Crepey Skin

Improve Creepy Skin with the Triad’s Best Dermatologists

You know how crepe paper looks thin and is full of little wrinkles? That’s the exact way our skin can look too. While it’s not harmful to our health, a lot of people don’t like the way that it looks. That’s why we want to help! Luckily, the experts at Winston Salem Dermatology have the solutions to prevent and treat your crepey skin.

What is Crepey Skin?

Like we mentioned earlier, this skin looks just like crepe paper, thin and wrinkled, it can also be sagging or loose. In most cases, crepey skin happens under the eyes, the upper inner arms, and on the chest. This skin condition is more common in older people and doesn’t usually start appearing on someone until they are at least in their 40s.

What Causes Crepey Skin?

Aging can play a big role in crepey skin. As we age, our skin loses more collagen, which is responsible for keeping our skin soft, supple, and elastic. So, the less collagen you have, the more likely you are to develop wrinkled skin.

Aging can be accelerated by certain factors like sun exposure. This happens because too much UV radiation can break down the elastin fibers that allow the skin to stretch. So, without elasticity in the skin, it won’t snap back to its normal position, which leads to sagging skin and wrinkles.

Have you suddenly lost a large amount of weight? That can also be to blame for crepey skin because your skin can lose elasticity if it has been stretched over a large amount of time.

Pollution, smoking, stress, lack of sleep, certain medications, and dryness can also be responsible for messing up the amounts of collagen and elastin that you have. So, as you can see, there are many factors that can be to blame for that wrinkled, thin, sagging skin.

How Can I Prevent Crepey Skin?

While there are many things that can lead to crepey skin, there are also many ways to prevent it from happening. The most important thing to do is boost your body’s collagen and elastin protein. Here are some ways you can make that happen:

• Avoid Sun Exposure

People that use tanning beds on a regular basis have shown signs of crepey skin as young as in their 20s. Not only will avoiding a tanning bed help you prevent crepey skin, but it will also help you avoid a long list of other skin conditions like skin cancer.

Make sure you also protect yourself from natural sunlight as much as possible. This means putting on sunscreen with a rating of at least SPF 30 and wearing protective clothing.

• Moisturize Regularly

Moisturize Regularly

Crepey skin can come and go if your skin is dry. You can make sure it doesn’t return by keeping your skin moisturized with a product including glycerin or hyaluronic acid. These moisturizers can not only approve the appearance of your skin, but they can help prevent collagen damage that leads to more permanent crepey skin.

• Take Your Supplements

Create a Collagen Boosting Diet

You can take hyaluronic acid, collagen peptides, and other collagen-boosting vitamins in the form of a supplement.

• Create a Collagen Boosting Diet

Take Your Supplements

While supplements work to boost collagen, it can be more effective to boost your body’s natural production through diet.

Bone broth, chicken, fish, and egg whites provide the amino acids you need to build more collagen. You’ll also want to incorporate more berries and citrus fruits into your diet to incorporate more Vitamin C.

How to Get Rid of Crepey Skin

If you already have crepey skin, the earlier you get it treated, the better the results will be. The best way to treat your crepey skin will depend on your skin type, what is causing it to happen, how badly you have it, and where it is at. There are ways to treat this condition at your dermatologist, with an over-the-counter option, or through a home remedy. Let’s explore all three options.

Dermatological Treatments

There are several different options available for crepey skin treatment at Winston Salem Dermatology. And the best part is they are non-invasive options. So, you can get the look you want without the downtime that comes with a surgical procedure like a facelift.

Here are some options we offer for creepy skin treatment:

1. Topical retinoid

These are creams or gels that are used to restore your skin’s elasticity and thicken collagen. You have to make sure you limit your sun exposure and wear sunscreen while using these products. They have a greater risk for sun damage, so if you don’t protect your skin, you could make your crepey skin condition worse.

2. Fractional laser treatment (Fraxel)

This process is a non-invasive treatment that uses small lasers to create microscopic holes in your skin to encourage new collagen growth. The skin will come back thicker and smoother as it heals. This is a great treatment for crepey skin on the legs, face, neck, chest, or just about anywhere, but it works extremely well for crepey skin around the eyes.

3. Ultrasound (Ulthera)

This is another non-surgical process that can kickstart collagen. It uses intense heat to break down cells that will stimulate the growth of new collagen. This is great for targeting crepey skin on the face and neck. There’s a minimum to no recovery time with this procedure, and most people are happy with their results after 90 days.

4. Cryolipolysis (CoolSculpting)

This is a non-invasive applicator that is applied to the surface of the skin to freeze and kill fat cells. The cells will then come out of your body through the lymphatic system. So, your crepey skin will tighten after the excess fat is removed underneath the surface. Most people see results in as early as three weeks to three months after treatment.

5. Dermal Fillers

Fillers can be injected into the skin to stimulate the growth of collagen. Radiesse or Sculptra are popular fillers that are used for this type of treatment. After these fillers are injected, the skin will look plumper and more youthful. This can be done on the face and on the upper arms.

Over-the-Counter Treatments for Crepey Skin

You can also try to treat your crepey skin by picking up something from your local pharmacy. Retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, and peptides that are on the shelves can treat sun-damaged or aged skin by helping to encourage cell growth or remove dead or damaged cells.

If you want to also moisturize while treating for crepey skin, make sure you look for a product that includes lactic acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and hyaluronic acid.

If you’re trying to treat crepey skin on your legs or arms, a body moisturizer that contains ammonium lactate like Lac-Hydrin or AmLactin will work best for these areas.

At-home treatments for Crepey Skin

You can also make your crepey skin look better by changing up your skincare routine at home. Here are some ways that people have found help:

• Massage

Some people have found it helpful to get massages. But if you can’t afford a professional full body massage, you can do it at home as well. You can also use lavender oil, olive oil, or coconut oil during the massage to keep your skin moisturized and make the massage easier. Make sure to move the skin in the upwards position to help lift it.

• Moisturize

Make sure you keep your skin moisturized since that’s one of the causes of crepey skin. If you’re not sure what moisturizer will be best, you can ask your dermatologist or create a homemade moisturizer made of honey and oil.

• Exfoliate

Exfoliation will help remove dead skin cells as well as triggering elastin and collagen production. If you don’t have an exfoliator already, you can make one with sugar and olive oil.

• Exercise

Exercise will help bring back flexibility in your muscles and help promote the increase of the level of elastin and collagen. It will also help reduce stress, which can also be a contributing factor to crepey skin.

Tighten Crepey Skin at Winston Salem Dermatology

There is no better time than now to invest in taking care of your skin. As we said earlier, the faster you target crepey skin, the easier it will be to treat. So, don’t put off having thin, wrinkled, saggy skin any longer. Start feeling great in the skin that you’re in, today! We offer the best women’s dermatology and skincare solutions in the Triad. Call us at (336) 774-8636 to find out the difference that Winston Salem Dermatology can make.