Saggy

Sagging skin on the face is one of the most dreaded signs of aging. It is mainly due to the loss of elasticity in the skin, which naturally happens during the aging process. Aging causes a decline in the production of collagen and elastin, which can then result in a saggy appearance with less defined facial features.

If you’re dealing with sagging skin, you might find yourself in the mirror, worrying about drooping cheeks and jowls and using your fingers to lift your skin back to its original position. You might also notice lines and wrinkles that can make your skin look dull and tired.

Common signs of sagging skin include:

• Flatter cheeks
• Less defined facial contours
• A wider or a rounded jawline
• Facial lines and wrinkles
• Hollowness of the temples or under eye area

What causes facial sagging?

As the skin ages, it loses its ability to snap back into place easily. It can happen almost anywhere on the face, including the body. Common areas of the face where you might notice saggy skin include:

• Eyelids
• Cheeks
• Jowls
• Chin

While aging (the loss of collagen and elastin) is the main contributor to facial skin sagging, other factors are also at play. The loss of facial fat is another common culprit, as the absence of it makes the face look droopy. Facial bones also recede with age, creating a deflated look and an older appearance.

The lower area of the face is mostly affected, as facial fat and tissues tend to shift downward. Other factors that contribute to the drooping of the skin include:

• Sun exposure – Volume loss, wrinkles, and other signs of aging worsen and become more visible with prolonged and unprotected exposure to UV rays. This also damages the collagen and elastin, resulting in premature aging.
• Smoking – Chemicals in the cigarettes and smoke reduce the amount of nutrients and oxygen that reach the skin. It also damages collagen and elastin, which causes premature wrinkling and accelerates the aging process.
• Stress – Too much stress causes the body to release cortisol or stress hormones. This results in increased sebum production, as well as the breakdown of collagen and elastin. It alters the proteins in the skin and decreases its elasticity.
• Pollution – This generates free radicals that can damage the skin. It also causes oxidative stress, which triggers cell damage and the breakdown of collagen and skin lipids.
• Poor diet – Excessive sugar consumption promotes glycation or the attachment of sugar molecules to proteins. This creates advanced glycation end products (AGES), which weaken and accelerate the breakdown of collagen over time.
• Sudden or rapid weight loss – Losing a significant amount of weight, especially in a short period of time, causes a loss of facial fat. This can then lead to drooping or sagging skin.

How can we help?

Saggy is not really a good word to describe your skin. This is why here at Cutis Laser Clinics, we offer a range of nonsurgical treatments that can help correct or improve saggy, lax or drooping skin.

Your individualized treatment plan, depending on various factors such as your acceptable social downtime, your expected time frame and budget, will be explained in detail during your consultation with our Harvard trained Medical Director, Dr. Sylvia Ramirez