Crepey skin looks like a finely wrinkled crepe paper and it is very thin. Sometimes it may feel lose or even sag. Crepey skin looks like normal wrinkles but these tend to affect large areas of your skin and you will easily notice it because it is thin and fragile. Crepey skin normally targets the upper inner arms or under the eyes. Your skin tends to produce less oil as you age than when you were young. Changes in hormones can also lead to less production of natural oil and lead to dry skin.
What Causes Crepey Skin?
The sun’s damages are the most common causes of crepey skin, but it is not the only one. Aging can also cause crepey skin, excess weight loss, absence of moisture is just some of the things that can cause it. Ultraviolet sun rays that come from the sun normally breakdown elastin and collagen in the skin that help tighten and keep your skin free from wrinkles. Once those fibers are broken down, your skin will loosen, wrinkle, and will become thin. Age also plays a big role. Small amounts of collagen and elastin will be produced when you get older.
Other factors that can cause crepey skin include stress, smoking, pollution and all this will affect your skin. The lifestyle you live will also have visible signs of aging as the skin produces less oil. The oils will create an important lipid barrier that normally helps keep your skin moist and protect your skin. When your skin is dry, you will have crepey skin. Depending on the day or season, lack of moisture will cause you to have crepey skin.
How Can You Prevent Crepey Skin?
It is very important to safeguard your skin from getting the sun’s damage to prevent crepey skin. Make sure to wear sunscreen and stay away from the sun as much as you can. If you have sun-protective clothes, you should wear them more often. A good body lotion or skin moisturizer can go a long way to protect you. Use products that have glycerin or hyaluronic acid as they will help improve the appearance of crepey skin. The two ingredients will help hold moisture so that your skin remains hydrated.
While there are no supplements or foods that you can eat to prevent you from having crepey skin, eating a balanced diet that is rich in antioxidants will help support the health of your skin. Fruits and vegetables are great when it comes to improving skin health. Including vitamin C in your diet will be very beneficial to the production of collagen. You should however note that eating lots of antioxidants will not immediately fix the problem overnight. It takes time and patience.
How to Treat Crepey Skin
There are multiple treatments that you can use to reduce crepey skin. The location on your body, the cause of creping, and your skin type will help determine the type of treatment that you will get. The earlier you treat crepey skin, the lesser it will become noticeable. Regardless of the type of treatment you chose, you need to get in touch with your dermatologist to help you get the right treatment for your skin.