulders, use knuckles over the upper trapezius muscle being mindful to avoid bony areas such as the spine and scapula.

*Remove with a warm steam towel and finish with moisturizer and SPF over the entire area. This could be a stand-alone treatment, only available for a certain period or even be offered free of charge with the purchase of $150 of skincare products.

(These are merely suggestions of how a service could be promoted. Look into the cost of service prior to running a promotion and consider if it’s feasible for your particular practice.)

Advice worth giving

Educate your clients on the importance of applying SPF to this area. The skin here is thinner, has less elasticity and therefore more prone to sun damage. Suggest they apply their morning skincare when still wrapped in their towel so the décolleté is fully accessible.

If you found this info useful please leave a comment below and consider sharing it with a fellow esthetician.