With non-surgical skin tightening, cosmetic surgeons can effectively tighten moderately lax or "crepey" skin on the face, neck and body, helping patients improve their appearance and postpone the need for surgery.
Moisturizers and other creams work well for mildly crepey skin, but they have limitations. For instance, if you've lost a large amount of weight, leaving you with a lot of crepey skin, a plastic surgeon likely will need to remove it. Your dermatologist may suggest an elective cosmetic surgery such as: Facelift.
“Moisturizing creams and lotions can help minimize the appearance of crepey skin on arms and legs, especially if they contain the right ingredients,” says Dendy Engleman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is vital for older adults as it plays a significant role in maintaining skin health and preventing crepey skin. Moreover, vitamin E supplements are effective antioxidants that help to keep the body cells safe from oxidative stress and sun damage.
Engaging in exercises for toning arms can significantly contribute to improving the appearance of crepey skin and enhancing muscle definition.
Dermatologists may use a pulsed light device, or laser treatment, to help treat crepey skin from the inside out. The device heats small areas of skin, putting energy deep into the skin. This procedure helps the collagen to remodel and makes the skin tighter as a result.
Collagen can't be measured — for instance, in a blood test — but there are signs that your collagen level is decreasing. These signs and symptoms include: Skin that's wrinkled, crepey or sagging. Hallowing in and around your eyes and face.
Estrogen Deficient Skin and Crepey Skin Appearance
This means that when estrogen levels decrease in perimenopause and menopause, collagen levels naturally decrease. Estrogen Deficient Skin has been shown to cause several changes in the skin's appearance, including not just crepey skin but also: Dryness.
According to Zeichner, loss of hydration and the resulting inflammation worsens crepey skin. He recommends looking for purified petrolatum in your moisturizer, as in Vaseline's popular lotion. It protects the skin's barrier, prevents water loss, hydrates and plumps thin skin.
“Daily use of a good moisturizing cream with bonus ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides and niacinamide will help repair that barrier and lock in moisture.” CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream are two drugstore brands Dr. Pajo recommends.
STAY HYDRATED
Your skin is the last organ to receive the benefits of the hydration, so you want to ensure you're using some topical moisturizer as well. Ensuring your skin stays well-hydrated will help to prevent the injury that leads to (or worsens) crepey skin.
Regular Exercise
Frequent and targeted movement builds muscles and tightens the skin over time, minimizing the appearance of sagging arms. When exercising, focus on moving and leaning onto your arms more than other parts of your body for the fastest and most satisfying results.
Can collagen supplements reverse aging? "At this time, we do not have any strong evidence that any over-the-counter oral or a topical collagen supplement is good for anti-aging," she says. Topical collagen can be challenging for the skin to absorb because of its chemical structure. Dr.
Here's the good news: elastin fibers can heal ... but there's a catch. Extended exposure to UV rays over time may permanently hinder the fibers' ability to heal themselves and may even result in skin cancer. The result? Crepey skin.
Metformin has gotten renewed attention for its possible use as an “anti-aging” medication. Some have even referred to it as a “wonder drug.”
For topical products, hyaluronic acid is the clear winner. Building collagen takes time and other methods, but it will give you the most long-term and visible results to prevent wrinkles and improve skin elasticity and strength overall.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E promotes collagen production, prevents its breakdown, increases water retention, and protects the skin from oxidative stress. Regular use of products with this vitamin helps tighten the skin and provides other rejuvenating effects.
Non-Surgical Options
There are several lasers on the market that firm skin in addition to intense pulsed light (IPL) and red-light therapy. Most of these lasers and light-based therapies are performed in the office, while others, generally less effective, have been approved for home use and can be purchased online.
However, when a woman loses estrogen after menopause, her skin changes even more. “Estrogen-deficient skin can be characterized by dryness, wrinkling, thinness and itching. Interestingly, many women don't associate that with menopause, just with getting older,” says Dr.
A balanced diet with a variety of vitamins is the best way to keep skin healthy, young, and smooth. These include vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Among these, the single most effective nutrient in combating the signs of aging is vitamin A. Vitamin A is found in most quality skin care products, and for good reason.
Avoid added sugar.
Sugar reacts with the collagen in our skin to make skin stiffer and less elastic. A diet high in added sugar can also cause weight gain and increase your cancer risk.