Firming Your Saggy Skin – How to Make it Happen

The occurrence of sagging skin on the body is not always the result of not taking proper care of the skin. Saggy skin can be a part of the natural aging process, a large weight loss, too much exposure to the sun or following an unhealthy diet. Let’s take an in-depth look at why your skin might be sagging and what can be done to address the issue.

Saggy Skin – Common Causes

The aging process can cause the skin to begin to sag. The production of two proteins that are associated with having firm skin, elastin, and collagen, decrease as a person continues to age. In addition, the level of hyaluronic acid in the body reduces with age and this is a substance that helps the skin to retain moisture in the body and have a firmer and fuller look.

As your body mass increases, the skin will start to stretch to accommodate the greater mass. If you lose a large amount of weight, sagging skin can occur and also damage the level of elastin and collagen in the skin.

Pregnant women experience a stretching of the skin in the abdomen. Once the birth of the child occurs, the skin can start to gain a saggy appearance.

Sagging Skin – Where it can Occur and How to Prevent It

In general, some of the most common areas of the body where sagging skin occurs include the face, neck, jawline, abdomen, and inner thighs.

People can attempt to prevent, or slow down, the occurrence of sagging skin by:

• Staying out of the sun or wearing sunscreen
• Following a healthy diet
• Using moisturizer on the skin
• Losing weight at a normal pace
• Not smoking.
• Exercising on a regular basis helps to keep the skin firm because building muscles can improve the look of sagging skin in areas such as the arms and legs
• Using products that contain retinoids might help the skin as they have been shown to increase the amount of collagen that is present in the skin
• Taking collagen supplements or taking antioxidants (such as Vitamin C) that supports the production of collagen in the body
• Having a massage to improve the flow of blood in the body and stimulate fibroblasts (cells that help to produce connective tissues that keep the skin firm)

Nonsurgical Methods to Prevent Sagging Skin

There are some nonsurgical treatments that can help patients suffering from sagging skin that is considered to be mild to moderate. These treatments increase the amount of collagen and elastin production in the skin by heating the various layers of the skin that are located below the skin surface. Some examples include:

• Laser treatments that deliver heat deep into the skin without causing any type of damage to the top layer of the skin. Multiple treatments will need to be performed and the results can appear anywhere from two to six months after the start of the treatments.
• High intensity ultrasound treatment promotes skin tightening by penetrating the deepest skin layers and sending heat that encourage the production of collagen. While one treatment might be enough to see some modest results, you will likely need multiple treatments to gain greater final results.
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments use light energy to heat the cells located under the surface of the skin. Multiple treatments are usually necessary and should not be performed on patients with darker skin tones.

Surgical Options to Combat Sagging Skin

If you are suffering from skin that is severely sagging, there are surgical options that are available to you. Unlike the nonsurgical options listed above, there will be some downtime after undergoing a surgical procedure to deal with sagging skin.

Some of the most popular options include a facelift (lifts and tightens the underlying muscles in the face to rejuvenate the skin through excess fat and skin removal) tummy tuck (removes excess skin and fat while also tightening the abdomen muscles), neck lift (removes excess fat and skin to give the neck a smoother and firmer profile) and a thigh lift (remove excess fat and skin from the thighs).

Sagging Skin – First Treatment Steps

Once you decide to seek treatment options to address sagging skin, you should schedule a consultation appointment with a board-certified doctor that is experienced in performing both surgical and nonsurgical treatments to tighten the skin.

The doctor will discuss your concerns about the appearance of your sagging skin and also examine the skin to determine its current condition. The physical examination, along with a complete medical history, are important so the doctor can determine if you are an ideal candidate for any of the procedures listed in this article.

It is important for the doctor to take time to chat with you as the results you want to see might not be possible at all or they might take longer to achieve than you expect. It is important to have realistic expectations before undergoing any type of treatment. Realistic expectations allow you to know what to expect and also keep you from being disappointed with the final appearance, or total firmness, of your skin.

- MA