Sagging can be one of the undesirable effects of aging skin. As skin gets older it tends to lose firmness and elasticity. This is due to a breakdown in the collagen and elastin tissues that keep skin plump and youthful looking, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, or AAD. While a facelift is perhaps the most effective and longest lasting remedy for tightening loose skin, other less invasive solutions may also restore firmness to aging skin.
DMAE
Topical DMAE or 2-dimethylaminoethanol, is a skin care ingredient that has been advertised as "the facelift in a jar,” according to SmartSkinCare.com. A study published in 2005 in the “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” found when 3 percent DMAE facial gel was applied daily for 16 weeks, it appeared to increase skin firmness and improve underlying facial muscles. The research was headed by R. Grossman with Johnson and Johnson Consumer Products Worldwide, Skillman, New Jersey.
Fillers
Soft-tissue fillers such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, brand names Juvederm and Restylane, may help improve wrinkles and have a plumping effect that gives skin a smoother, firmer and more youthful appearance, according to the AAD. Facial fillers may also diminish the shadowing around facial creases, which can make droopy jowls less apparent.
Laser, Light and Radiofrequency Therapy
Laser rejuvenation can moderately improve sagging skin, although it's generally most effective in treating wrinkles, scars, broken blood vessels or facial capillaries, and skin discoloration, notes the AAD. The modest lifting effects possible with laser therapy are not a substitute for a traditional facelift, although it may delay the need for one.
A number of devices that may help tighten skin include Refirme, Titan or Thermage. Titan uses infrared light to firm the skin while Thermage makes use of unipolar radiofrequency energy. Refirme uses a combination of both. These devices work by sending heat into the skin, which signals the body to produce collagen. Newer skin typically appears firmer and smoother and results may last at least one year.
Headstands
Doing headstands may help pull up sagging facial skin, according to the website BellaOnline. When practiced regularly, inversion poses may help offset the effects of gravity on the body. Always use caution when attempting to perform body movements that you are not accustomed to doing.
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