As we get older, the skin loses its youthful exuberance and begins to loosen on your face, neck, and the rest of the body. This can also be the result of other factors apart from age, such as weight loss. Your eyelids, jowls, chin, throat, stomach, and upper arms can all be susceptible to sagging skin. The main causes of this are:
- Skin loosening that occurs with age is mostly due to a loss of collagen networks, elastin fibres, and hyaluronic acid — the molecule that helps the skin retain moisture. Elastin gives the skin its firmness, so when this decreases, the skin loses its ability to bounce back. Collagen is responsible for keeping the skin taut and firm and again will struggle to do so when it breaks down as we age
- Weight loss, especially significant or rapid weight loss, and pregnancy can loosen the skin by stretching skin molecules or changing the structure of the skin. If an area of your body has had extra weight for a while, then suddenly loses it, the skin may not react to this change and stay stretched. This is also especially true if you have sudden weight loss when older as your skin will already be less firm and taut than when younger.
Several other health and lifestyle factors can also contribute to the loss or sagging skin, these include:
- Menopause
- Ultraviolet (UV) light damage; Artificial tanning
- Certain medications, such as steroids and corticosteroids
- Skin products or detergents that contain harsh chemicals
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Poor nutrition
- Environmental pollutants
All the above will affect how your skin reacts over time, with some more difficult to avoid than others. Therefore, saggy skin under eyes, sagging skin on arms, sagging skin on face will affect some individuals differently from others and can occur much earlier in life for some depending on their general health and lifestyle.