One of the most common telltale signs of aging is crepey skin, best described as loose, wrinkled skin that has a crinkled texture. "Crepey skin is skin that has lost its elasticity and firmness and no longer 'adheres' to the underlying tissues," explains Dr. Harry Glassman, Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon and founder of a patented line of anti-aging solutions, SkinClinical. "You’ll commonly see this as folds of excess skin that has the appearance of crepe paper, which is where the term originates."
While age and genes are definitely huge contributors in the formation of crepey skin, Dr. Glassman notes that crepiness can be minimized, if not totally reversed, with the right treatment, lifestyle changes and skin care routine. Read below to get his advice on how to prevent and tackle crepiness.
Dermstore: How do we get crepey skin?
Dr. Glassman: We get crepey skin from the loss of collagen and elastin, the two major proteins in the dermis of the skin. This is genetically determined and can be exacerbated by other factors such as smoking, sun exposure and weight fluctuations.
Can you prevent or minimize your chances of getting crepey skin? If so, how?
The best way to minimize this is by avoiding the external factors mentioned above and implementing a skin care regimen that will decrease the breakdown of the skin barrier while restoring lost collagen.
Can creams and serums designed for crepey skin work?
Topical products can definitely help by repairing the damage to the skin barrier, restoring or maintaining hydration and improving the microcirculation of the skin, which improves the metabolism of the skin.
What are the best ingredients to look for in skin care products to combat crepey skin?
Though there are many, without question, the most remarkable ingredient that I have encountered is SBD.4 (a key ingredient in the SkinClinical Extreme Healing products) which is derived from the root of a plant found in the mountains of China and Japan called angelica sinensis.
What are the best in-office procedures to treat crepey skin?
Depending on the person’s skin type, the options available include non-ablative laser resurfacing, microneedling with radiofrequency and/or PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections.
Aside from these products and procedures what else can we do to prevent crepey skin?
Drink a lot of water and get at least seven hours of sleep at night. Meditation, yoga and stress relief tactics are also helpful.Related Articles
