Whether your wrinkles, fine lines, and saggy skin make you look older than you feel, or you’ve worked hard to hit your weight loss goals only to be left with loose skin, you may be considering plastic surgery to firm and tighten.
There are many benefits to plastic surgery. However, it is expensive, and many procedures have lengthy recovery times. Before going under the knife, there are several non-surgical options you can try to correct sagging skin.
What Causes Skin Sagging?
To determine the best method to tighten your skin, it is important to understand what causes your skin to sag.
As you age, your skin loses its elasticity, which inhibits its ability to “bounce back” and maintain a firm, youthful look. Environmental factors, like UV damage caused by the sun, accelerate this process. Sagging skin can also occur from rapid weight loss, pregnancy or wrong pre wax care or post wax care.
The most common body areas you may experience skin sagging are:
- Chin
- Eyelids
- Neck
- Upper arms
- Stomach
Here are five non-surgical methods you can try to firm your skin.
Skin Firming Creams
A quality skin firming cream is a great place to start to diminish the appearance of minor skin sagging and wrinkles and to prevent further skin damage. While the effects of skin firming creams are temporary, they can aid collagen production to help increase skin's elasticity and “bounciness.”
Skin firming creams work by moisturizing, and there are a wide variety of creams on the market optimized for different parts of your body. The best skin tightening cream includes SPF, which will help prevent further skin damage caused by the sun.
Skin Tightening Lasers
Laser treatment is an alternative procedure that will give you a facelift without surgery. It uses heat to tighten areas of skin on your body and can be very effective for getting rid of wrinkly or saggy skin.
Lasers target and stimulate your skin’s collagen and elastin to encourage production. They can be used on skin anywhere on the body, but are most commonly used on the face and chin, and are also an excellent option for a non-surgical neck lift.
Ultrasound Skin Tightening
Similar to laser treatments, ultrasound skin tightening treatments use heat to encourage collagen production for firmer skin.
Instead of a laser, this treatment uses a handheld ultrasound wand to deliver the energy through ultrasound waves.
Restorative Facials
Restorative facials treatments are another option for reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and saggy skin. These facials use products that moisturize and help your skin maintain its healthy cells, including beta carotene, protein, fatty acids, and vitamins A, D, and E.
More in-depth treatments can be done professionally by an esthetician, or you can buy a restorative facial cream or mask to do on your own at home.
Antioxidants
Eating an antioxidant-rich diet reduces inflammation, which can help the skin repair itself. Some antioxidants also stimulate collagen production, making skin look more firm.
Antioxidant-rich foods include almonds, avocado, blueberries, cabbage, coconut, ginger, leafy greens, olive oil, turmeric, and quinoa. When it comes to meats, look for options rich in omega-3s and avoid processed meats with high omega-6 content.
Takeaways
As you age, your skin will inevitably lose some of its youthful firmness. Surgery is one of the most permanent ways to correct sagging skin on your face, neck, or other body areas. However, there are other options for correcting and protecting your skin to keep in mind.
