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While few people worry about sagging skin when they’re young, it becomes a much more prevalent problem as the years go by. This is primarily due to how collagen and elastin – the two main structural proteins in the skin – decline in integrity with age. This then means that they’re no longer capable of keeping the skin firm and taut in the way that they used to.
There are a number of options available for tightening up the look of sagging skin. Some are completely non-invasive while others involve professional treatments. Either way, nothing is going to work if, at the same time, you’re continuing to do things that make your skin even saggier!
So, without further ado, read on as Vine Vera explains what you should definitely NOT be doing if you’ve begun to notice sagging skin.
Don’t Allow the Sun to Make Things Worse
As mentioned, collagen and elastin are vital for holding your skin up from within and giving it a smooth and firm feel. Think of these protein fibers like scaffolding – they provide interior structure and support. When those fibers start to weaken, the skin starts to sink and sag.
The degradation of those protein fibers happens naturally with age. However, certain factors significantly speed this decline up, with UV exposure being one of the biggest. Numerous studies show that UV rays seriously damage those structural proteins, accelerating the appearance of sagging and wrinkling. If that wasn’t enough of a reason to protect your skin from the sun, the fact that UV damage also leads to dark spots, dullness, and even skin cancer should be enough to convince you!
While there’s no shortage of sunscreens out there to try out, it would be worth investing in an SPF product that has been formulated to help reduce the appearance of sagging skin too, just like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30. It’s packed with antioxidants, which are among the best ingredients for restoring a firmer and more elastic complexion. Between vitamins A and E, green tea extract, and resveratrol, you’ll be able to treat your skin to some of the best antioxidants around on a daily basis.
Stop Letting Pollution Into Your Skin
While the sun is the most major environmental cause of sagging skin, pollution is becoming increasingly problematic. In today’s world, there’s no avoiding it. Studies show that 99% of the world’s population lives in areas with pollution levels that surpass the guidelines from the World Health Organization. Staying indoors doesn’t keep you safe either. Various cleaning products, building materials, and certain household appliances affect the cleanliness of indoor air, preventing you from ever being able to completely avoid pollution.
How does this relate to sagging skin? Because when pollutants enter the skin, they trigger free radical damage. This has a number of detrimental effects, including speeding up the destruction of protein fibers. The more you allow pollution to damage your skin, the faster your skin will sag.
How can you prevent pollution from wreaking so much havoc? The most effective way is to establish a good cleansing regimen. Find a cleanser that’s capable of clearing away surface pollutants twice a day, like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Mousse Cleanser. Regularly exfoliating is key too. This will pull out any pollutants that have started to work their way into your pores. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling is an exfoliator that does this well while also providing your skin with all-important antioxidants.
Don’t Allow Your Skin to Become Dehydrated
Water plays a key role in every single process that takes place within the body. If certain areas of your body are lacking in moisture, then this will quickly start to take a toll in a variety of ways. When it comes to your skin, dehydration causes protein production to slow down even more. It will also contribute to the weakening of your existing protein fibers, making sagging skin even worse.
The good news is that keeping your skin hydrated is easier than you’d imagine. Start by making sure that you’re drinking plenty of water. If your body is dehydrated, then your skin will be too.
Topical hydration is important as well as this gives your skin cells direct access to moisture. Ideally, hydrate your skin in layers. Start with a hydrating toner after cleansing/exfoliating, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Toner. Then, apply a couple of hydrating serums. The Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum would be a great one to try. It’s brimming with humectants – ingredients that bind moisture to the skin. This provides instant hydration, which not only helps with the appearance of sagging skin in the long run but also immediately gives the skin a fuller and plumper finish.
Avoid Using Ingredients That Are Too Potent for Your Skin
There are plenty of powerful skincare ingredients out there that promise to work wonders on the appearance of sagging skin. This is all well and good, but it also means that people often start using overly potent ingredients without fully understanding the consequences.
One of these consequences is a potentially damaged skin barrier. When this happens, the skin barrier is no longer able to retain moisture in the same way. This then leads to dehydration, which, as you know, makes sagging skin even saggier! A disrupted skin barrier will also inhibit collagen production, making it much harder for you to firm up your complexion in the long run.
This doesn’t mean that you need to completely avoid powerful actives. Instead, pick them wisely and introduce them to your skin gently. For example, vitamin A is often recommended for those dealing with sagging skin. It’s a fantastic ingredient for thickening, firming, smoothing, and brightening the look of the skin. However, start with a more aggressive form of vitamin A, such as retinol, and your skin barrier won’t be happy. Instead, introduce vitamin A to your skin in a gentler way, such as with retinyl palmitate, which you’ll find in the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum. It will still help with the appearance of sagging but won’t leave your skin barrier feeling vulnerable.
Don’t Ignore the Benefits of Skincare Tech
It’s helpful to stay up to date with the latest advancements in skincare, especially if you’re dealing with skin concerns that can sometimes be difficult to target solely with topical skincare products, like sagging skin. While the tips that we’ve shared above will undeniably help, adding tech into the mix can often make those visible results even better.
This is where LED light therapy comes in. It’s a popular and completely non-invasive way to target the appearance of sagging skin. Studies show that it can improve how lax the skin feels, giving it a tighter and smoother finish.
Some LED skincare devices are designed to target the appearance of sagging skin in specific areas. The Photonix-3 Neck Solution, for example, has been made for the skin on the neck. Sagging is a very common issue in this area, but this device’s Magnetic Heat Lifting Mode will soon have your neck looking much firmer.
Don’t Allow Stress to Dominate Your Life
We’ve already discussed a few of the factors that speed up the degradation of your skin’s structural proteins, such as UV exposure and pollutants. However, another lesser-known culprit that’s worthy of your attention is stress.
Whenever you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. While this hormone helps the body to deal with stress, it doesn’t do your skin any favors. Chronic stress and a sustained increase in cortisol levels will break down your skin’s collagen and elastin fibers. As you know, this then leads to sagging skin.
If you want to keep your skin looking young, smooth, and sag-free, minimizing the amount of stress in your life is crucial. There are a number of proven ways to reduce stress, from relaxation exercises to brisk walking to soothing music. Make a list of stress-busters that appeal to you and work your way through them each time you feel stressed. You’ll soon find some go-to’s that you’ll be able to rely on to keep your stress levels consistently low.
Stop Sleeping on Your Stomach or Side
Did you know that your sleeping position can have a huge impact on how quickly your skin starts to wrinkle and lose volume?
It all comes down to how your pillow pulls, stretches, and folds your skin while you sleep. Over time, these creases, which initially bounce away once you’re awake, become permanent. The associated volume loss can also speed up the onset of sagging.
What’s the solution? Sleeping on your back. This reduces the amount of contact that your face has with your pillow. If you find that you keep rolling over in the middle of the night, try a supportive pillow, or place other pillows around you to keep you on your back.
Don’t Turn a Blind Eye to Your Smoking/Drinking Habits
Both smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can have a huge influence on the skin. One of the issues that they cause is sagging skin.
Both vices dehydrate the skin. As we talked about earlier, dehydration speeds up aging. It will also make any existing wrinkles and sagging areas even more noticeable. Smoking takes things a step further by causing severe damage to the skin’s collagen and elastin fibers too. It also inhibits the skin’s natural repair processes, making it less likely that your skin will be able to bounce back, even with the very best skincare products.
While both smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can be difficult to overcome, it can be done! There are so many resources out there that can help with this, so seek however much help you need.
Dealing With Sagging Skin
While prevention is always the best way forward, there is, as you can see, plenty that you can do to prevent the appearance of sagging skin from worsening. At the same time, many of the tips that we’ve shared will also help to give you skin that feels firmer and smoother, making that sagging and loose complexion a problem of the past!
Want to give your skincare routine even more of a boost? Click here to shop for more bestselling skincare products from Vine Vera.