November 3, 2021

What Causes Sagging Skin? The Top 4 Causes

Sagging skin is a common aesthetic issue that our clients come to us to treat. It can affect many areas of the body, most commonly the knees, stomach, throat, and chin. For women, the most common area of concern is their upper arms and thighs. But what causes our skin sag? Here are the main causes of skin sagging.

Weight Loss

Sagging skin is often caused by weight loss. Although our skin is elastic and is meant to shrink or stretch to fit our body volume, it may take some time for skin to recover from quick weight loss. Sometimes it never will go completely back to its pre-stretched structure on its own and those who are concerned about this may seek medical treatment.

Aging

Sagging skin is often caused by aging. The body’s ability to produce collagen and elastin decreases as we age. The skin’s ability to heal from stretching is affected and the skin starts to lose its structure. Altering also slows down the skin’s recovery from stretching, which results in permanent loose skin that can’t be restored to its original structure.

Pregnancy

The skin is an amazing organ and is able to stretch quickly to accommodate the rapid growth that occurs during pregnancy. After giving birth, however, much of this volume is quickly lost, leaving the newly stretched skin loose and saggy. Sometimes, the stretching associated with pregnancy is too rapid for the skin to keep up with and the collagen structure of the skin can become damaged. In this case, the skin may need additional medical intervention to repair and stimulate collagen healing to return to its natural, pre-pregnancy state.

Tobacco Products

Because the nicotine in tobacco products can reduce the flow of nutrients to our blood vessels, smoking damages our lungs and can also cause skin issues. The shrinking of blood vessels associated with nicotine consumption causes disruption in blood flow, thereby reducing delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells, and slowing the detoxification process. This results in lower production of collagen and elastin. These issues are’nt limited to smokers. Those who use tobacco products in any form, including chewing tobacco, and nicotine-containing vape products, are more likely than others to develop dull, loose, and saggy skin.

At Belle Ame, we offer a variety of medical-grade treatments that can help address sagging skin. Call us for a consultation about which treatment options are best suited to your needs.