Cleavage has returned to the red carpet – these are the A-listers taking the plunge

In 2006, the writer Nora Ephron published a book of essays about being a woman with the title I Feel Bad About My Neck, a reference to society’s fixation on female ageing. Yet in 2025, there’s no longer any reason to feel bad about our necks, thanks to innovations in skincare and new tweakments that are making crepiness, sagging, wrinkles and sunspots (the four horsemen of ageing) a thing of the past.

Just look at Pamela Anderson, 57, and Marisa Tomei, 60, at Sunday night’s Baftas, and Demi Moore, 62, and Naomi Watts, 56, at the Golden Globes earlier this year. All looked beautiful in plunging gowns (a design that would once have been avoided by the over 40s).

According to Dr Georgina Williams, the founder of the skincare clinic Montrose London, more and more women are coming to her for anti-ageing treatments on their neck and décolletage, with the increased use of medications being used for weight loss, such as Ozempic, having an impact too.

“Our necks are sun traps and we often don’t look after them in the same way we do our faces, which can lead to sun damage,” Dr Williams explains. “A lot of my younger clients complain of ‘tech neck’, where we look down [at our mobile phones] all the time, which can deepen those horizontal wrinkles on the neck too.”

Inspired? Here’s how you too can feel good about your neck.

Tweak your skincare

According to aesthetics doctor Dr Joney de Souza, the two chief signs of ageing on the décolletage – crepey skin and skin discolouration (including sunspots) – are caused by collagen fibre damage and loss of hyaluronic acid. “The breakdown of collagen causes the skin to appear lax and crepey, while dehydration from the loss of hyaluronic acid contributes to a dry and aged appearance,” he explains. “Long-term sun exposure leads to sunspots, as the skin’s natural response to UV exposure is to produce melanin.”

In order to increase collagen production, facialist Sarah Chapman recommends looking for products that contain proven actives such as retinoids and peptides, including her Overnight Facial (£23) and Age-Repair Serum (£68). “A regular skincare routine and treating your neck and chest as you would your face is essential to address these concerns,” she says. Specific neck creams that come highly rated include Skinceuticals Tripeptide-R Neck Repair, as well as Trinny London’s The Elevator.

Overnight facial, £23, Sarah Chapman

Boost your collagen

According to the Queen’s royal-warrant-holding facialist, Deborah Mitchell, a quick and easy way to boost your collagen levels and anti-age the neck is to consume it via collagen drops. “The best way to use our collagen drops is to drink it everyday,” she explains. “But for a really good neck treatment, you can drink it and also apply it directly to the skin. It bypasses the stomach, so it gets to work immediately – you’ll see the results really quickly.” Deborah’s Collagen Drops are £30 for a pack of 2. The Telegraph’s beauty director, Sonia Haria, rates the Pro Collagen+ By Vida Glow (£55 for 30 sachets) highly.

Deborah’s Collagen Drops, £30, Amazon

Pro Collagen+ By Vida Glow, £55, Cult Beauty

Try facial massage

Another easy way to improve the appearance of your neck at home is via massage. Mitchell uses a combination of lymphatic drainage and acupressure in her treatments, which work as a kind of vacuum to bring the dirt out of the tissues. “By using gentle compressions of the tissues, it breaks them down and makes the skin look younger,” she explains. “The key is never to stretch the skin; you have to press on it to stimulate the collagen and blood supply.”

Chapman also recommends using excess product from your face on your neck and applying it with specific movements. “For instance, when applying your neck cream, I suggest sweeping upwards towards the jaw – unless you’re performing lymphatic drainage, which works from the ears down the sides of the neck.”

Do LED masks help?

You’ve likely seen the slightly Freddy Kruger-esque LED masks that you can wear on your face at home to promote anti-ageing, but did you know that there are several versions specifically for the neck, too? Current Body’s Skin, Neck and Dec Perfector is a favourite of Kourtney Kardashian, Naomi Watts and Olivia Colman, with the latter two both using theirs ahead of red-carpet appearances.

“Red light therapy works by penetrating the skin at specific wavelengths to stimulate cellular activity, increase circulation, and promote collagen production,” says Laurence Newman, the chief executive of CurrentBody. “The neck’s skin is generally thinner and more delicate than facial skin, so our dedicated neck mask uses lower wavelength intensity, for less time, to ensure optimal absorption and comfort while preventing overstimulation.”

PRP and microneedling

Another way to stimulate collagen production is via microneedling, or PRP (so-called “vampire facials”). “Younger skin tends to respond well to natural treatments such as PRP [platelet-rich plasma] and microneedling, either separately or in combination,” explains Dr de Souza. “PRP involves harvesting platelets from the patient’s own blood and injecting them into the skin to trigger collagen production, prevent future textural issues, increase blood flow for a healthy and hydrated appearance, and introduce a variety of active growth factors that promote skin cell renewal.”

A lot of facialists will incorporate microneedling into their facials, including Chapman, while there are at-home devices that you can buy to do it yourself, such as FaceGym’s Faceshot Electric Microneedling Device (£215; Cult Beauty). A word of caution though: only ever use at-home devices once a week to start with, building up to twice a week as your skin gets used to the product – treat it like interval training, and never use more than twice a week.

FaceGym’s Faceshot Electric Microneedling Devic, £215, Cult Beauty

Revive with injectables

An increasingly popular – but sadly only temporary – way to revive the skin on the neck, as well as the face, is via injectable skin boosters such as Profhilo or the more buzzy polynucleotides (the salmon sperm facial you’ve likely heard so much about). While the former increases the amount of hyaluronic acid in the skin, the latter works by promoting collagen production. A word of warning though: both can be quite painful, with a stinging sensation often reported.

A more advanced solution

While lasers’ ability to treat pigmentation and discolouration, such as sun spots, is well known, they can also be used to treat collagen loss and improve the texture of skin. “For older skin that has undergone prolonged sun exposure and shows visible signs of ageing, a more intensive approach is required,” shares Dr de Souza. “Corrective treatments for collagen loss include microneedling with radiofrequency, Erbium: YAG [Fraxel], or CO2 fractional laser. For pigmentation, only advanced technology such as picosecond lasers can provide permanent results.”