What Is Crepe Skin? Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Preventing & Treating It
August 16, 2018 by Lisa Cupido
Our skin is constantly changing. As we age, we start to lose collagen and elastin, both of which keep skin firm and help it retain its laxity (in other words, when you pinch your skin, it springs right back to its original state). Some of these changes are simply a part of life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your skin healthy and radiant at any age.
No matter how old you are, there are steps you can take now to reduce the amount of crepe skin you see creeping up on areas of your body like your neck, décolletage, arms, and even our legs. And if that term — crepe skin — is new to you, read on to learn what it is, what causes crepe skin, and how you can prevent and treat it.
What Is Crepe Skin?First, the basics. Crepe skin–also known as elephant skin–is loose skin that resembles crepe paper and that can appear anywhere on the body, usually as we age. Your average wrinkle or fine line on your face or around your eyes is the result of repeatedly using muscles in those areas. After years of squinting, furrowing your brow, or simply smiling, it makes sense that lines would form in those overworked spots. That’s also the reason why Botox, which temporarily paralyzes the muscles that cause wrinkles, is such an effective treatment.
But unlike wrinkles that can be treated with in-office procedures, crepe skin is most often caused by three factors.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
The Leading Causes To Crepe Skin1. Too much UV exposure: Spending too much time in the sun prematurely breaks down elastin and results in loose skin that won’t bounce back to its original, firm state.
2. Dehydration: When the skin loses its moisture and is dehydrated, it also loses its plumpness and elasticity.
3. Pollution: Environmental stressors can prematurely age your skin. Pollution clogs your pores and causes wrinkles.
4. Extreme weight gain and weight loss: When you gain and lose a lot of weight over a short period of time, you stretch out your skin’s elasticity. Do this enough and your skin won’t bounce back as quickly as it once did.