From my dermal fillers Harley Street clinic, I offer all kinds of anti ageing tretments. In this article we will discuss the effectiveness of decollete ads as an anti wrinkle treatment.
Decollete Pads by Calvet Cosmetics are reusable silicone pads meant to be applied to the chest and left on overnight to smooth out creases. On relatively shallow lines they are quite effective. Note that silicone patches do cause rashes on some skin types. Moreover, these pads have a tendency to fall off after about a week of use, and may have to be taped down (removal of tape from aged skin may cause more problems than the whole thing is worth).
Another option for the décolleté area is a washable Heart-shaped Pillow for Chest Wrinkles by the amusingly-named Chest-A-Peel. Both this and the Calvet product work better as preventive measures than wrinkle-reversal devices, though. There are some odd statements on the Internet about the pillow "absorbing wrinkles." This is about as likely as finding a masque that "absorbs acne blemishes" or a cap that "absorbs bald spots."
Three examples of patches infused with allegedly beneficial skin care ingredients are Hydroxatone Instant Lift Pads, Frownies Undereye Treatment Patches, and Osmotics Vitamin C Patches.
Hydroxatones product is certainly convenient, since the patches are only applied for 20 minutes. It contains peptides (short amino acid chains), and some ads make silly statements about them relaxing the muscles of the face. In reality, the polymers and humectants on the patches are providing the temporary smoothing and plumping benefits. The product also contains a small amount of lavender oil, which studies show may cause allergic reactions. Lavender reacts with sunlight to cause skin problems; conversely, aromatherapy experts often recommend it to heal wounds and blemishes and relieve skin inflammation. Wear a suncreen after use. These pads also offer chrysin, an anti-inflammatory plant extract that functions as an antioxidant.
The Frownies product contains a lot of cactus collagen to form a temporary line-filling coating (no, it wont sink into the skin and help it make fresh collagen), arbutin or bearberry extract to minimize brown circles under the eyes from sun exposure (it wont do anything for blue or purplish ones), and water-binding, skin-plumping glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Note that the lactic acid and Vitamin C on these patches may irritate sensitive skin. Note further that these do have a tendency to fall off, and are unlikely to stick to the skin again afterwards.
Osmotics Vitamin C patches certainly give the skin plenty of Vitamin C and Vitamin C salt. Another name for Vitamin C is ascorbic acid; like many other acids, it may irritate the skin, causing peeling and flaking. However, it is a terrific antioxidant and helps prevent free radical damage from sun exposure and smoking or other detrimental environmental influences. These patches also provide another antioxidant, Vitamin E, and several rich plant oils. They contain a small amount of lemongrass extract, though, which can irritate sensitive skin; they also contain a bit of ginseng extract, which is generally soothing to skin (maybe these two ingredients are supposed to cancel one another out!) Note that the preservative used is a paraben, so if your skin reacts to parabens, dont try this product. Also avoid using these patches close to the eyes.
Facial patches are a fun skin care gimmick that tend to wax and wane in popularity in any given timeframe. They are obviosuly not as effective as injections or surgery, and certainly have definite drawbacks. Still, the temporary boost in appearance and shot in the arm of confidence they yield will undoubtedly keep them on the market for years to come.