Saggy skin is a head to toe problem. As you age, the skin changes. Wrinkles become more apparent. Fat stores shift, leaving us with bulges in places we don’t want them while hollows develop elsewhere. The appearance of the skin also changes, becoming duller and drier instead of bright and lustrous.
Aging is inevitable, but the skin changes that come with it don’t have to be. By combining good skincare with a few carefully selected aesthetic treatments, your skin can look bright and beautiful in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
Age-Related Skin Changes- What Causes Them?
What causes sagging and other age-related skin changes? Collagen and elastin loss are the main contributors, but other things can speed up the process if we aren’t careful. The truth is, many factors are behind the aging process, including:
- Sun – Sun exposure is a driving force behind premature aging. UV rays damage the elastin in the skin, causing it to break down. Use sunscreen every day, and if you’re spending time in the sun, reapply often.
- Hormones – Hormones control nearly every aspect of our body’s growth and function, including the appearance of the skin. Hormone levels change as you age. Thinning skin, dryness, and loss of elasticity can all be caused by hormonal skin changes.
- Genetics – There isn’t anything you can do to change your genes, but they do impact how your skin ages If your Grandma developed a saggy tummy and jowls, you may be likely to do so too.
- Weight Loss – When you gain weight, the skin stretches to accommodate your new size. When you lose weight, the skin may not contract enough to return to its previous size.
- Smoking – If you want tight, smooth skin, smoking is a big no-no. Experts believe that smoking is one of the strongest predictors of facial aging. The more you smoke, both in the number of daily cigarettes and the length of time you’ve been smoking, the more wrinkling you’ll experience. Why does smoking cause wrinkles? The nicotine in cigarettes constricts blood vessels and impairs blood flow to the skin. Reducing blood means fewer nutrients, and fewer nutrients means more aging.
Some of these factors, like sunlight and cigarettes, can be controlled through lifestyle changes. Other factors, like hormones and genetics, aren’t as easily managed. Do what you can to make positive lifestyle changes for your skin and rely on MAE Plastic Surgery to recommend skin treatments for the skin changes you can’t control.
What Can I Do About Saggy Skin?
You have options for saggy skin. Come meet with Dr. Epstein to explore the possibilities for rejuvenating your face.
- Facelift – A facelift is a surgical procedure that tightens and contours the lower face.
- Surgical resurfacing – Fractionated CO2, Deep chemical peels, Renuvion are all serious surgical procedures, often performed in conjunction with a facelift, that remove wrinkles and restore collagen and elastin.
- Morpheus and Fractora – These are non-surgical -procedures that use radiofrequency to shrink fat stores and tighten the skin. It is a less invasive alternative to facelift surgery.
- Structural fat grafting (SFG) – is a procedure where fat is harvested from one place on your body and surgically grafted to areas of the face where volume is needed. There is good data to show that improvements in skin quality occurs when SFG is performed.
These are just a few of our most popular options for skin tightening, but we have many other treatments available.
Call to schedule your consultation at MAE Plastic Surgery in Chicago: (847) 205-1680.