Sagging skin is not a judgment, but a guide to action

Age does not make a person beautiful. Everyone understands this. But not everyone realizes that not only age-related physiological changes in the body lead to changes in a person's appearance associated with a decrease in the elasticity (turgor) of the skin. There are other reasons why beautiful and smooth skin is replaced by flabby skin prone to sagging and wrinkles. Such changes are not only aesthetically unattractive, but also harmful to the psycho-emotional state of a person who has encountered this problem, since they can cause depression, excessive shyness, and isolation.

In order to actively combat the problem that has arisen, it is necessary to understand what provoked it, what caused the unattractive changes in appearance, what preceded these changes.

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Causes and factors of loss of skin elasticity

In medicine, there is a special term for flabby skin: "atonic" skin, i.e. skin that has lost its tone. The main reason for the loss of the necessary tone (tension) by the skin is its insufficient hydration and loss of elasticity due to a decrease in the production of hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin in special connective tissue cells of the body - fibroblasts.

A slowdown in the synthesis of substances necessary for the skin can be associated with both natural physiological (hormonal) changes and negative external influences (for example, climate factors or the need to carry out certain work in rooms with insufficient air humidification).

Most often, age-related skin changes become noticeable in people after 40 years. However, flabby skin at a younger age is not such a rare phenomenon. The natural aging process of the body, oddly enough, begins at the age of 25. How it will manifest itself externally depends on nutrition (necessary vitamins and microelements plus water) and hereditary predisposition.

The norm of fluid intake into the body, depending on age and type of activity, ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 liters per day. If the amount of fluid consumed is less, this immediately affects the work of many internal organs and the condition of the human skin.

Thin, loose skin at a fairly early age can be a sign of genetic predisposition. Sometimes it is enough to look at the face and hands of parents to assess the likelihood of such a pathological condition of the skin at a young age in children. At the same time, no one can give a 100% guarantee that this is a manifestation of a hereditary factor without a comprehensive examination. After all, many diseases associated with metabolic disorders, the presence of which a person may not even suspect, can have a great impact on the skin condition. As well as unfavorable living conditions.

Sometimes, a deficiency of essential elements in the structure of the skin can be caused by hormonal changes. For this reason, flabby skin becomes a distinctive feature of many women after menopause. Similar changes in hormonal levels also occur during pregnancy. That is why young mothers are so concerned about the problem of tightening a sagging belly and restoring the former elasticity of muscles and skin of individual parts of the body. Flabby skin after childbirth requires a special approach to restoring its properties, since childbirth is usually followed by a period of breastfeeding, when the use of drugs becomes undesirable due to possible harm to the baby if they enter his body with mother's milk.

Sagging skin can be a consequence of strict diets for weight correction, and manifest itself after rapid weight loss by the appearance of "extra" skin, devoid of a fat layer. Stress, constant fatigue, insufficient water consumption, lack of a full night's rest, abuse of decorative cosmetics (especially inexpensive, of dubious quality or with an expired shelf life) - all these are reasons for weakening of skin turgor.

And yet, in most cases, loose skin is not a lifelong stigma. Whatever the reason for the loss of elasticity in the skin, there is always a way, if not to correct the situation at its root, then at least to make it less noticeable, solving the problem both from the outside and from the inside.

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Signs of loose skin

Loose skin is not some kind of distant concept. It has very real, visible external manifestations:

• Reduced skin tension. On the face, this is manifested by a change in the oval of the face and blurring of the contours of the cheekbones. Facial features also change (the corners of the eyes and lips droop and a tired expression appears on the face). Stretch marks and noticeable sagging may appear on the chest and abdomen. In other parts of the body, the skin loses its smoothness and radiance, becomes dry and bumpy.
• The skin color becomes paler, sometimes yellowish, without a healthy "blush".
• The pores in the skin become noticeably deeper and more visible.
• When bending the body, the skin, which has lost its elasticity, sags, forming unaesthetic folds.
• The number of wrinkles gradually increases. Static (age-related) wrinkles are added to the mimic wrinkles that are common to all people, regardless of age. The mimic wrinkles themselves become deeper and do not disappear when the skin is relaxed.

Dry, flabby skin in old age resembles wrinkled fabric, which is impossible to smooth out thoroughly, so cosmetologists insist that caring for mature skin should begin even before the first signs of aging appear.

Caring for sagging skin

In any life situation, if the occurrence of a problem could not be prevented, then it will have to be solved. This is also the case with the problem called flabby skin. Letting everything take its course, by the age of 45-50 you can get a tired face of an elderly person and a heavy, unattractive figure. And vice versa, proper and timely care for skin that is losing elasticity will help restore its youth and health.

Caring for aging skin is like caring for flowers, which need to be watered, fed, have their leaves cleaned, sprayed, etc., etc., otherwise they will simply dry out. In the case of human skin, the care procedures are:

• consumption of at least 1.5-2 liters of liquid per day,
• eating foods that promote skin hydration and regeneration,
• cosmetic procedures that help cleanse pores and saturate the skin with nutrients and vitamins,
• water treatments,
• body massage,
• sufficient time spent outdoors,
• an active lifestyle and giving up bad habits: smoking, drinking alcohol.

In addition to preventive procedures, sometimes it is necessary to resort to folk remedies or correction of skin elasticity using medical and cosmetic products: creams, oils, masks, and in advanced cases, to surgical intervention.

Nutrition for flabby skin

Don't know how to get rid of the sad look of saggy skin? Give it what it needs! Since the main reason for the weakening of skin turgor is dehydration of body tissues, it is necessary to monitor the intake of sufficient fluid.

But not only water helps maintain sufficient skin moisture. Nutrition for flabby skin should be rational, rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins, so necessary for the health and beauty of the skin. Polyunsaturated acids prevent moisture loss by the skin and its overdrying. They enter the body together with vegetable oils. Many products contain substances that have a healing effect on flabby skin. For example, bananas, legumes, green vegetables, and wholemeal bread remove dryness and flaking, and seaweed, like hyaluronic acid, is able to retain moisture not only in the superficial layers of the skin, but also deep inside, while also participating in the process of collagen and elastin formation.

There is no need to exclude protein products from your diet. Dietary meat (chicken, turkey, veal), lean fish and eggs, boiled, steamed or grilled, will not harm the beauty of your skin, but fried foods and food prepared with the addition of animal fat (butter, lard) are best avoided or reduced to a minimum.

As already mentioned, loose skin can be a consequence of rapid weight loss. To avoid this, lose weight wisely. Replace sugar with fructose, reduce the amount of salt in your food, replace animal fats with vegetable fats, do not overeat, move more - and the weight loss process will proceed at a natural pace without harming your skin.

The appearance of wrinkles on aging skin can be prevented by eating foods rich in microelements and vitamins. Vitamins C (involved in collagen synthesis) and E (promotes skin cell renewal) are considered especially beneficial for the skin. Products rich in these vitamins include: rose hips, various types of cabbage, peppers, green leafy vegetables, currant fruits and leaves, and many types of citrus fruits. As well as nuts, egg yolk, wheat grain, dairy products, vegetable oils, liver, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Vitamins A and B1 also remain indispensable helpers in the fight against aging skin.

Treatment of aging skin

Nutrition is, of course, a very important factor affecting the condition of the skin, but to completely overcome the problem of flabby skin, you cannot limit yourself to internal influences alone. Today, you can find a variety of products for flabby skin on sale that help saturate it with the necessary “building” elements, nutrients and moisture from the outside. Such products include specialized nourishing, moisturizing and tightening creams, masks, oils, emulsions with an anti-aging effect.

But before you start the procedure of moisturizing and nourishing the skin, you need to thoroughly clean it from fat and dust, as well as the surface layers of the skin with traces of peeling. For this, it is advisable to use a scrub for flabby skin, which, by removing already dead cells, will facilitate the unimpeded penetration of substances necessary for the skin into the deep layers, and will also protect the skin from getting inside it along with creams of various pathogenic bacteria.

You can buy such a scrub in specialized cosmetics stores, but it is best to make it yourself, using the natural ingredients we are used to, which will only benefit the skin. In this case, you can use both a moisturizing scrub and a special one for aging skin.

For a moisturizing scrub, you will need 1 tbsp. of almonds and oatmeal, ground to the smallest crumbs, fresh white of 1 egg and about 2 tbsp. of fatty homemade sour cream or cream.

A scrub designed specifically to smooth out loose skin consists of ½ cup honey, a teaspoon of turmeric and three tablespoons of salt (if the salt is coarse, it needs to be crushed).

There are other recipes for rejuvenating scrubs, but these 2 recipes are remarkable for their versatility, as they are suitable for both the face and the entire body. It is advisable to apply such scrubs after taking a shower or bath, on steamed skin with massage movements, leaving for 2-5 minutes and then rinsing with clean cool water without detergents.

After cleansing the skin, it is necessary to tone it with special tonics or even a regular standard saline solution (a teaspoon of salt per glass of water). And only after that apply nourishing products, such as cream for flabby skin, which can be purchased at any cosmetics store. Creams for skin elasticity, for wrinkles on the face, for stretch marks on the stomach and thighs, etc., etc. Such products from different manufacturers and with different pricing policies are not in short supply and are available to everyone.

But if you are still a supporter of everything natural, you can make a wonderful cream for nourishing and moisturizing flabby skin with your own hands. For this, you need the following ingredients: half a fresh homemade chicken yolk, a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and chamomile broth, one teaspoon of salt (it is better to take natural sea salt), half a teaspoon of flower honey. By adding about 2 teaspoons of Vaseline, which can be bought at a pharmacy or cosmetics store, to these components, we get a wonderful natural night cream for flabby skin.

Masks and oils for flabby skin

Everything that has been said about creams and scrubs also applies to masks for flabby skin, of which there are a great many. Toning masks show a remarkable effect in solving the problem of loss of skin elasticity. The most popular of them, helping to achieve the desired effect at any time of the year, are cucumber (for the summer) and lemon (year-round) masks.

To prepare them, you just need to grind the pulp of a cucumber or lemon and apply it to your face, neck, and décolleté, avoiding the area around the eyes (a must for a lemon mask). After keeping the mask on for 15 minutes, remove it with a dry, clean cotton pad, then moisten the skin with the remaining juice. After drying, apply a rich nourishing cream.

Masks for dry, flabby skin based on lemon, cabbage or oatmeal are especially popular.

• Mask 1. Add a fresh egg yolk to one teaspoon of lemon juice, vegetable oil and honey and mix thoroughly. Keep the mask on your face for no more than 20 minutes and wash off with cool water.
• Mask 2. Take 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and fat cream, and mix them with half a teaspoon of sour cream (can be replaced with mayonnaise). Leave the mask on for 20 minutes, remove with a dry swab or a special spatula, and refresh the skin with lotion.
• Mask 3. Mix 2 tbsp. of vegetable (olive, almond) oil with an equal amount of oatmeal. Add a fresh yolk and a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Apply the mask to your face and chest for half an hour, then remove with a cotton pad and treat your skin with a toner.
• Mask 4. Mix finely grated apple with 1 teaspoon of flower honey and 1 tablespoon of ground oatmeal. This mask should be on the face for about 15-20 minutes. Remove it with a tampon and warm water.
• Mask 5. Juicy cabbage leaves crushed in a blender are applied in a fairly thick layer to the face and kept for 15 to 20 minutes, then washed off with warm water. The procedure is completed by washing the face with cool water.

Aromatic oils play an important role in the care of aging skin. It is better to use such oil for flabby facial skin in combination with oil masks or baths based on them.

Any oily cream mask with aromatic oils consists of a base oil and an aromatic composition of rose, sandalwood, myrrh, myrtle, lavender, lemon, lemon balm, etc. Base oil for flabby skin is usually chosen from the following: avocado, jojoba or almond oil. Therapeutic oils are applied with light massaging movements, trying not to stretch the skin, you can lightly tap the oil into the skin with your fingertips.

• Oil 1. For half a tablespoon of base oil, take 1 drop of lemon and lemon balm essential oils and 3 drops of lavender oil.
• Oil 2. For 1 tbsp of base oil, take 1 drop of rose and mint essential oils and 3 drops of sandalwood oil.
• Oil 3. For 1 tbsp of base oil, take 1 drop of nutmeg and cajeput essential oils and 2 drops of myrtle oil.
• Oil 4. For 1 tbsp of base oil, take 2 drops of cajeput and lime oils and 1 drop of frankincense essential oil.
• Oil mask. For 1 tablespoon of base oil, take 2 drops of cajeput essential oil and 5 drops of rose oil. Apply the mask for 20-30 minutes, then remove the remaining oil with a cotton pad or blot with a napkin.
• Oil mask with lemon. Mix olive (almond) oil with lemon juice in a 1:1 ratio, slightly warm the mixture in a water bath and apply to the skin of the face and neck for 15-25 minutes, then blot with a napkin.

Steam baths for the face based on aromatic oils.

Add to a glass of clean water:

1. 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil and 1 drop of peppermint oil
2. 2 drops each of myrtle and pine essential oils
3. 2 drops each of limestone and cajeput essential oils, plus 1 drop of frankincense aroma oil.

Traditional medicine in the fight for youthful skin

Traditional medicine is also not on the sidelines in terms of solving the problem of sagging skin, and in some cases, traditional treatment is more effective than the use of various synthetic masks and creams, since it stimulates the body to produce the necessary “building” components, rather than doing all the work for it.

In addition to “homemade” creams and masks for flabby skin, which can also be classified as folk medicine, there are other recipes that eliminate the symptoms of aging skin and noticeably tighten it.

For example, regular creams and masks are not suitable for the delicate and tender skin around the eyes, but raw potatoes and parsley do a great job of moisturizing and nourishing the skin in this area.

• Recipe 1. Place raw potatoes, mashed to a pulp, on gauze napkins and apply under the eyes for 10-15 minutes. Then blot the area around the eyes and apply a light nourishing cream.
• Recipe 2. Grind fresh parsley leaves in a blender and apply the paste under the eyes, covering with wet cotton pads. After 15 minutes, rinse with cool water. You can add a little fresh fat sour cream to this recipe, then the effect time of the mask can be increased to half an hour.

The following recipes are suitable for the area around the eyes, as well as for the entire face, neck, and décolleté.

• Recipe 3. Wipe your face with warm chamomile infusion or regular black tea. After drying, it is useful to apply a nourishing cream.
• Recipe 4. Prepare ice cubes from a decoction of various medicinal herbs. You can apply such cubes under your eyes for 5 minutes, or you can simply massage the skin of your face and neck with them using light movements.
• Recipe 5. Bath with milk thistle. Pour 2 liters of hot water over dry milk thistle and boil at low heat for 20 minutes. Add the decoction to the bath water. The procedure lasts about 20 minutes twice a week. At least 10 such procedures are necessary for visible results.

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Wraps and massage as a means of combating sagging skin

All the above mentioned methods of combating skin aging mostly concern the face, neck, décolleté, and hands. But what about a sagging flabby belly, buttocks and thighs that have lost their vitality? How to tighten flabby skin on different parts of the body?

The easiest way, available at home, is massage. Of course, you can seek professional help in beauty salons, or you can master the principles of self-massage and apply them yourself, without leaving home.

It is necessary to differentiate between facial and body massage. Facial and neck massage for flabby skin is done using the fingers and the back of the hand. Self-massage techniques include pressing, tapping with the fingertips and patting.

When massaging your face, you can use pieces of ripe quince, lightly rubbing them over your skin in a circular motion. This massage makes your skin firm and refreshes it.

A prerequisite for massage is clean skin. The number of procedures varies from 10 to 15 sessions. At first, they should be done once every three days, and then reduce the interval to once every two days. Such procedures are useful not only for the skin, but also for the general condition of the body, as well as for creating a good mood.

And yet, let's move closer to the body. Sagging skin in various parts of the body looks just as unaesthetic as on the face. This becomes especially noticeable in the summer - the beach and bikini season. Since there are significantly more anti-aging skin products for the face than for the body, body massage for sagging skin is especially important.

When massaging the body, you can use the same techniques as when massaging the face, but do them a little more actively. The main thing is not to stretch the skin, whether you do the massage manually or with a static or vibration massager. For this purpose, it is recommended to use special massage creams.

Another type of body massage available at home is water massage (contrast shower). Jets of water of variable temperatures activate the formation of collagen in the body tissues and increase blood circulation in them. The effect of water can be supplemented by a skin massage using a hard washcloth or a special glove.

Wraps for flabby skin are another very effective way to achieve the necessary skin elasticity. They can be done in the abdomen, sides, thighs, buttocks. There are hot and cold wraps.

For any type of wrapping, use elastic film (for example, food) and various medicinal mixtures: mud, mineral, honey, clay, etc. You can use a water solution of vinegar or anti-cellulite cream. To enhance the effect, add various essential oils and pepper.

In any case, wrapping with film enhances the effect of the products applied to the skin under the film. However, it is advisable to carry out such procedures in specialized beauty salons, or at least after consulting with a doctor, since they have certain contraindications.

Physiotherapy treatment for loose skin

Physiotherapeutic procedures for the treatment of loose skin are carried out mainly in cosmetology rooms at medical centers and at specialized beauty salons. They include:

• Mesotherapy is the introduction of nutrients under the skin to a depth of one and a half millimeters, promoting the regeneration of its cells.
• Fractional radiofrequency lifting – exposure of the skin to radiation of a certain frequency to activate fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin.
• Photothermolysis is the activation of collagen and elastin production under the influence of thermal laser beams.
• Cosmetic massage using various special devices.
• Microcurrent therapy is the effect of low-power electrical impulses on the skin in order to improve metabolic processes in skin cells, activate blood circulation and produce elastin and collagen, which are necessary for skin elasticity.
• Photorejuvenation is the effect of light waves of a wide frequency spectrum on the skin to activate collagen production.

Any of the above physiotherapeutic interventions has a certain number of contraindications. These include: pregnancy, some blood diseases, epilepsy, oncological diseases, and even common acute respiratory viral infections and skin wounds.

In advanced cases or to obtain a quick noticeable lifting effect, surgical treatment is used. But since such treatment costs a lot of money, the services of a plastic surgeon are not used very often for aging skin. After all, any surgical operation is associated with both costs and a significant risk to both health and appearance. Sometimes flabby skin looks more attractive than the consequences of an unprofessional operation.

The use of cosmetics in combination with proper nutrition and exercise gives a less rapid effect, but it is reliable and relatively safe (depending on the products used).

By the way, exercises for flabby skin of the face and body are also not particularly difficult. They include: regular facial gymnastics, various stretches and active movements, all kinds of bends and swings of legs and arms. Doing these exercises in the fresh air, you will not only activate internal processes in the skin, but also a boost of energy for the whole body.

When doing physical exercises, you can use special clothes with a sauna effect, which helps remove toxins from the body and improve its health, which will definitely have the best effect on the condition of the skin.

Prevention of skin aging

And yet, whatever one may say, there is no more effective means than preventing skin turgor disorders. But preventive measures should be taken in advance to prevent the first signs of aging.

Preventative measures to avoid such unattractive manifestations as sagging skin, wrinkles and stretch marks include the following tips:

• Review your diet in favor of products that promote sufficient skin hydration. Fruits and vegetables are indispensable helpers that promote rational digestion with full absorption of nutrients.

Note: kiwi, pineapple and papaya are 3 unique products that can prolong the youth of your skin for a long time.

• Don't neglect a contrast shower for your face and body in the morning.
• After washing, you don’t need to actively rub your skin with a towel; just pat it dry.
• Use anti-aging nourishing and moisturizing creams (appropriate for your calendar age).
• Don't ignore toning face masks.
• Sports and physical exercise significantly prolong the youthfulness of the skin.
• Don't forget to drink enough water.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Ultraviolet rays cause rapid aging and dry skin.
• Fill your skin with vitamin energy by taking vitamin and mineral complexes for healthy skin, as well as foods that contain enough of them.

If you adhere to these preventive measures throughout your life (don't be alarmed, because the habit is formed after just three weeks), then the expected prognosis will be positive, and flabby skin will not be a cause for concern for many years, delighting you with its long-lasting youth, pure beauty and healthy glow.

It is important to understand that the appearance and internal condition of the skin is the result of your lifestyle, your habits and preferences, as well as your psycho-emotional state. An active healthy lifestyle plus the necessary preventive skin care are the key to its youth and health.