- prevent
- reduce/improve
- eliminate
- crepey, wrinkled skin so your skin can thrive and look great!
What is Crepey Skin?
When skin becomes like crepe paper — appearing paper-thin and dry. Crepey skin is different than deep wrinkles caused by the breakdown of the layers of the skin.
Areas Affected
Any area of the skin that is stretching and moving — the neck, the face, the décolleté, around the eyes, the knees, inner arms, hands, elbows, shoulders. All these areas can develop a crepe-like texture.
What Causes Crepey Skin?
Elastin fibers in the skin break down. Elastin fibers allow the skin to stretch and then return to normal. When the elastin fibers can’t return to taught skin, the skin becomes crepe-like.
What About Collagen Breakdown?
Elastin breakdown Combined with Loss of Collagen makes skin particularly fragile. Collagen gives skin internal support from the dermis (3rd layer below the cuticle and epidermis (1st) layer).
Collagen also helps with elasticity and hydration.
Without collagen, which is a protein, skin becomes weak and sags and wrinkles. Our bodies naturally lose collagen at 1% per year.
For more on skin and collagen, see this page for articles.
Wrinkles vs Crepey Skin
Wrinkles are formed when there is a repetitive motion in one area that affects the muscles and layers of the skin – smiling, frowning, squinting, smashing.
Crepey skin occurs when your skin grows thin and loses its ability to return to normal after being stretched.
How to Prevent Loss of Elastin
- #1 – Cover up in the sun and avoid UV Radiation
- Don’t Smoke
- If smoking, quit ASAP
- Avoid sudden weight gain and sudden weight loss
- Eat clean, healthy foods and a diet with lots of vegetables
- Stay hydrated (hint, drink more water than you think you need…. )
How to Improve and Get Rid of Crepey Skin
- Increase Vitamin A in your diet
- Use skincare products with specific ingredients (Vitamin A, Alpha Hydroxy, Collagen)
- Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
- Build Muscles – arms, legs, neck, and even face
- Sleep well and reduce stress to avoid excessive amounts of the stress hormone cortisol
- Quit smoking
Summary for What Causes Crepey Skin?
The term crepey skin comes from when the skin breaks down and looks a bit like crepe paper.
Crepey skin can occur on the face, around the eyes, on the arms, chest, legs. Anywhere the skin expands and contracts.
Breakdown of elastin combined with the breakdown of collagen, the skin loses elasticity and is unable to return to firm skin.
Is it repairable? Yes by:
- increasing Vitamin A in your diet;
- using skincare products with Vitamin A (retinol), Alpha Hydroxy Acid, and Collagen;
- build muscles;
- sleep well, reduce stress, quit smoking, and staying out of extreme sun