Let’s be honest, fat, collagen and elastin break down as we age, and no one can stay young forever. However, there are a lot of things we can control. Find out what speed up loss of skin elasticity and skin sagging, and what can help improve and prevent it.
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Things That Speed Up Loss of Skin Elasticity
Internal Factors
Certain internal factors, including genetics, metabolism, and hormonal changes, can wreak havoc on the skin’s structure and accelerate the aging process. Unfortunately, some of these are simply out of our control.
External Factors
Our skin naturally loses collagen as we age, but UV radiation, pollution, dust, pesticides, alcohol, cigarette smoke, food, excessive exercises, and inflammation can greatly speed up the whole aging process. This is because they create free radicals.
Free radicals damage the skin by triggering chronic inflammations, breaking down the collagen and elastin fibers in the skin, and causing damages to all components of a cell, including DNA, proteins, lipids and its membrane, whilst setting off a chain reaction of cellular disruption. This gradually slows down our skin’s natural rejuvenation process, and eventually lead to collagen loss and premature sagging.
Eating Habits
While many foods can lead to internal inflammation within the body and cause a lot of health and skin issues (for details, please click here and here), sugar is probably one of the more evil ones, as consuming too much sugar leads to glycation and the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). What these AGEs do is that they make the collagen and elastin in the skin stiff, dry and brittle, and also lower the production of new collagen and elastin. The result? Skin sagging and loss of elasticity.
Stress
The body produces an increased level of cortisol when you are stressed. While it is impossible to live an entirely stress-free life for most of us, high levels of cortisol can break down the collagen and elastin in the skin, making it less elastic and firm.
Rapid Weight Loss & Yo-Yo Diet
It’s never healthy to lose or put on weight too quickly for both your body and skin. When you gain weight, the skin inevitably stretches, which damages the collagen and snaps the elastin fibers in the process (a typical sign is stretch marks); on the other hand, just like how a rubber band that is stretched for years loses elasticity, the skin is the same, thus if you lose weight too quickly, the skin can’t snap back.
Which means, the absolute worst you can do to your skin is yo-yo dieting. Just imagine pulling and releasing a rubber band continuously, the skin will lose its entire structure like the rubber band.
Sleep
We all know that the quantity and quality of sleep have a direct impact on health. They are equally important when it comes to the skin, as our skin undergoes cell division and self-repair at night. Without the downtime from a good night’s sleep to repair themselves, they won’t be able to repair the damages accumulated on a daily basis, and thus result in an acceleration in the aging process.
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Ways to Improve Skin Elasticity & Prevent Sagging
Never Forget Sunscreen
UV rays can destroy our collagen and elastin, so the first and most important step is to use sunscreen religiously both outdoor or indoor, and avoid sun tanning.
Remember, just because it’s cloudly does not mean you’re not exposed to UV. Whilst UV levels are highest under cloudless skies, and cloud cover generally reduces a person's exposure, light or thin clouds have little effect and may even enhance UV levels because of scattering. Staying indoor does not mean you could skip sunscreen either. Glasses used typically in car, home and office windows are designed to block most UVB rays, but it does not offer protection from all UVA rays, which are the ones responsible for loss of elasticity, skin sagging and wrinkles.
Product Recommendation
TWELVE BEAUTY
Artemisia Power Protection Moisturiser SPF50+ <- Click to shop
Prevent Photoaging
Let’s face it, 90% of us fail to use an adequate amount of sunscreen (and let’s not forget sunscreen cannot block out 100% UV damages to begin with). Therefore besides sunscreen, it is best to add in a product that can prevent daily UV-induced damage, promote cell regeneration, prevent degradation of collagen and elastin, and actually help reverse photoaging at the cellular level.
OUMERE
UV-R™ <- Click to shop
Use Antioxidants Everyday
Oxidative stress and free-radical damage break down collagen and elastin fibers, hinders skin’s natural repair process and triggers inflammation, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles, and loss of elasticity. Period. By scavenging free radicals, antioxidants can help prevent and correct these visible signs of aging. Don’t rely on just one kind of antioxidant though, as research has shown that different antioxidants target different free radicals differently, so choose a product that contains a variety of antioxidants——and the more the better.
Product Recommendation
ANFISA
LILOU Radiant Hydra Balm <- Click to shop
Also Use Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate) Everyday
There are many forms of vitamin C. We always recommend avoiding ascorbic acid (or l’asorbic acid) due to all the trouble it can cause the skin (for details, click here). Instead, try Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate.
SAP has been shown to stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis and angiogenesis, stabilize collagen fibers, and decrease collagen degradation in dermal fibroblasts, increase dermis thickness, decrease scar depth, encourage skin cells and tissue regeneration and accelerate wound healing.
The result is smoother, firmer, plumper skin with less fine lines and wrinkles.
Product Recommendation
KLUR
Brilliant Light Multi-Correction Repair Serum <- Click to shop
Use Retinol At Night
Retinol is one of the few potent anti-aging ingredients that is widely recognized by both the dermatological and scientific communities. This star ingredient not only activates collagen and epidermal growth factor receptors, promotes cellular turnover, and stimulates self collagen and elastin production, thereby reducing wrinkles, it is also highly effective in treating acne, dullness, scarring, hyperpigmentation and rough skin texture.
Product Recommendation
KLUR
Stellar Restoration Corrective Complex <- Click to shop
Also Use Calcium Ketogluconate Every Day
Clinically studies have proven this French-patented, expensive ingredient can increase elastin synthesis by 40-45%, increases self hyaluronic acid synthesis by 36-92%, lift skin by 27%, and improve skin elasticity by 16% with 28 days of continued use day and night. Which means, in short, less wrinkles and plumper skin!
Product Recommendation
AGENT NATEUR
holi(c) The C Duo <- Click to shop
Add Peptides to Your Routine
Peptides are essentially proteins that are the building blocks of the skin. Without them, what you will see is loss of firmness, appearance of wrinkles, and skin that doesn’t bounce back as it once did. So choose a product with peptides, and allow them to stimulate the growth of new cells and collagen synthesis, regenerate collagen fibers, reduce wrinkles, improve skin barrier function, and slow the glycation process, so the skin stays firm and supple.
Product Recommendation
EATH LIBRARY
The Pure Wonder Active Serum <- Click to shop
Product Recommendation
MARIE REYNOLDS LONDON
Skin Quencher <- Click to shop
Take Marine Collagen & Pearl Supplement
Out of all the different collagen supplements, marine collagen contains the highest quantity of bioavailable type I collagen. Marine collagen also has the smallest particle size and lowest molecular weight among all types of collagen and is absorbed up to 1.5 times more efficiently than other types. In addition, it contains 8 out of 9 essential amino acids that are building blocks for collagen. In fact, studies have shown that marine collagen supplements significantly decrease the fragmentation of collagen in the deep layer of the dermis, increase collagen in the skin, improve skin elasticity, and reduce wrinkles.
Pearl powder contains nacre that increases tissue regeneration such as collagen types I and III, whilst conchiolin, a special compound also unique to pearls, stimulates collagen promotion, as well as keratin, which is one of the proteins in skin and hair that improves hydration of skin cells, speed up cell metabolism, increase circulation, prevent hair loss and help to repair damaged cells. Pearl powder also contains the three amino acids that are vital in collagen production.
Product Recommendation
AGENT NATEUR
holi(mane) Hair, Skin & Nails Daily Supplement <- Click to shop
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