Editorial: What to Do to Counteract Loose or Saggy Skin

As time goes on, I have realized that loose skin is a fairly common problem that occurs for all of us eventually. Its natural cause has to do with collagen production. Collagen is a material made naturally by your body that forms somewhat of a “glue” holding your skin cells together. In harmony with another material, called elastin, it also helps to make your skin stretchy. The natural aging process causes less collagen to be produced by your body. Therefore, your skin loses its elasticity and the cells start to spread further apart. Other factors, such as rapid weight loss or chemical exposure can also lead to problems with loose or saggy skin, but there are several ways to counteract those problems.

Treatment Options for Getting Rid of Mild Wrinkles 
If you can recognize your skin is losing its elasticity early on, you may be able to reverse the damage quickly using a mild treatment method. In fact, some mild treatment methods can be done at home. For example, there are over-the-counter lotions and creams you can buy to help your skin stay hydrated. Many of those lotions also contain vitamins and other substances to strengthen it. If your skin problems have gone beyond the point at which home treatment is effective but are still relatively mild, you may benefit from sound or light therapy at your local skincare clinic. Intense pulsed light, radio frequency and ultrasound treatments have all been used in skincare circles for years to boost natural collagen production over time. In some cases, such treatments can also help existing collagen function better to hold cells in place.

Use Lasers When Moderate Skin Tightening is Required 
When you need moderate skin tightening assistance, it's likely sound wave therapy and intense pulsed light will not help. However, laser treatment can. There are many companies that produce lasers for cosmetics business like your local skincare clinic. Those lasers can be used to treat lots of skin conditions, but one of the most popular forms of treatment is laser skin tightening. Laser skin tightening is useful because lasers are strong and accurate. They can be used to target any area where your skin is starting to sag. They are also capable of both getting collagen molecules to move closer together for skin tightening and causing more collagen to be made by your body over time. Therefore, their long-term treatment results can be excellent. Although, you may see few short term results.

How Many Skin Tightening Treatments Are Required 
There is no exact answer to how many skin tightening treatments you need. It depends on the type of clinical treatment you choose and the severity of your skin sags. However, certain treatments, especially laser procedures, are often recommended in groups of four to six. The timing of those treatments is spaced out strategically over weeks or months to allow the skin to heal between sessions. Your clinician will let you know the exact time frames required for treatment. 

The Long-Term Skin Tightening Outlook 
Even if you complete a group of skin tightening sessions and get the exact results you want, you must remember those results are not permanent. The effects of certain skin tightening treatments can last for years, but there are limits. Eventually, your skin may start to wrinkle or sag again. At that time, you may need to have additional skincare clinic treatments. You can do your part to delay that need by caring for your skin on a regular basis. For example, limiting sun exposure, eating properly,  getting enough rest can all help your skin keep itself healthy, and a good skin care regimen.