Using creams that contain vitamin A, also known as retinol or retinoids, may help to prevent skin from thinning further. Retinol creams are available in drugstores or online as cosmetic products. Research published in 2018 suggests that in some cases retinol may help to normalize skin thickness.
#2: Can Thin Skin Be Thickened? The short answer: yes, skin can be thickened. While you can't entirely reverse the process of skin thinning, there are ways to increase collagen, repair elastin, and improve your skin's overall appearance.
Aging, sun exposure and genetics all play a role in thinning skin. Certain medications, such as long-term use of corticosteroids, also can weaken the skin and blood vessels in the skin. Thin skin isn't necessarily a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Vitamin C helps to plump the skin and encourage the production of collagen. This helps the skin to thicken when used regularly.
Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and herring, are excellent foods for healthy skin. They're rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining skin health (1). Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to help keep skin thick, supple, and moisturized.
There isn't a natural way to reverse thin skin caused by aging. However, there is a link between nutrition and skin health, meaning skin health can be improved by following a healthy diet.
A thin face is the lead culprit because being slender causes a loss of volume in the face, Guyuron says. "This loss of volume creates jowls and makes wrinkles develop," he says. "The older we get, the more the face gets depleted. When you lose weight, this look is enhanced and aging is accelerated.
It is not possible to specifically target the face when gaining extra weight naturally. However, gaining weight overall can help people achieve a fuller facial appearance. Working out the facial muscles can make them stronger, which may make the face appear fuller.
Vitamin C serums help to thicken the skin by adding collagen. Collagen-rich skin is less likely to wrinkle than thinner skin. Vitamin C serums have also been shown to improve skin tone. It is often used to treat hyperpigmentation, a common skin condition that occurs when the skin produces too much melanin.
Collagen loss makes the skin less able to repair itself, causing thin, fragile skin.
Both collagen and elastin give our soft tissue and skin stretch and resilience. Fibroblasts start to become less active as early as our twenties, so skin thinning can begin when we are still very young (1). Most people won't notice this until they reach their sixties and their skin becomes more fragile and delicate(2).
This is called extrinsic aging. As a result, premature aging can set in long before it was expected. In other words, your biological clock is more advanced than your chronological clock. Controllable factors such as stress, smoking and sun exposure can all play a role in expediting extrinsic aging.
Ultraviolet rays, aka sunlight, cause collagen to break down faster. With sun exposure, those UV rays damage the skin by entering the dermis (the second and thickest layer of our skin) which causes collagen to break down faster.
There's no such thing as a collagen treatment for facial skin, per se, but there are plenty of cosmetic treatments that can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with increased collagen production as a side effect.
Vitamin C–squalene bioconjugate promotes epidermal thickening and collagen production in human skin.
Citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, tangelos, grapefruits) have thick rinds with thin membranes inside that separate the flesh into segments.
A: Collagen supplements aren't the best option if you want to improve the appearance of your skin. That's mainly because there's no evidence-based science to prove they work ― or that they're safe. A few small studies have shown limited improvement in skin texture with collagen supplements.
“No studies have proven that biotin supplements will change the appearance of your hair, skin or nails,” Barth says. “But some people find that taking a biotin supplement helps them boost hair and nail growth. It's usually not harmful to try biotin for thicker hair or healthier nails.”
Vitamin E, found in foods such as almonds and avocados, can also support skin health. The fats in these foods may help to keep the skin supple. Using creams that contain vitamin A, also known as retinol or retinoids, may help to prevent skin from thinning further.