When one ages, the skin is an obvious give away as visible reminders appear on one’s skin as part of the natural aging process. Collagen fibers in the skin are stretched when one ages and this is known as skin laxity.
Causes of Skin Laxity
As one gets older, the skin, particularly tissues underneath, goes through various changes with time and further adds to the aging appearance. Some of the ways skin change with age includes the skin developing a rough and loose texture with the epidermis growing thinner, which make it more fragile and easily damaged.
During the aging process, the skin will gradually lose its natural firmness and skin is not longer taut. The youthful density of the skin will slowly become saggy and loose. Skin laxity can take away one’s beauty as the person looks older and less radiant with loose skin.
Several people also experience a loss of muscle tone and fat volume, which makes skin laxity present and noticeable in different areas around the body, especially on the face.
Losing excess body weight is a common goal among many of us; however, when a great weight loss of 100 pounds and more occurs too quickly, it may lead one to face secondary problems, such as skin laxity. This is evident in mostly in people who had weight-loss surgery, and sometimes with exercise. When exercising, it’s important to keep yourself hydrated and supported by enough water.
Loose skin not only occurs on the face but nearly in every part of the body. Although saggy facial skin is the most obvious, skin laxity can take place under the neck, arms, chin and even on the hands, thighs and abdominal area. But one looks older in spite of where the skin laxity develops.
Chronic exposure to these unstable, highly reactive chemical compounds causes damage to cells and tissue of the skin. Over time, free radicals cause damages to proteins, leading your skin to be less healthy and loose. Free radicals can be found in items such as grooming products, harsh cleaning products, and chemical additives in several packaged foods.
As one age, two very significant proteins diminish, namely collagen and protein. Younger skin contains plentiful amounts of these proteins. However, the levels of protein tend to drop off quickly with age and sun exposure.
Not everyone experiences the same degree of skin laxity and other people may develop this condition in different areas of the body. The best way to have good skin is to prevent any chance of developing skin laxity. Diligent use of daily skincare is important in having and maintaining good skin. The products should include UV protection as the sun can easily damage skin.
Skin Laxity Treatment
IPL skin tightening is a treatment which uses pulsed light to heat the dermis layer of the skin. The heat is gentle and encourages natural collagen and one needs to undergo several treatments to achieve plump and firm skin. IPL can be done in combination with Accent Radio Frequency tightening and any other skin care treatments and products. Skin tightening requires very little downtime to heal and there is no side effects therefore it is safe. Sometimes botox and filler injections are used in conjunction with skin tightening to get optimum results.
Sometimes when skin laxity has come to a critical stage of very loose and saggy skin, one can opt to surgically remove this excess skin such as eyelid surgery and face lift.
Rhytidectomy, also known as a facelift, involves removing areas of laxity from facial skin. To fully satisfy the aesthetic goals of the patient, dermal fillers are often used in conjunction with a facelift.
Keep in mind that all types of surgeries have risks and possible dangers, so one must carefully decide before having to undergo surgery. Still, however, it is best for an experienced dermatologist to examine the condition and suggest a suitable treatment in accordance to the location and degree of skin laxity.
If one opts for a non-surgical treatment, INFINI treatment is one of the most preferred treatments made available in Singapore. This treatment significantly improves acne scars with less recovery time. INFINI delivers Fractional Radiofrequency (RF) energy to deeper layers of your skin.
This stimulates cell regeneration, skin tightening and collagen production while allowing the skin’s natural healing. INFINI is a safe and flexible treatment for darker skin colour and for individuals with sensitive skin. At present clinics in Singapore, including the SOZO Aesthetic Clinic, have this method as popular among patients.
