My social network algorithms know me too well. At this point, they’ve tuned in to show me an endless stream of skincare videos. I get all: Legendary bankruptcy dermatologistsurgical acne emerges, and of course, best product ratings and reviews. But my absolute favorites are skincare-loving moms giving their babies facials. Yes, indeed — and all of them are unbelievably cute. Moreover, they also make me wonder what my skin would be like if I were introduced too gua sha when he was only a few months old. While I can’t go back in time to get the round ball back, baby skin like dew of my youth, I’m trying as hard as I can to learn how to improve my skin’s elasticity while still using it precautions.
The first step before making any changes to skin care product line? Search. With a mission to have baby-soft skin, I’m diving deep and learning all I can about skin elasticity. As it turns out, two factors that affect skin elasticity are collagen and elastin. Both are responsible for keeping your skin smooth and vibrant.
Featured image of Winnie Au.
Both collagen and elastin are proteins in our skin. Collagen is a protein that structures and supports your skin, but elastin is a thousand times more flexible, making it responsible for the skin’s resilience. Elastin is made up of peptides, fibroblasts and amino acids, and, unlike collagen, it is a super elastic protein and doesn’t start to break down until we’re about 74 years old (!!). However, elastin weakens and its ability to change is what causes your skin to form wrinkles and grooves over time. Both are affected by environmental factors such as pollution and UV exposure. As we age, our bodies produce less and less protein while damage builds up, all leading to wrinkled, sagging skin.
In my quest to maintain a youthful appearance, I consulted Dr. Michelle HenryOne Dermatologist based in New York City. She talked to me about a range of treatments, products, and supplements that can help keep skin looking young. Read on for her dermatologist-approved recommendations for boosting collagen and elastin production.
What affects skin elasticity?
Your skin begins to lose its natural elasticity as collagen begins to deplete. According to Dr. Henry, there is only so much we can do about the appearance of our skin. “Elasticity is influenced by genetics and lifestyle choices,” she says. “Some of the things that can reduce skin elasticity are excessive UV exposure, as free radicals generated by UV rays in pollution can damage skin’s elasticity and collagen.” While there’s not much we can do about our genetics, we can prevent environmental factors from further damaging our collagen supply.
What are natural ways to increase skin elasticity?
One of the key ingredients to healthy skin – you guessed it – a healthy life. So even though it can be annoying to hear other Beauty blogs tell you to just drink water, there is some wisdom in the adage. Your diet can also affect your skin, says Dr. Henry.
“Only one Diet full of healthy fats such as walnuts, salmon, avocados, and hemp seeds are excellent protective options to reduce the breakdown of one’s elastin. Other foods that can act as antioxidants such as citrus foods can contribute significantly. Foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids can support increased levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen.”
What ingredients help increase skin elasticity?
If you want to keep your collagen, the first rule is to never forget sunscreen (second rule is to never forget to reapply during the day). Dr. Henry emphasizes the importance of using sunscreen to maintain skin elasticity.
As for other nourishing, plumping ingredients, Dr. Henry recommends peptides and retinol above all else. “Creams containing peptides can also stimulate both collagen and elastin. Products containing retinol may also play a role in stimulating collagen and elastin.”
The best home treatments to support skin elasticity
In addition to eating healthy and applying sunscreen, you can incorporate home rituals into your routine to promote firmer skin. The simplest solution is to try skin care ingredients that include ingredients that boost collagen and elastin. Dr. Henry recommends using retinol and serums that have been clinically proven to improve skin elasticity. Learn have also shown that dietary collagen supplements are an effective way to enhance skin firmness and elasticity. For even more firming at home, you can invest in tools that mimic professional treatments like micro needle or light therapy.
Professional treatments for skin elasticity
For many people, professional treatments are the best way to improve skin elasticity. If you are struggling with wrinkles, loose skin and loss of firmness, there are restorative therapies designed to reduce the appearance of visible aging. As for preventive skin care, there are also treatments that you can apply semi-regularly to keep your skin youthful by maintaining the strength of elastin, repairing sun damage. and stimulates collagen production. There are a lot of options, so consult a dermatologist to find out which might be right for your goals.
Micro needles
“My favorite product for treating skin elasticity is microneedling, specifically radiofrequency microneedling,” says Dr. Henry. “At my office, I find that I can most strongly stimulate collagen using this modality.”
Compared with home microneedling, the specialist can penetrate the skin deeper without harming the dermis. It’s a good solution to address texture and firmness without adding heat to the skin — which, for some people, can worsen pigmentation. It’s also a good treatment for an anti-aging supplement, as its immediate results are less visible than changes in texture and tone.
Chemical mask
For more immediate visible results on your skin tone, texture and elasticity, try a professional peel. Unlike the kind you might use at home, professional peels contain a high concentration of acids to completely remove the top layer of damaged skin. Used for melasma and wrinkles, most chemical peels will take a few days to reveal a new, younger-looking layer of skin. They also penetrate deep into the skin to stimulate future production of elastin and collagen. You can even choose how strong you want, depending on your age and skin tone.
Injections
As fillers become more and more popular, people are becoming more and more aware of all it can do. Fillers aren’t just a quick fix for plump lips. Dermal fillers injections using poly-L lactic acid actually have some of the best and longest-lasting anti-aging results. It stimulates collagen production and lifts your skin without surgery or downtime.
You can also inject hyaluronic acid to hydrate your skin, improve elasticity, and increase collagen production. By injecting hyaluronic acid, you replenish your body’s natural reserves and facilitate its high water-binding capacity to visibly improve firmness.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
One option, especially during menopause, is HRT to increase estrogen in the body. Learn have shown that “skin aging can be significantly delayed by the use of estrogen”. The different types of hormone therapy include: transdermal estrogen, transdermal estrogen plus vaginal progesterone, and oral estrogen plus vaginal progesterone. The estrogen and progesterone found in HRT help slow down some of the effects of the aging process, keeping your skin elastic and toned.
Laser treatment
Many types of laser treatments have been shown to be effective in targeting skin elasticity. The laser works by using radiofrequency technology to deliver targeted heat below the skin’s surface, kicking off the skin’s natural production of collagen and elastin. Laser treatments give you immediate results with no downtime. You will likely see changes after just one session, but best results come gradually after 3-6 sessions and last up to three years.
One option is fractional lasers, which work by targeting the top two layers of the skin, the dermis and the epidermis. By addressing both layers, this treatment delivers more comprehensive results. The laser destroys acne-causing cells in the epidermis and sagging skin in the dermis.
Fractional lasers have been shown to work even better when combined with intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy. In essence, IPL has a powerful effect on skin tone and a regenerative effect on collagen deposition. Taken together, the two produce an abundant amount of new collagen and significantly improve skin texture.
