SKIN LAXITY

Skin laxity occurs as a result of lost skin elasticity. Your skin’s elasticity enables it to bounce back from stretching, hold a taut form to your body and resist the effects of gravity. Skin laxity varies from individual to individual with some naturally possessing more elastic skin than others.

Healthy, youthful, and vibrant skin is something we’re each born with but as time passes a variety of factors degrade the quality of the skin. One of these issues is the loss of collagen and elastin which leads to loss of skin elasticity

How to tell if you have good skin elasticity?

The “pinch test” is a quick and easy way to measure your skin elasticity.

Step 1. Rest your hand palm down and with your other hand, pinch the skin on the back of your hand, holding for at least five seconds

Step 2. Release your pinch and count how many seconds it takes for your skin to flatten.

See the chart below for how your skin elasticity measures up with those in your age group

Ages under 30 – 1-2 seconds
Ages 30 – 44 –  3-4 seconds
Ages 45 – 50 –  5-9 seconds
Ages over 60 –  10-15 seconds
Ages over 70 –  35-55 seconds

If you are unsatisfied with the time it takes for your skin to bounce back, you may have skin laxity. Fortunately, there are many options to help you tighten your skin and combat the onset of aging symptoms.

Collagen and elastin are proteins that play a vital role in supporting skin structure and health. Studies have strongly established collagen’s importance in promoting skin health.

Although daily skin maintenance is essential, the eventual effect of time and aging can take its toll on your skin’s elasticity, resulting is sagging, wrinkling and stretching. Aging results in less elastin and collagen produced in our skin. Additionally, lifestyle habits such as smoking, stress, and overexposure to the sun accelerate the breakdown of skin elasticity.

With sun exposure, harmful UV rays penetrate the skin and trigger photoaging. Numerous dermatological studies have shown that those who are prone to sun exposure will typically experience accelerated rates of photoaging. If you are regularly exposed to the sun without adequate sun protection, the sun’s UV rays are chronically triggering the release of free radicals and oxidative molecules in your skin. These oxidative elements set in motion chemical reactions that weaken the molecular structure of skin cells. Some studies are indicating that as much as 50% of aging symptoms are caused by the sun!

The oxidative stress on your skin triggered by the sun breaks down your skin’s supportive structures and results in loss of skin elasticity. Moreover, oxidative stress breaks down your skin’s natural protective characteristics and ability to retain moisture.