Aging is inevitable, and crepey skin is often a natural effect of aging skin which can be seen throughout the body. The appearance of crepey skin is saggy, loose, dry, and thin, similar to crepe paper in look and feel.
Although it is not easy to improve crepey skin visually, many clinical and natural methods assist in offsetting the look of loose and wrinkly skin.
In this article, we are going to discuss several ways on how you can treat and prevent crepey skin on your legs. But first, let’s understand the causes of it.
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What are the Causes of Crepey Skin?
Aging is the primary cause of crepey skin as it impacts our skin the most. However, various other factors contribute to causing loose and sagging skin over a long period.
Collagen Production
Collagen and elastin production in your body decreases with your growing age. It is the substance that facilitates the sustenance of the body’s tendons and skin structure.
In addition, elastin is the fiber that maintains the smoothness of your skin. The lack of these substances causes a loss in skin elasticity, thereby resulting in loose skin.
Changes in Weight
Be it gaining weight or losing weight, both circumstances have a similar effect on causing crepey skin.
Quickly gaining weight stretches the skin to a point where the fiber that holds the skin tight is damaged. Similarly, losing weight dramatically does not allow the stretched skin to snap back, making the skin look wrinkly.
Sun Exposure
Prolonged exposure to ultra-violet rays emitted by the sun can negatively affect collagen and elastin production, the substances that facilitate skin tightening.
Body Movement
Many of our body movements are habitual movements we have been doing every day for numerous years. It may be something as insignificant as the way we smile to something that requires the entire body to participate, like doing a squat.
Over the years, these movements cause the skin of specific spots to stretch and become crepey.
Gravitational Force
Gravity is unavoidable, just like aging. It pulls us down every day throughout our lifetime and eventually affects our joints, back, muscles and skin.
For example, when old age strikes, our skin droops downwards, and one of the reasons for that is the gravitational pull.
Tobacco Consumption
Smoking cigarettes causes premature aging of the skin. In addition, studies have proved that smoking tobacco decreases the production of collagen and facilitates the release of enzymes that causes elastosis, which results in the thickening and yellowing of the skin.
How to Get Rid of Crepey Skin Dermatologically?
Although not impossible, it isn’t easy to cure crepey skin naturally in a short time. Here are various dermatological methods to get rid of crepey skin:
Laser Treatment
In this treatment, lasers are used to stimulate collagen production. The fractional laser treatment heats areas under the skin, smoothening wrinkles and saggy skin inside out.
Ulthera
Ulthera is the process of tightening the skin by heating the tissues under the skin through ultrasound. It is similar to laser treatment procedures, except ultrasound is used instead of laser to heat the tissues to boost collagen production.
Coolsculpting
Coolsculpting, also known as Cryolipolisis, encourages the removal of localized areas of fat by freezing the lipids in fat cells, resulting in their slow dissolution. In addition, this treatment tightens the skin when the loose skin lies over excess fat.
Topical Retinoid
Topical retinoids encourage exfoliation. Either in a cream or gel, they need to be used with extreme precaution as they tend to dry the skin and make crepey skin worse. A well-hydrating moisturizer should be used along with retinoids.
Fillers
Radiesse or Sculptra are bio stimulating agents used as fillers to improve skin texture, appearance, and thickness of crepey skin. These filling agents also encourage the growth of collagen in the body.
How to Treat Crepey Skin Naturally?
Causes of crepey skin like gravity and aging are inescapable. However, there are many natural ways to reduce or prevent the look of crepey skin. Dermatological treatment may help minimize crepey skin quickly, but these natural methods must be practiced with discipline for an extended period.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated has numerous health benefits on the skin. Drinking plenty of water prevents dry skin by keeping the skin moisturized and healthy, increasing its elasticity.
Skin that is kept dry for a brief period tends to crack up, become wrinkly and damaged. If you notice your skin getting dry more than usual, You need to improve your skin hydration by increasing your water consumption and using moisturizer.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a medicinal herb whose leaf gel is commonly used to heal the skin from damages like sunburns and allergic reactions. In addition, the plant is highly effective in rebalancing skin dryness and promoting collagen production.
Aloe Vera has multiples vitamins and antioxidants that help cure crepey skin and prevent it from occurring again.
Vitamins
Vitamin C plays a vital role in the formation of collagen in our body. You can add it to your diet through an oral supplement or increase the consumption of Vitamin C-rich food like yellow bell pepper, green leafy vegetable, oranges, kiwi, and guavas.
Vitamin E also helps prevent crepey skin as it works as an antioxidant eliminating the free radicals that damage our skin. Thus, it protects us from sun damage caused by UV rays.
This nutrient can be obtained by consuming Vitamin E-rich food such as wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, hazelnut oil, almonds, broccoli, etc.
Avocado and Rosehip Oil
Oils contain numerous nutrients that help in keeping the skin healthy. For example, avocado oil is rich in protein, lecithin, beta carotene, and Vitamins that moisturize and protect the skin from sun damages. In addition, coconut oil reduces water loss and targets skin dryness.
Then there is Rosehip oil. This oil is highly rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. These nutrients prevent the causes of creepy skin as they protect from oxidative damage and promote collagen production. Thus, they are a perfect combination for curing crepey skin.
