How Can You Firm up Sagging Skin?

Many people are concerned with the signs of aging, including sagging skin, wrinkles, and fine lines. This loss of definition can occur anywhere on your body, but we notice it the most on the face, neck, arms, and abdomen.

Sagging skin is caused by several things, including loss of collagen and thinning of the skin surface over time. Below is more information about the causes of sagging skin and what to do about it.

Causes Of Sagging Skin

As we age, skin tends to get loose and sag for the following reasons:

Loss of Collagen

Collagen is an abundant protein in our bodies and is in the joints, tendons, and bones. It also makes your skin look younger by giving structure to the dermis, or thickest layer of skin.

As we age, you lose collagen naturally. This also includes elastin, which is another protein that keeps your skin tight and firm.

Weight Loss

If you have lost a lot of weight, you could have loose and sagging skin. This is because your skin expands as you gain weight. One clinical study found that it may damage your skin’s elastin and collagen fibers when you carry around extra weight for years.

This affects your skin’s ability to go back into place when you lose weight. This problem also crops up during pregnancy as the skin expands over the belly.

Loose and sagging skin can damage your self-esteem, so some people have that extra skin removed in plastic surgery, including a San Antonio tummy tuck and San Antonio breast lift.

Sun Exposure

The sun plays a significant role in the signs of aging. A clinical study with 300 Caucasian women from 30 to 78 found that UV exposure caused 80% of visible aging in the face. This includes sagging skin, wrinkles, and vascular problems.

The sun’s rays break down the skin’s elastin over many years, causing premature sagging.

Also, the skin is exposed to free radicals that can damage the elastin and collagen fibers. These free radicals include pollutants, toxins, and even some foods.

Cosmetic Procedures To Firm Up Sagging Skin

Now that you understand why your skin may be sagging, let’s take a look at what to do about it:

Chemical Peels

A chemical peel is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that enhances the texture of your skin. These peels accomplish this by getting rid of damaged skin cells from the epidermis.

Chemical peels are usually done on the face, but they also can be effective on other areas that show aging, such as the neck and hands.

Results from a chemical peel take a few weeks to show and depend on the chemicals used. You can get a light, medium, or deep peel. The deep peel involves at least two weeks of recovery time and may be the best choice for deep wrinkles and loose skin.

Laser Resurfacing

Laser skin resurfacing requires the use of a carbon dioxide or erbium laser. These lasers remove wrinkles, aging spots, deep lines, as well as fine lines.

Both lasers improve the texture of the skin by treating the epidermis.

Results take a few weeks to be noticeable, and you may need a few treatments to get the firm skin you want.

Your results may last up to five years, but lines and wrinkles will still appear as part of the aging process.

Ultrasound Skin Tightening

If you want to tighten up loose skin, consider ultrasound skin tightening. Ultrasound waves can tighten your skin with heat, and the treatment goes deeper into the skin than laser resurfacing.

This process encourages collagen production, which leads to firmer and smoother skin over several months.

You don’t need any recovery time with ultrasound skin tightening, and you will see some results right away. But expect to wait three to six months to see the results.

Nonsurgical Radiofrequency

This non-invasive procedure involves the use of a device to heat the tissues under your skin. Some patients report that one treatment can tighten their skin, but you may need two or three treatments over several weeks for the best results.

Expats say effects can last up to three years if you take care of your skin.

Plastic Surgery Options

To correct severely sagging skin, you may need to consider plastic surgery. Some of the most popular procedures include a San Antonio facelift, San Antonio neck lift, and San Antonio arm lift.

Each of these procedures involves anesthesia and weeks of recovery. However, if you choose a skilled, board-certified plastic surgeon, you can enjoy impressive, long-term results that make you look years younger.

Request A Plastic Surgery Consultation

Interested in a San Antonio plastic surgery procedure for sagging skin? Dr. Scott J Farber or Dr. Amita Shah of Hill Country Plastic Surgery can help. They will consult with you for your San Antonio cosmetic procedure today. They’ll go over the options, goals, and more to determine if you’re an ideal candidate for one of these procedures.

References

Tips For How To Tighten Loose Skin. (2020). Accessed at https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-tighten-loose-skin

How To Keep Your Skin Firm As You Age. (2020). Accessed at https://www.healthline.com/health/firmness-skin