Crepey skin or wrinkled skin or papery skin is very common among women in their higher ages. A tissue paper thin skin starts forming around face, neck or other sensitive areas on body. These are attributed generally to aging but there are some other causes which are more critical too. Generally prominent after menopause but these can be corrected with a little effort. They are not harmful but look displeasing and embarrassing, and also they cant be concealed with make up easily
What is crepey skin:
Crepey skin is our body’s reaction to loss of proteins and moisture from its layers. When our body loses or reduces the production of collagen and elastin, it gets flaky and paper thin. These two proteins collagen and elastin on our skin help in stretching and contraction of skin. From past age 30, protein production in our skin begins to drop, thus causing our skin to sag and become thinner and eventually crinkley skin.
Crepey skin is a gradual but continuous process, and we wont get the wrinkled crepey suddently unlike acne and pimples. All we can do is to delay this process, which will help our skin stay supple and flawless for long.
Characteristics of crepey crinkley skin:
Though it is simple to visualize the crepey skin, but it bring in a lot more additions along which are displeasing too. The skin gets loosened and flaccid in addition to getting sagged and thin. Since the epidermis of our skin gets damaged and things up which makes the skin appear more like a tissue paper on crepe. This is different from lines of aging and wrinkles as they don’t cause skin folds but skin thinning.
They begin as skin markings first and then gradually elongate to form diamond shaped vents and thus crepey skin. The skin starts thinning out after the accumulations of skin expand and there is no collagen or elastin to nourish it.
What causes crepey skin:
Well all we ever blame is aging, but what if this occurs in less than 35 year old women. We forget the other harch treatments our skin gets in a day and the poor lifestyle choices we make. Eventually we suffer with skin and health ailments which are difficult to treat if ignored initially. Premature crepey skin can be due to many reasons. These are the reasons for why do you get crepey skin. Some causes of premature crepey skin are:
1- Abrupt weight change: Sudden weight gain or weight loss can cause the skin to become lose and thin out. While you can only pick one from your waist or your face, if you pick the former it definitely makes your skin lose and thin out. So more the weight you carry younger you would look. Sudden weight changes cause impact at the deeper layers of the skin called the dermis or endodermis. And when the skin stretches it breaks our natural proteins of the skin called collagen and elastin. Thus in a few weeks we will see crepey skin in addition to loss of skin strength and elasticity. Our skin elasticity and turgidity are inversely proportional to our age. The more we age the less our skin elasticity thus quicker is the crepeying.
2- Sun tan and un-protected sun exposure: Sun exposure for long without protection can not only cause immediate sun burn or rashes but also result eventually into premature crepeying of skin. The harmful ultra violet rays of the sun not only damage the skin externally but also dehydrate and deform its deepest layers too. The UV rays cause the collagen and elastin molecules to become stiff and inflexible. This cross linking causes crepey skin
3- Cigarette and pollution: Cigarette smoke and pollution also causes crepey skin, the more you smoke the quicker your skin gets crinkly. Smoke, pollution and dust causes the collagen and elastin to break out and makes it damaged. Our skin eventually loses its radiance and elasticity in addition to collapse of skin strength. Thus premature crepeying of skin
4- Gravity at a later age: After age 30 our skin stars getting lose and if we are thin or lose weight suddenly post delivery or crash diet, the skin tends to fall on to gravity. Our body loses moisture, and the skin starts hanging and eventually gets crepey
5- Too many hours in front of laptop or computer: Our skin around eyes and neck get crepey largely due to too many hours spent in front of digital devices. As we tend to squint or hard blink our eyes when we sit in front of screens. This causes the skin to get lose and deformed eventually becoming crepey
6- Sleeping on your sides: When you sleep on your sides your stomach and part of face is pressed down, this forming skin creases. These form wrinkles or skin folds if continued for long, eventually crepey skin.
7- Sugar oozing diet: Eating too many sugary foods causes crepey skin. As it causes glycation in our body, where protein molecule bonds with sugar molecule and causing our skin proteins collagen and elastin to get stiff and deform. These proteins when react with sugar molecules they get pale and weak. Thus resulting in sagging of skin and crepey skin
How to reduce the chances of getting crepey skin:
All what we have known about how to prevent signs of aging and how to improve a healthy lifestyle is what we need for answering how to get rid of crepey skin. Eat a balanced diet, sleep 8 hours a night at least, avoid stress, stay off tobacco, alcohol and caffeine and follow a rigorous work out regime. Some more ways to reduce crepey skin are:
- Wear proper sun screen all the time: Avoid peak hours of sun between 10 am to 3 pm and wear sun block creams of at least SPF 50 or above. Re-touch the sun screen every 2 hours and wear hat, shades and cover your face everytime you head out in sun.
- Use natural or home made moisturizers for skin care: Never let your skin dry and lose their natural hydration. Apply moisturizer at least twice a day
- Do facial at home regularly: Cleansing, exfoliation and moisturizing is very important for nourished and healthy skin.
- Eat fresh produce: Rich fibrous foods like fruits, vegetables and multi grain cereals must be consumed daily and avoid too much processed or junk foods
- Stay off caffeine, soda drinks, alcohol and cigarette
Natural home remedies for crepey skin:
While we can not stop the signs of aging but we definitely can reduce or delay these signs. Some of the most wonderful ways are through home remedies for crepey skin. These include:
1- Exercises and yoga: Yoga is a very helpful tool to stay young and energetic. It not only enriches our mind body and soul but also improves skin too. Some yoga asanas and exercises are so enriching they can even fix the sagging of skin
[Read: Yoga and pranayama for glowing skin]
2- Massaging: Stimulating the skin with routine massages through facial or lotions is a great way to manipulate the crepey skin deformities. Massaging in most enriching ways helps in reducing the thin papery look of skin. Some such facial massages are:
i. Use folded fingers and gently massage the areas around chin and neck
ii. Using massage brush for dry skin brushing and contouring. This enriches blood circulation and thus rejuvenates our skin
3- Honey treatment: Honey is a natural humectants and helps in mild exfoliation too. Rubbing honey all over skin and face is a great way to enrich the skin and make it supple and flawless
4- Use lemon juice and sugar for natural face scrub. This will helps in detoxification and healing also keeping the skin hydrated
5- Use olive oil and coconut oil for skin hydration. Just massage gently and keep them over night to remove crepey skin
6- Aloe vera gel: Using aloe vera gel on skin daily can help in improving skin suppleness. Aloe vera is rich in anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidizing properties. It also gives a calming and soothing effect on skin.
7- Banana peel: Banana peel is richly blessed with potassium which is believed t reduce wrinkled skin. When this banana peel is rubbed on the crepey skin it nourished, moisturizes and hydrates it in addition to exfoliation.
8- Yogurt: Yogurt is a great probiotic which is rich in lactic acid. These lactose contents in yogurt help in enriching the production of elastin and collagen.
[Read: Benefits of castor oil for acne]
Surgical and medical treatments for crepey skin:
Though its not recommended to go for surgical treatments at early age, but for some severe cases you may have to consult your dermatologist for such treatments. These have side effects and can be harsh on skin too. Some of these methods include:
1- Laser treatment: Or laser resurfacing. This technique directs pulsating beams of laser light on the skin layers thus removing the upper deformed skin. It vaporizes the damaged skin cells at surface level.
2- Dermal filling: Derma filling is an injectable solution which is put into the skin tissues. They plump the area of sagging or crepeying. This is temporary from 6 months to 5 year. s
3- Retin-A: Retin-A cream is a prescription medication. This is made from acidic form of vitamin A. It is the only tropical treatment approved by FDA for wrinkles and sagging of skin.
4- TCA Peel: Chemicals are used for deep skin exfoliation. This gives rise to new and smooth skin underneath.
5- Steroid based creams and gels
6- Skin pads for quick and temporary reduction of crepes
7- Anti-sagging creams
[Read: Coconut oil for stretch marks during pregnancy]
Conclusion:
The above compilation on What is crepey skin and how to get rid of it is to help you prevent premature sagging of skin and adopt healthier choices in diet, lifestyle and work to get a youthful skin for long. Check with your dermatologist before proceeding with any of these remedies and do a patch test first.
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Minu Manisha
