Sagging Skin: The Truth Behind Five Common Myths

Sagging skin is not something anyone wants to deal with but it is a reality that everyone will need to face at some point or another.

Sagging skin is a natural part of the ageing process but obviously, there are steps that you can take to prevent your skin from sagging too early. However, there are a number of myths surrounding sagging skin and what can be done to prevent it.

Common Myths about Sagging Skin

Myth 1: Your skin will sag if you sleep on your stomach

Your favourite sleep position won’t cause your skin to sag but it can lead to wrinkles. If you’ve ever noticed light creases and lines in the morning when you wake up, these are known as sleep wrinkles, and they’re the result of your sleep position. When you’re younger this isn’t an issue because your skin is more elastic but your sleep position does have an effect once you get older. To prevent this from happening, you could look into specialised pillows that are designed to reduce sleep wrinkles.

Myth 2: Runners develop sagging skin faster than others

According to cosmetic surgery clinic Dr Sharp, a healthy habit such as running is not going to cause your face skin to sag. The only reason why your skin begins to sag is because there is a loss of facial volume and collagen, which causes your skin to be less elastic. Running is not going to damage the collagen in your skin but not wearing sunscreen can damage your skin and cause premature ageing.

Myth 3: Your skin will bounce back after weight loss

This depends on your age, how elastic your skin is and how much weight you have lost. Unfortunately, once your skin stretches past a certain point, it’s very difficult for it to bounce back, particularly if you’re a little older. Eye bags and jowls are not uncommon after weight loss, so you may need to look into procedures such as dermal fillers or body contouring.

Myth 4: Facial exercises aren’t effective for sagging skin

This is not true. There are facial exercises that can help prevent sagging skin but there is also a good chance that the exercises will cause expression lines, which means you may need to look into procedures such as anti-wrinkle injections anyway at some point or another.

Myth 5: Topical products are enough to treat sagging skin

This is once again dependent on your age and the condition of your skin. In some cases, topical products can be used to treat early stages of sagging skin. However, when skin laxity is more advanced, topical products often need to be used in conjunction with cosmetic or surgical procedures that actually reduce the amount of excess skin on the face or body.

If you are concerned about sagging skin, schedule a consultation at a reputable cosmetic or plastic surgery clinic to discuss your options with a qualified professional. Once your face and skin have been examined, a treatment plan that suits your requirements can be created.