Changes in our skin—like wrinkles, crepey skin or sagging—are so common as we age. Everyone experiences these changes but you may be wondering why they happen—and perhaps more importantly, the steps you can take to help prevent them!
Here's the good news: there are things we can do to prevent or slow down the effects of aging. Lifestyle choices and habits play a big role in our skin's appearance now and in the future.
So what exactly causes sagging, loose skin?
Visible signs of aging like these are caused by a combination of natural processes and external factors—things that happen naturally as we age and things from our environment that we can help control. Let's look a bit deeper at the natural and environmental causes of sagging and wrinkled skin and how to help prevent this with healthy skin practices and the right products.
Natural Causes of Sagging Skin
As we age, things start to break down, slow down, or simply stop producing. The muscles that support our skin gradually weaken. Additionally, our cells renew slower due to our bodies producing less collagen and elastin—the connective tissue that gives skin its youthful elasticity, smoothness and firmness.
Elastin gives skin its natural resilience—its youthful-looking “snap back”—while collagen is the protein that gives skin its framework. When these two components start to break down due to natural aging, skin begins to loosen, sag and droop. This leads to visible fine lines, deep wrinkles, and thin, crepey skin that looks a lot like crepe paper (read more on how to prevent crepey skin).
External Causes of Sagging Skin
Sun damage is the number-one cause of prematurely aging skin, so always apply sunscreen and regularly use restorative skin treatments (like our Crepe Erase’s Restorative Facial Treatment) before stepping outside, even on cloudy days. Also, try to avoid or limit your time in the sun when possible, especially during midday and afternoon hours when the sun's UV rays are the most powerful. Sun exposure damages skin cells while UV radiation breaks down collagen and elastin, leading to loss of firmness and elasticity, and therefore more lines and wrinkles.
Other factors that can contribute over time to the visible aging process include:
- alcohol consumption
- poor diet (like processed foods high in sugar, which cause inflammation)
- stress
- lack of exercise
- lack of sleep
Generally speaking, developing good habits that are beneficial to your overall health will have a positive effect on your skin, too.
How To Help Snap Back Sagging Skin
Thankfully, there are constant advances in skincare that treat various visible signs of aging, including the more challenging skin concerns like loose, thin or crepey skin. The Body Firm is an Age-Defying Body & Face Kit shown to improve the look of crepey skin.
Based on average results of a 54-person evaluation by an expert clinical grader measuring décolleté, knees and arms, 80% of The Body Firm users saw an instant reduction in the appearance of crepey skin on target areas of the body. See some of The Body Firm's before and after results or shop our larger skincare line to see what works best to target signs of aging.
