Our bodies go through many changes as we age. One of the most noticeable changes is sagging skin and loss of muscle tone. This can start in our 20s and 30s but becomes more prominent in our 40s and beyond. When does sagging start and why does it happen? Let’s take a closer look.
When Does Sagging Start?
While sagging skin and changes in body shape can start in our 20s, the most significant changes tend to happen in our 40s and 50s. Here’s a quick overview of when sagging often begins in different areas of the body:
Face and Neck
– Sagging often starts in the mid to late 30s as collagen production declines and skin loses elasticity. Jowls, drooping cheeks, loose neck skin, and wrinkles become more noticeable.
Chest
– Breasts start to lose firmness and shrink in size in the late 30s and 40s due to diminished skin elasticity and glandular tissue.
Arms
– The upper arms typically start becoming looser and saggy in the early 40s. Loss of muscle mass contributes to a floppy appearance.
Abdomen
– The abdomen begins to sag and protrude in the mid to late 30s and early 40s. Weight gain, pregnancy, and loss of muscle tone speed up the process.
Buttocks
– The buttocks start drooping in the early 40s. A flatter, saggy look results from muscle loss and reduced skin elasticity.
Inner Thighs
– Inner thighs start to sag in the late 30s and early 40s. Fat accumulation combined with loss of collagen leads to a droopy appearance.
So in summary, while sagging can start in our 20s, it becomes much more visible throughout our 40s and 50s in areas like the face, chest, arms, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs. Lifestyle factors like sun exposure, smoking, weight fluctuations, and pregnancy can accelerate the process.
What Causes Sagging with Age?
There are several factors that cause our skin and body shape to head south as we get older:
Loss of Collagen
Collagen is a protein that gives skin its structure and firmness. Collagen production starts decreasing around age 25. The loss of collagen causes skin to get thinner and lose elasticity over time. This leads to wrinkles and sagging.
Lower Elastin Levels
Elastin fibers allow skin to snap back into place. Like collagen, elastin production starts declining in our 20s. With less elastin, skin is less able to bounce back after stretching and begins to sag.
Loss of Facial Volume
As we age, fat pads between tissues in the face begin to disappear. This loss of facial volume leads to drooping cheeks, jowls, and wrinkles.
Diminished Muscle Mass
We naturally lose muscle mass and tone as we age, a process called sarcopenia. Drooping and loose skin become more noticeable as underlying muscle shrinks from lack of use.
Gravity
Over time, gravity simply takes its toll on our skin. Skin and underlying tissues start to droop and sag under the relentless pull of gravity. Areas like the abdomen, buttocks, jowls, and arms are most affected.
Weight Fluctuations
Losing and regaining weight over the years stretches skin over and over. This strains collagen and elastin fibers in the skin, leading to sagging.
Sun Exposure
UV rays from the sun degrade collagen and elastin over time. This causes premature wrinkling and sagging. Smoking can worsen these effects.
Can Sagging Be Prevented?
While sagging skin and changes in body shape are a natural part of aging, certain lifestyle measures can help slow the process and minimize the effects:
Moisturize Daily
Using moisturizers helps hydrate skin and temporarily plumps up wrinkles. Look for moisturizers with antioxidants to protect collagen.
Use Broad Spectrum Sunscreen
Protect skin from UV damage by applying broad spectrum sunscreen daily. This helps maintain collagen and elastin levels longer.
Don’t Smoke
Avoid smoking, which accelerates collagen and elastin breakdown through its toxins and facial expressions from puffing.
Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated helps keep skin supple and delays wrinkling. Aim for at least eight glasses of water daily.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Fluctuating weight can permanently stretch skin. Losing weight slowly and keeping it stable gives skin more chance to snap back.
Eat a Nutritious Diet
A diet rich in antioxidants and healthy fats promotes collagen production. Salmon, avocados, broccoli, and berries are great options.
Do Facial Exercises
Exercises like smiling, puckering lips, and lifting eyebrows help tone facial muscles and temporarily lift sagging areas.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Quality sleep allows collagen production and repair to occur. Shoot for 7-9 hours per night to maintain skin elasticity.
While sagging skin is inevitable, taking preventive measures can help you age gracefully and keep sagging to a minimum. Being diligent about sun protection and healthy lifestyle habits makes a big difference over decades.
What Areas Are Most Prone to Sagging?
Some parts of the body are more susceptible to sagging than others. Here are the top sag-prone body areas and why they change so noticeably:
Face and Neck
The face and neck sag early because the skin is thinner and more delicate in these areas. There is also a wealth of expression lines that get etched into the skin over time. Dramatic loss of collagen leads to jowls and turkey neck.
Breasts
Breasts lose glandular tissue, muscle tone, and support as women age. Diminished estrogen levels also allow ligaments to stretch. This combination of factors makes breasts prone to sagging.
Abdomen
Pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and loss of muscle mass all strain the abdomen’s skin elasticity over time. A protruding stomach results from stretched skin that cannot retract.
Upper Arms
Skin on the upper arms is very thin, so loss of collagen is readily apparent. Sarcopenia also leads to loss of muscle definition, creating a saggy appearance. The arms tend to get significantly floppier with age.
Inner Thighs
The inner thighs accumulate fat deposits starting around middle age, while losing structural collagen. This creates a droopy, crepey appearance on the upper legs.
Buttocks
Like the face, the buttocks succumb to gravity’s pull fairly early on. Loss of collagen, elastin, and muscle mass in the glutes leads to flat, saggy backsides.
Knees
Crepey skin around the knees results from a loss of collagen and elastin in skin that is already thin. This causes wrinkling and sagging to appear around the kneecaps.
Overall, areas with thinner skin, repeated movement, longer sun exposure, and loss of volume show sagging sooner. Following preventive skin care and lifestyle habits can help delay the process.
Diet and Exercise to Prevent Sagging
Your diet and exercise routine can impact how soon and how much your body sags. Here are some recommendations for eating and exercising to minimize sagging:
Diet Tips
- Eat foods rich in antioxidants like berries, leafy greens, tomatoes, and nuts to protect your collagen.
- Make sure to get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from fish, avocados, olive oil, and seeds to boost skin elasticity.
- Eat a high fiber diet with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to avoid weight fluctuations that strain skin.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day to keep your skin supple.
- Limit sugar, which can degrade collagen fibers over time.
Exercise Tips
- Do strength training 2-3 times per week to maintain muscle mass and tone.
- Perform targeted exercises for sag-prone areas like squats for the butt and arm curls for the upper arms.
- Include yoga and Pilates to improve core strength and posture.
- Try facial exercises like yawning or smiling to tone sagging facial muscles.
- Walk daily to improve circulation and skin health.
Following an anti-inflammatory diet and doing regular strength training provides structural support for the skin and keeps sagging at bay. As muscles stay toned, the overlying skin remains tighter.
Medical and Cosmetic Treatments
If lifestyle measures don’t provide your desired results, there are medical and cosmetic treatments that can help address sagging:
Injectable Fillers
Injectables like Juvederm and Restylane add volume under the skin to lift sagging areas. Results last 6-18 months depending on treatment area. Common injection sites include cheeks, jawline, chin, lips, and hands.
Ultherapy
This non-invasive procedure uses focused ultrasound to lift and tighten skin on the brow, neck, and under the chin. It stimulates collagen production for gradual tightening over 2-3 months that can last up to 2 years.
Radiofrequency Treatments
Devices like Thermage and InMode use radiofrequency energy to heat the dermis and stimulate collagen and elastin production. This leads to tighter skin and can lift sagging areas.
Body Contouring Procedures
Surgical body contouring like a tummy tuck, breast lift, or thigh lift trims away excess skin and supports remaining tissues for a lifted, smoothed appearance.
Face or Neck Lift
A surgical facelift or neck lift removes excess skin, tightens deeper structures, and redrapes the skin for a rejuvenated, youthful look that diminishes sagging.
Consult with a cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon to choose treatments suitable for your areas of concern. Often a combination approach works best for optimal sagging correction.
Home Remedies to Reduce Sagging
There are also some home remedies you can try to improve skin firmness and elasticity to reduce sagging:
Olive Oil Massages
Massage olive oil into sagging skin to moisturize while improving circulation and lymphatic drainage. The vitamin E in olive oil protects against free radical damage.
Egg Whites
Whipped egg whites can temporarily tighten skin when applied to the face and neck like a mask. The protein nourishes skin while the drying effect provides a lift.
Cold Water Therapy
Splashing your face with cold water or taking cold showers helps stimulate blood flow. This can temporarily tone facial skin and reduce the appearance of sagging.
Topical Caffeine
Caffeine applied to the skin acts as a vasoconstrictor to firm and tighten skin while reducing puffiness. Look for caffeine in skincare serums and creams.
Aloe Vera
The antioxidants and polysaccharides in aloe vera promote collagen production which helps combat sagging skin and wrinkles.
Facial Exercises
Doing daily facial exercises like puckering, smiling, or lifting your eyebrows tones and lifts the facial muscles to reduce sagging temporarily.
Home remedies like massages, cold therapy, topicals, and facial exercises can provide temporary tightening. For longer lasting help with sagging skin, medical treatments are most effective.
The Takeaway
Sagging skin and changes in body shape occur naturally with age, starting in our 30s and becoming more pronounced in our 40s and beyond. Areas like the face, breasts, abdomen, arms, thighs, and buttocks are especially prone to showing the effects of time as collagen and elastin fibers break down and muscles shrink. Prevention through UV protection, a healthy diet and lifestyle, maintaining a stable body weight, staying hydrated, and doing facial exercises can help slow this process. For moderate to severe sagging, medical treatments like facelifts, fillers, and body contouring procedures can provide aesthetic rejuvenation. While sagging is simply a part of aging, there are options available to look your best at any stage of life.
