None of us are immune to the effects of time. Our hair thins and greys, wrinkles begin to form, and bones seem to creak. One of the most common signs of aging, however, is loose or saggy skin. While it’s natural and happens to everyone, that doesn’t mean people are very accepting of it. Luckily, there are some things that we can do about it. What Causes Saggy and Flabby Skin? While time is a major factor, other things can contribute to the way our skin looks and behaves.
Collagen and Elastin
Collagen and elastin are what gives our skin its natural elasticity and firmness. Elastin fibers are proteins in the skin that allow our skin to ‘bounce back’ to its naturally smooth state after contracting and stretching from facial expressions. Collagen is another vital protein that makes up our skin’s structure. As we age, our body doesn’t produce as much collagen or elastin in the skin. It isn’t able to contract from facial expressions like it used to leading to the appearance of fine lines and of course, saggy skin [1].
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Loss of Volume and Extrinsic Aging
Extrinsic aging is the physical signs of aging from environmental factors and not from within your own body. Things like smoking, excessive drinking, sun damage, and other elemental or toxic exposure can cause this. Sun damage from UVA/UVB rays can also cause cellular damage to your skin, resulting in premature aging [1].
When we talk about our skin and loss of volume, we’re referring to the layer of fat that is underneath your skin and the stretching of the ligaments that support the facial muscles. These changes are usually brought on by aging, rapid weight loss, or both. This isn’t exclusive to your face, however. As parts of your body lose muscle mass and supportive structure when you age, you can develop saggy skin. The most common example of this can be seen on the arms of the elderly with low muscle mass.
How Can We Prevent Saggy Skin?
While there is no remedy for time, there are some steps that we can take to try and keep our skin as healthy and youthful as possible as the years pass by [1].
- Avoid Sun Damage. This is the #1 cause of premature aging. Whenever you’ll be exposed to the sun for long periods of time, use sunscreen, wear a hat, or pick clothing that won’t leave you overexposed. It’s also important to try and avoid peak sun hours, between 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
- Don’t Smoke. Behind sun damage, smoking is the next leading cause of premature aging. If you’re still smoking, quit.
- Protect Your Skin. You can protect your skin from the inside just as much as you can from the outside. Make sure to keep your skin moisturized and clean it regularly. Also make sure you stay hydrated and try to incorporate healthy fats into your diet whenever you can.
- Eat Well. Besides just staying hydrated, making sure your diet is packed with amino acids, vitamins A, C, and E, and essential minerals like silicon and zinc. Make sure to avoid processed foods, as these cause inflammation and premature cellular damage.
- Stay Fit. By training with weights we can strengthen, condition, and tone our skin’s supportive muscles. Make sure your diet has enough protein to preserve your muscle mass so there is less chance of saggy skin.
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Target and Prevent Saggy Arm Skin with these Exercises from the Video Below!
Staying fit is one of the best ways to keep the downfalls of time at bay. One of the areas most people are worried about when it comes to saggy and flabby skin is their arms and upper back.
Exercise 1
Begin with your hands on your thighs and raise your arms straight in front of you at shoulder length and then row back. Bring your elbows behind you as you row, then rotate your forearms up, and hold before reversing the motion and returning to the first position.
Exercise 2
Start with your hands at your thighs, palms facing out. Curl both arms, keeping your elbows tucked in. Then, bring your hands in front of your face, similar to a boxer with their guard up. Then, slowly perform a hook with your left arm, bring it back in front of your face, and repeat with the right arm. Bring your arms back to the position they were in after the curl and then slowly return to the first position.
Exercise 3
Bend at the hips, making sure to keep your back straight. Next, bring your arms straight out from your shoulder and try to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Release the squeeze, but don’t drop your arms, make sure to keep them out the entire time.
Exercise 4
Bring your elbows up to shoulder height with your forearms straight up. Squeeze your elbows together then return back to the first position and then push up with both arms over your head. Hold, and then slowly return to the first position, this is 1 rep.
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Exercise 5
Start with your arms at your sides and then bring them over your head like you are doing a jumping jack. When your hands are above your head, bend at the elbow and bring your hands behind your head. Extend until your hands are back above your head and then return to the first position.
Exercise 6
Extend your arms out at your shoulders, making small circles around the shoulder joint. Move the circle forward for 30 seconds before circling in the other direction.
Exercise 7
Start in a side lunge position, with your left elbow on your left knee. With your right hand, open up your arm and extend it above your body, and hold before slowly returning to the starting position. Repeat the same motion for the other arm.
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