4 Tricks for Keeping Your Skin Firm & Youthful

Have you ever gazed in the mirror and wondered when on earth you started looking older? As we age, the quality of our skin changes; firmness fades as elasticity dwindles and wrinkles begin to take up permanent residence.

Luckily, you can do more than just wish for younger looking skin. From professional treatments to at-home fixes, there are a number of solutions for helping your skin look and feel firm and youthful—Allure recently featured some of the best.

1. Picking the perfect products: the benefits of elastin & collagen

Elastin is what keeps your skin tight and able to “bounce back,” while collagen keeps wrinkles at bay by making the skin’s surface supple. Unfortunately, we stop producing elastin after adolescence, and collagen levels decrease dramatically as we enter adulthood. But we don’t always have to rely on our genes to provide us with what we need.

To keep your skin youthful, try a cream containing retinoids. This will help up the elasticity and collagen levels in your skin, giving you a youthful firmness. Just be sure you work with a skincare professional to ensure you are choosing the right products for your skin type and concerns.

Sugar can dehydrate your body and prematurely age your skin.

2. Ditch habits that harm your skin

In addition to the natural toll of time, some of your lifestyle habits could be contributing to an aged appearance. If you’re guilty of any of the below, it may be time to reevaluate!

• Quit smoking! We all know that smoking isn’t good for our health in general, but it’s also awful for your looks. It decreases estrogen, elastin, and collagen levels, which are all necessary components of beautiful skin.

• Reduce sugar intake. Sugar can dehydrate your body and prematurely age your skin. Having high amounts of sugar in the bloodstream creates harmful molecules called advanced glycation end products which can age the face as early as your mid-thirties.

• Protect your skin. Did you know that you can get sun damage any time of the year, even when it’s dreary or cold? Aside from emphasizing the appearance of wrinkles and leading to skin discoloration, too much sun exposure also greatly increases your risk for skin cancer. Always wear a high-quality brand of sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30!

• Wear sunglasses. Not only will sunglasses protect the skin on and around your eyes from sun damage, they also stop you from wrinkle-causing expressions like squinting.

3. Work on stress management

We get it: Relaxing and staying stress-free are easier said than done. But keeping calm and giving yourself a little TLC can go a long way when it comes to your health, especially the health of your skin. Here are two little things you can do to relax and manage stress:

• Use a soothing moisturizer at least twice a day to both help you relax and also nourish your skin. (Remember tip #1? Up the ante by choosing a cream that has retinoids to cover all of your bases.)

• Meditation is a great way to reduce stress. Adopting the serene expression you wear while meditating during the rest of the day will also help you avoid expression-based wrinkles such as frown lines.

• Be aware of your neck. When exercising or stressed out, most people unconsciously tighten the muscles in the neck, which can pull skin back from the face and promote sagging.

4. Find a professional

If you’re not sure where to start or are interested in learning more about longer-lasting treatment options, it’s important to work with a professional. Dr. Sobel and his skincare team can help you explore your options, learn more about skin tightening treatments like Thermage®, or help design a custom at-home skincare regime. If you’re ready to reclaim a youthful look with firmer skin, contact us today!