Loose, sagging skin occurs naturally as we age and there is no harm in wanting to tighten things up a little! We have compiled 10 tips and tricks that you can do to tighten and firm your skin — without having to go under the knife!

What causes loose skin?

Skin sagging is part of the normal aging process.

Collagen, the protein that retains the structure of our skin, starts to decline as we age causing the skin to lose its resilience. Over time, the loss of skin resilience makes it harder for the skin to bounce back and return to its tight and firm state. As skin loses elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles start to creep in.

Aside from aging, other factors such as weight loss, excessive sun exposure, pregnancy and cigarette smoke can also result in loose skin over time. For example, you may find that losing a large amount of weight leaves stretch marks in places like the stomach, arms, legs and neck.

How can I tighten sagging skin?

While you can effectively tighten loose skin through cosmetic surgery, a lot of other options are available for those who would rather avoid going under the knife to achieve a more youthful complexion. These include:

• Engaging in muscle-building exercises
• Eating a healthy diet
• Taking dietary supplements that support skin health
• Using skin tightening products
• Regularly exfoliating
• Massaging the skin
• Limiting UV exposure
• Stopping smoking
• Going through non-invasive medical procedures

Let’s take a closer look at these methods and how you can achieve a tighter and more toned complexion!

1. Engage in muscle-building exercises

Regularly doing a workout routine that includes weight training and muscle-building exercises can help tighten loose skin. Building muscle mass through these exercises creates a layer of muscle underneath the skin resulting in a firmer and tauter appearance.

Replace fat with muscles

This is especially helpful for getting rid of loose skin due to weight loss. Replace body fat with muscle mass by using free weights or weight machines at the gym. 

Building your muscles with exercises like deadlifts and bench presses will help build the muscles you need in order for skin to look tighter around your arms, stomach, back and thighs. Remember to ease into your routine by starting with lighter weights and eventually working your way up to heavier ones as you improve your strength.

If you have loose skin from a recent pregnancy, it’s best to talk to your doctor first before engaging in weight resistance training as there might be movements you should avoid.

Facial exercise is not proven to be effective in firming skin

Take note that these body-building exercises will not do much to tighten and firm the appearance of loose skin on the face and neck. This is why some people turn to facial exercises to simulate the same effect and help tighten the skin in this area.

However, there are still doubts on whether doing facial exercise is actually effective or not.  Although they have been popular since the 1960s, there is still very little research that shows that such exercises can actually help tighten loose skin on the face and neck area.

2. Eat a healthy diet

While you are working to build more muscle, make sure you are also getting the proper nutrition by consuming an adequate amount of amino acids and proteins in your regular diet.

Collagen and elastin — the proteins that keep skin firm and tight — are generally found in protein-rich foods such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, seeds and nuts.

Try not to eat processed foods and focus on healthy proteins along with organic fruits and vegetables high in vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, and essential fatty acids.

3. Stay hydrated

You should also drink plenty of water. Aim to drink eight glasses of water every day. Drinking water hydrates you from within and increases skin elasticity for tighter skin. It will also give you a healthier-looking and more radiant complexion. 

In fact, you can directly observe how lack of water affects your skin’s elasticity. Pinch an area on your forearm or abdomen, pull it for a few seconds and then release. Hydrated skin will bounce back immediately, while dehydrated skin takes a few seconds longer to return to its normal state.

4. Intake of dietary supplements

Loose skin cannot be magically fixed by a pill but certain supplements work to boost the growth of healthier, firmer skin. Support your diet with vitamins and supplements that contain the following to provide your skin the daily nutrients it needs.

Collagen

As mentioned earlier, collagen is the main protein that supports the structure of our skin. A 2015 study showed that taking daily supplements that boost the growth of collagen can help achieve a firmer and more youthful complexion. It helps combat the negative effects associated with aging including sagging, loose skin.

For a daily collagen supplement, we recommend YEOUTH Regenotin Anti-aging Advanced Collagen Generator. Clinically proven to increase collagen production and reduce micro-wrinkle depth and skin roughness by 30%, this anti-aging supplement boosts the production of collagen, keratin and elastin formation — major proteins that you need for skin elasticity and growth.

Regenotin Advanced Collagen Generator, 60ct ( $51.95 )

Proteins

Amino acids found in protein are also essential in the body’s natural collagen production. Skin cells are replaced every 28 days, and protein levels in the body need to be high for this to occur. If there is insufficient protein in the body, the process of cell regeneration slows down considerably and you will be left with dry, lifeless skin that results from the over-accumulation of dead skin cells.

Collagen and elastin are protein compounds that are essential in the health of the skin. The skin on our faces needs collagen and elastin to keep signs of aging away. Elastin is a protein that is responsible for the elasticity of the skin. When you pinch your skin or pull it, elastin is what enables it to revert to its original state.

If there is not enough elastin in the skin, the organ is no longer capable of readily reverting to its original shape. This is what causes wrinkles, skin folds and sagging of the skin. To avoid this happening and to enjoy beautiful skin, one must use protein powders or other supplements.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important for your skin's health because it helps produce collagen. This nutrient is an essential vitamin that our bodies do not have the ability to produce or store, which is why it's very important to include vitamin C in your daily diet. If you are not already getting the recommended amount of Vitamin C, a daily supplement will help.

Read more: How does Vitamin C Benefit the Skin?

Aside from supporting collagen growth, Vitamin C offers many benefits to your overall skin health. It’s a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage caused by environmental factors like pollution, smoking and UV rays from the sun that damages skin cells. Your skin will also be healthier, brighter and smoother.

5. Use skin tightening products

Skincare products that boost the production of collagen and elastin levels can also help tighten and firm the skin. These proteins help your skin tissues to maintain elasticity and prevent loose skin. Using such products regularly will not only help boost collagen, but it will help keep your skin taut and youthful.

Look for collagen-boosting ingredients

When selecting products, opt for those that boost the levels of your collagen and elastin. It is important to note that simply choosing products with collagen and elastin in them will not effectively help your skin. Collagen molecules are too large to penetrate your skin so they are not effectively absorbed. You want a product that will penetrate the skin deeply in order to boost collagen production from within.

Collagen and elastin are made naturally by our body so go for collagen-boosting creams like our YEOUTH L22 Anti-aging Moisturizer. In clinical studies, YEOUTH’s L22 patented formula demonstrated superiority in skin hydration, firmness and elasticity when compared to other competitors.

In the same clinical studies, significant improvements were seen in aged and sun-damaged skin because Yeouth’s L22 Moisturizer helped diminish discoloration, sun spots and age spots.

Anti-aging Moisturizer L22 With Shea Butter, Jojoba & Macadamia Seed Oil ( $19.95 )

Moisturizing is a must

Hydrated skin appears more supple and youthful compared to dry skin. Use moisturizers packed with humectants like hyaluronic acid. This amazing skincare ingredient holds up to 1,000 times its own weight in water. Hyaluronc acid effectively absorbs into skin to help plump and even out lines for a supple and smooth appearance.

Also, look for moisturizers that multitask! Formulas that contain ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E will increase collagen and elastin formation while hydrating the skin. Check out YEOUTH Hyaluronic Acid Cream! Packed with key power ingredients like Vitamin C & E, Ferulic Acid, Shea Butter & Tripeptide 31, this moisturizing cream replenishes skin with intense moisture while increasing collagen production to diminish the look of dark spots and large pores. It will also help increase your skin’s firmness. 

Hyaluronic Acid Cream with Vitamin C & E, Ferulic Acid, Tripeptide 31 & Shea Butter ( $29.95 )

Don’t forget about the neck and chest

The skin on our neck is extra sensitive and rather fragile. For this reason, it needs extra TLC beyond your regular moisturizer.

The neck is a part of your body that bends and moves a lot so the skin here is more inclined to becoming loose over time. It is also more susceptible to dryness and other signs of aging which is why specific skincare products are formulated for the unique needs of the neck skin.

For the neck, we recommend the use of our Neck Firming Cream. Loaded with Argireline and antioxidants from Green Tea and Vitamin C. This best-selling neck treatment helps target and improve the appearance on the delicate skin of the neck, dècolletè, and jawline so it appears firm and smooth with a more lifted appearance.

Neck Firming Cream with Green Tea, Argireline, Vitamin C ( $25.95 )

6. Exfoliate

Your tightening skincare routine would not be complete without exfoliation. Exfoliating the outer layer of your skin gets rid of dead skin cells, revealing a smoother, radiant complexion that will look a lot less wrinkled.

There are two ways you can exfoliate your skin: manual exfoliation and chemical exfoliation.

Avoid pulling and tugging on your skin

Manual exfoliation uses scrubs or brushes to physically buff away the dead skin cells on the surface. However, exfoliating your skin this way usually includes a lot of rubbing, pulling and tugging, which can cause microtears in the skin and lead to more wrinkles and the loss of firmness.

To effectively exfoliate, we recommend using a chemical peel. Chemical exfoliants, like YEOUTH Glycolic Acid Peel, works by deeply penetrating the layers of the skin to slough away dead skin cells to reveal a brighter, healthier, new layer of skin.

Read more: How To Use A Glycolic Acid Peel

7. Massage the area

A 2017 study showed that regularly using a hand-operated massaging tool in conjunction with an anti-aging skin cream significantly amplified the positive effects of the cream. 

The subjects who used the massaging device reported less fine lines with a more lifted skin appearance after 4 weeks of treatment compared to the subjects who used the cream alone. Additionally, there was an improvement in wrinkles and skin firmness after 8 weeks of treatment.

Massage your skin when applying your skincare products to help increase blood circulation and boost skin health for firmer and more youthful skin.

8. Limit UV exposure

Sun exposure is the number one cause of skin aging. Too much time spent under the damaging UV rays of the sun breaks down the skin’s collagen and results in a loss of skin elasticity. Unprotected and too much sun exposure is the number one cause for wrinkles and fine lines.

To combat this, minimize your daily sun exposure by staying inside, especially from 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. During this time, the UV index of the sun is the highest and has a higher chance of damaging your skin. If you do go out, apply a generous amount of sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) to skin exposed to the sun. It’s also best to wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses, and hats.

You should also avoid using tanning beds altogether. Repeatedly using indoor tanning beds severely damages skin cells.

9. Stop Smoking

Another habit that accelerates skin’s natural aging process is smoking. In addition to having a poor effect on skin elasticity, smoking comes with a range of risks to your skin health. Some of the toxins in cigarette smoke damage collagen and elastin. The smoke from cigarettes damages the fibrous components that keep skin firm and supple which causes the skin to deteriorate and age faster.

If you want to keep your skin firmer, it’s time to consider reducing and eventually quitting your smoking habit, if you have one. Try to avoid coming in contact with secondhand smoke also if you can. 

10. Non-invasive skin tightening procedures

If you’re not satisfied with the skin tightening effects of the previously discussed tips and tricks, you can talk to your dermatologist about non-invasive skin tightening treatments. These procedures are non-invasive, meaning they will leave your skin intact without puncturing wounds or making incisions.

Some of the non-invasive skin tightening procedures you can do are:

• Ultrasound. Dermatologists use ultrasound waves to heat the deeper layers of the skin to boost the production of collagen.
• Radiofrequency. Just like ultrasound treatment, a device is placed against your skin to heat the tissues underneath to increase collagen production.
• Laser. The type of laser used in this treatment keeps the surface of the skin unharmed while penetrating deep into the skin to heat the tissues for a boost in collagen production. This treatment is usually used for tightening skin all over the body, such as loose skin around the upper arms, stomach and thighs.

The results of these procedures are not immediate since your body takes time to produce collagen. You may also need more than one treatment to achieve desired results. There may be a little discomfort during the procedure and you can expect some temporary and minor redness or swelling afterwards.

You should see the best results in about six months, but this can last for years with the support of the right skin care products and of course, a healthy lifestyle.

Takeaway

Collagen plays a huge factor in your skin’s firmness and elasticity. This is why boosting collagen production is one of the best ways to keep your skin tight, firm and youthful. Use collagen-boosting skincare products and always use sun protection to prevent the harmful UV rays of the sun from damaging your precious skin. 

Aside from skincare, you should also embrace a healthy lifestyle to keep your body looking its best. Exercising regularly, eating the right foods, staying properly hydrated and avoiding cigarette smoke, can all boost your skin’s firmness. You can also talk to your doctor about non-invasive procedures that will give an extra boost to your collagen levels for a tighter and firmer complexion.

Focus on these things and say goodbye to loose, sagging skin!