What Is the Best Thing for Firming Sagging Skin?

Collagen and elastin help keep your skin firm. You may develop sagging skin with age as your skin loses its natural elasticity. According to Skincarephysicians.com, intrinsic aging is a natural part of the aging process that reduces collagen and elastin production in your skin. Extrinsic factors such as repetitive facial expressions, sleeping positions, smoking and sun exposure can prematurely age your skin and lead to sagging. Extreme or rapid weight loss may also contribute to saggy skin.

Methods

Physical activity can improve sagging skin, with exercises that tone the muscles beneath your skin. Drink plenty of water, exfoliate and moisturize your skin to improve and prevent sagging. Laser resurfacing and chemical peels can improve your saggy skin. Plastic surgery can also remove excess skin that sags.

Causes

Genetics may predispose you to have saggy skin on certain parts of your body. Muscles that support your skin gradually weaken as you age, and may allow fat to accumulate in areas that form saggy portions of skin. Fluid retention can cause puffiness that forms saggy tissue as it progresses. Your skin gradually loses is ability to shed dead skin cells as you age, and this may contribute to saggy skin. Loose skin can result from a lack of muscle beneath your skin. You may experience this kind of saggy skin if you lose weight primarily from dieting without exercise, or lose weight too rapidly. Sun damaged dry skin can produce fine lines and wrinkles that may progress and become saggy skin.

Lifestyle and Home Treatments

Lifestyle and home treatments may be the best thing for early or mild skin sagging. Weight training can condition, strengthen and tone the muscles under your skin. Exercise such as weight training may improve the appearance of saggy skin by firming up muscles that support your skin. Exfoliate your skin in the shower to shed dead skin cells and promote circulation to your skin. Staying hydrated and moisturizing help prevent fluid retention, and keep your skin cells plump and firm. Protect your skin from the sun by applying sunscreen before going outdoors. Skin products that contain yeast extract, aloe vera extract and soy protein may firm your skin by inducing collagen and elastin production. Hyaluronic acid skin products can restore water to sagging, aged skin.

Abrasive Treatments

Chemical peels cause a chemical burn that peels away the top layer of your skin to stimulate growth of new skin. Chemical peels may most beneficial after surgical removal of sagging skin. Laser resurfacing technology uses an intense beam of light to vaporize skin tissue, and may be most beneficial when combined with other resurfacing treatment such as surgery or peels. Plastic surgery procedures can completely remove excess skin that sags. These procedures include body contouring, tummy tucks, and arm, brow, chin and face lifts. Plastic surgery may be the best thing for sagging skin, but you may not realize the final results of surgery until two or more years after the procedure.

Considerations

According to Bodybuilding.com, saggy skin that results from weight loss may firm up gradually if you use moisturizing and exfoliating regiments consistently for one or two years. You may get more immediate results from more abrasive treatments, but these remedies may have undesirable side effects. Laser resurfacing can cause your skin to lose pigment, crust, swell and redden. Plasticsurgery.org indicates that chemical peels are usually safe if performed by a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon, and side effects typically subside as your skin adjusts. Possible side effects associated with peels include infection, scarring, stinging, redness, irritation and crusting.