Youthful unharmed skin is tight, elastic, and full. However, things like ageing and the act of losing and gaining weight can reduce the tautness of skin and result in the appearance of loose skin, a persistently tired look to the face, and the look of premature aging. Although there isn't much you can do to prevent the development of sagging skin and loose facial muscles there are a few things that you can do to slow down the development and even to correct the damage once it has been done.

What Causes Sagging Skin?

There are five main causes of sagging skin: three that you can control and two that you can't. The two that you cannot control include the natural processes of aging and the downward pull of gravity. Everyday that we walk, sit, and move around in an upright position is another day that our skin is affected by gravity. After numerous years of fighting the natural downward pull our skin begins to give in and sag downward. The effects of this gravitational pull do not show up until we are well into our mature years but the weakening of the skin happens from the day we are born.

Right around the time that gravity damage starts to show our skin is also suffering from the negative effects of ageing. As we age the components of our skin that are responsible for maintaining elasticity, firmness, and rebound are starting to breakdown. Once these components- collagen and elastin- breakdown our skin becomes looser and begins to droop, which results in fine lines and eventually deep wrinkles. To add to the problem, the muscles in our face are also weakened by age so the support that they give already loosening skin is reduced and increased sagging is apparent.

Since we cannot control the natural ageing process you would think that we would do everything we can to avoid other skin sagging culprits. However, that is not always the case. Sun exposure, smoking, and weight loss all contribute to the development of sagging skin. Sun exposure damages the skin cells and retards their ability to rebound from the gravitational pull. Smoking dries out the skin and reduces the available moisture that is responsible for keeping skin plump and full. Finally, weight loss, especially large amounts or the act of shedding pounds too quickly, results in skin sag where the fat once filled out the area below the skin.

So, if you can't control some of the factors that lead to sagging skin, and if you have already experienced any of the other factors, what can you do to improve the look of your skin?