How to care for sagging skin

Why does skin start to sag?

Skin gradually loses elasticity, its ability to spring back, as you age. Loosening also happens after weight loss. Around the eyes, thin skin, constant movement and sun exposure contribute to stretching over time. Changes beneath the skin matter too: loss of facial fat creates hollows, while other fat can move forward and form eyelid bags. Loose skin, lost volume and a low eyelid are different problems, so they need different treatment plans.34

How should you care for sagging skin at home?

1. 1Wash with a mild cleanser in the morning and before bed, and after sweating. Choose a hydrating cleanser for dry skin. Avoid scrubbing, which irritates skin and makes helpful products harder to tolerate.
2. 2In the morning, an optional vitamin C serum or cream can address signs of aging and dark spots. Apply it after cleansing and before sunscreen.
3. 3Before going outdoors, apply water resistant, broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to exposed skin, including your neck. Apply it 15 minutes before going outside, after skincare and before makeup. Add shade, a hat and sunglasses.
4. 4At bedtime, consider a retinoid, a vitamin A based skincare ingredient, for mild fine lines, wrinkles and texture. Apply it 20 to 30 minutes after washing. If it is too drying, apply moisturizer immediately after cleansing, then the retinoid 20 to 30 minutes later.

These skincare steps address surface aging; excess skin is a separate treatment target. Use products consistently unless they irritate your skin, and stop an irritating product right away. Allow at least 30 days to assess whether skincare is working, rather than expecting a lifting deadline. Changing products constantly can leave you with irritation instead of progress, which is an unimpressive return on a crowded bathroom shelf.1

If you take isotretinoin, the prescription acne medicine, dryness and sun sensitivity need particular attention. Apply moisturizer while skin is damp after cleansing and whenever it feels dry. Use sun protection; a mineral sunscreen containing zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both can help when skin is sensitive.5

Which treatments address loose skin?

A facelift targets sagging tissue, not superficial wrinkles, sun damage or uneven skin colour. A facelift can reposition tissue, but it cannot persuade the calendar to resign. Suitable candidates are generally healthy, do not smoke and have realistic expectations. Some remaining skin elasticity helps. At a consultation, discuss your goals, medical conditions, allergies, medicines and supplements, and ask about risks, likely results and recovery. Arrange a ride home and someone to stay for at least the first 48 hours. A traditional facelift can require up to three weeks away from work; a mini facelift usually requires five to seven days.2

What helps sagging neck skin?

Protect the exposed neck with sunscreen as part of your daily care. For loose skin or extra fat, a surgical consultation can separate what needs skin removal from what needs deeper support. A traditional facelift can tighten supporting structures in the face and neck and remove excess neck fat and skin. A mini facelift focuses on the lower face and neck and is generally used for earlier facial sagging. Choose the approach around the tissue involved and your goals, not the procedure name.12

What if the sagging is around your eyes?

An eye specialist can distinguish a low brow, excess skin and ptosis, weakness of the muscle that opens the eye. Removing skin alone treats only part of a problem involving bags and loose tissue. Repositioning fat can address both a bag and the hollow beneath it; simply removing fat can deepen hollows. Eyelid exercises do not prevent drooping or eye aging, so the proposed workout has no useful job description.3

Fillers around the eyes can cause a blue tint or fluid buildup. Rarely, filler entering a blood vessel can cause permanent blindness. People prone to eyelid swelling, including those with inflammation, allergies or Graves' disease, may not be suitable candidates. Discuss these risks with an oculoplastic surgeon, a specialist in surgery around the eyes, before choosing injections.3

When should sagging skin be checked?

See a healthcare professional if loose skin appears suddenly or seems unusual rather than developing gradually with age or after weight loss. A rare condition called cutis laxa affects connective tissue, the tissue that supports skin and other body structures. Skin can remain stretched instead of springing back, and some forms affect internal organs. It can be inherited or develop later after illness, inflammation or reactions to medicines. Treatment manages symptoms; it cannot reverse the changes in elastic fibres. If you have diagnosed cutis laxa, keep regular appointments and contact your provider right away for chest pain, trouble breathing, abdominal bulges or bowel or bladder problems.4