Remember the fun of making a crepe paper flower? It looked great as a craft, but not as something you’d “look good in”.
Crepey skin is right up there with other dreaded effects of aging, but it doesn’t have to stay there.
You’ll find as you age, your now thinner skin easily dries out and “crinkles” in a way that resembles crepe paper. Even younger women with fragile skin can experience this type of skin appearance – it’s not totally age-dependent.
Main causes of crepey skin:
- Collagen and elastin loss from aging
- Collagen and elastin damage from sun exposure
- Dehydration
- Poor diet
- Smoking
Solutions:
Aided collagen production via lasers or other dermatological technology
- Fraxel can be used on almost every area of the body. Fraxel creates a skin response that improves collagen and elastin production.
- Clear + Brilliant is a lower level laser that may be sufficient (no downtime)
- MicroNeedling has similar application as Fraxel or Clear + Brilliant, but with a lesser response and the need for more treatments.
- BBL has a known collagen-inducing response, again with need for multiple treatments.
- All above can improve discoloration along with improved skin texture.
- Hydrafacial and Diamond Glow are quick, zero downtime procedures that don’t necessarily improve collagen levels, but they do improve skin hydration at deeper levels.
Targeted product use
- If your skin is simply dehydrated, then almost any lotion with humectants and ceramides can be helpful. Cerave comes to mind though there are many other items you can pick up the drug store. Creams specifically for the body like Eucerin and Aveeno help restore moisture. Use then on damp skin to improve absorption.
- Skin with accumulated dead cells has a hard time absorbing moisture, so be sure you exfoliate to get the benefit of your moisturizers. A glycolic acid cleanser and the use of a washcloth can do wonders (as can dry brushing). If your skin is classified as normal, lotions and creams with lactic acid, glycolic acid and/or urea can be of great benefit.
- Aged skin with collagen slow-down requires a step up to concentrated peptides. We’re a fan of Alastin’s TransFORM TriHex technology. It’s a patented formula you won’t find elsewhere.
Lifestyle
- Stay hydrated – water is the best – on the flip side, caffeine and alcohol dehydrate
- Eat a diet rich in polyphenols like berries and darker colored fruits and veggies
- Fatty fish is a good addition as it provides natural omega oils that are good for your skin health
- If you take supplements, add in reservatrol and see how it affects your skin
- Don’t smoke – Don’t smoke
- Cut out or cut back on sugar. Sugar causes glycation which is a stiffening of collagen strands
- Get sufficient sleep. Your body goes into repair mode as you sleep.
- Use Suncreeen every day on all skin exposed to the skin. UV damage is the ultimate premature skin ager!
A professional consultation is a sure roadmap for improving your appearance in a myriad of ways. The board certified dermatologists at Rebecca Fitzgerald Dermatology are experts at assessing your skin’s problems AND potential. Consultations do come with a fee but this fee is fully applied to the cosmetic treatments you may choose. Request a consultation.
