Sagging Skin

 

Treatment Options to Tighten or Lift Sagging Skin

When you look in a mirror, do you have an urge to push the skin up on the sides of your face or neck because just that little push makes you look younger? Gravity is usually blamed when skin starts to sag but the cause is more complicated.

As we age, not only does the foundation of bone, fat and muscle under the skin shrink (read here to learn more about the anatomy changes in the aging face) but our skin’s underlying structure changes. Skin renews itself more slowly, produces less collagen, and has less elasticity. Like a worn-out rubber band, skin that’s lost elasticity no longer springs back.

To check your skin elasticity, and potentially ruin your day, pinch the skin on the back of your hand between your thumb and index finger, hold it for 5 seconds, let go, and count how many seconds it takes to flatten. If it takes less than 2 seconds, your skin has the elasticity of someone under 30, three to four seconds means your skin’s elasticity age is between 30 – 44, five to nine seconds and it’s 45 – 60, and longer than 10 seconds and your skin is acting like it’s more than 60. 

These changes, combined with genetic influences, sun exposure, dropping hormone levels and damaging habits like smoking, lead to slack, hanging skin.

And as if sagging skin isn’t bad enough on its own, the stretched skin can make pores and scars look larger.

When sagging is mostly due to volume loss, restoring youthful proportions in the face with dermal fillers, fat, and/or skin stimulants (also known as a “liquid facelift”) will lift the skin back up & out, with natural-looking results.

When a loss of skin elasticity is contributing to sagging, several types of lasers and other devices can increase elasticity and build new collagen by applying energy to the deeper skin levels.

Choosing the best treatment for your skin can be confusing and often, the information you find on the internet is inaccurate. Call 727.571.1923, or sign up here, for a complimentary consultation to determine which treatment option is best for you.