Crepey skin: A Science Backed Approach

If it seems like your wrinkles are worse than usual, you could actually be dealing with crepey skin. While this skin issue seems similar to typical wrinkles, there are some key differences in terms of causes, treatment, and prevention.

As a result, it’s important to gain a full and complete understanding of your skin concerns so that you can effectively treat these issues and restore a smoother and younger-looking appearance.

You may have heard the term “crepey” skin before, but what does this actually mean?

This term refers to skin that has a “crepey” appearance that’s thin, loose, wrinkled, and fragile -- similar to the appearance of tissue paper. Crepey skin goes beyond your average wrinkles and fine lines. Instead, the skin is visibly loose and thin.

Although crepey skin usually begins to develop in your 40s, it can appear as early as your 20s as a result of unhealthy lifestyle habits. This skin issue can affect large areas of skin but tends to particularly affect areas around the eyes and the inner part of the upper arms.

It’s nearly impossible to properly treat crepey skin if you don’t first understand the cause. There are several potential causes of crepey skin that you should take into account before pursuing treatment options:

Age

Crepey skin could be part of the natural aging process. That being said, not everyone develops this skin issue with age.

Genetics

Genetics could contribute to the appearance of crepey skin with age. If you parents or grandparents experienced this skin issue, you’re more likely to experience it as well.

Skin type

A dry skin type could contribute to the development of crepey skin, especially as you age. This is because fine lines, wrinkles, and a crepey appearance is more pronounced in dry skin that simply doesn’t have the moisture necessary to fill in these lines. This factor is tied to the age factor as well, as skin produces less oil and tends to try out as you age.

Smoking

Crepey skin could be caused by smoking. This is because the chemicals in cigarettes can enter your skin and damage the production of collagen and elastin within your skin cells, leading to advanced signs of aging, including crepey skin, sagging, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Weight Loss

Crepey and loose skin can be caused by substantial weight loss, especially over a short period of time. When the skin is unable to bounce back properly, you could be left with excess amounts of crepey and loose skin.

Sun damage

The most common cause of crepey skin is sun damage as a result of long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation without adequate protection. This is because ultraviolet radiation affects the cells in your body, breaks down elastin in the skin, and stemies the production of collagen -- leaving you at a higher risk of developing signs of premature aging including crepey skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging.

Skin tone

Those with a fair skin tone are more prone to develop signs of aging as a result of sun damage that’s particularly taxing on lighter skin.

It’s always ideal to prevent crepey skin from appearing in the first place so that you don’t have to worry about treatment. The good news is that unlike regular wrinkles and fine lines, crepey skin is largely preventable!

Here are some steps you can take to maintain a smooth and youthful appearance:

Sun protection

Since crepey skin is largely caused by long-term sun exposure and damage, the best way to prevent this from occurring is to practice diligent sun protection. This means applying a product with at least SPF 30 each and every day. Though it may be tempting to skip SPF during the winter, when it’s cloudy, or when you’re spending the day inside, this is a product that you want to apply consistently since the sun’s ultraviolet rays can quite literally reach you anywhere, anytime. It’s also a good idea to protect your skin through clothing and shade when you are outside. Finally, avoid things like tanning beds to maintain your best skin.

Healthy habits

Since crepey skin can also be caused by unhealthy habits like smoking, it’s possible to prevent this issue from developing by quitting smoking. Obviously, this is easier said than done but there are plenty of things you can do to make quitting easier.

Complete nutrition

The saying “you are what you eat” definitely rings true when it comes to your skin. If you want to preserve your young and healthy skin, then you need to consume the right foods that contain things like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. On the flip side, avoid unhealthy foods that are high in unhealthy fats, oils, sugars, and preservatives.

While you can prevent crepey skin through simple healthy lifestyle changes, another change you can make to prevent and improve the appearance of this skin concern is to your skincare routine. Odds are that you aren’t practicing a beneficial and comprehensive skincare routine for your unique skin concerns. Many people tend to take a one size fits all approach to skincare, but this is definitely not the best approach.

Instead, you should take a personalized approach to skincare with custom products from PROVEN. PROVEN believes that skincare should be as unique as you are. As a result, we have developed a revolutionary database that contains a litany of information about skincare products and ingredients.

We have also created a skin quiz that is able to combine that information with yours to develop personalized skincare formulas that can help you prevent and alleviate the appearance of crepey skin throughout your body.

For example, if you mention anti-aging concerns on your skin quiz like wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and crepey skin, you can expect to see ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, alpha hydroxy acids, peptides, and Vitamin C in your products.

Here’s what you get with the PROVEN skincare regimen:

• A cleanser that also contains toning and exfoliating properties for an incredible 3-in-1 product that can tackle your crepey skin and more!
• A moisturizer that nourishes the skin and also contains SPF 40 to protect it at the same time.
• A night cream that contains highly concentrated amounts of the beneficial ingredients you need to fight off crepey skin while you sleep.

These three products can comprise your entire skincare routine and make it extremely easy for you to stick to a skincare routine that fights signs of aging like crepey skin.