How to Improve Skin Elasticity

Before we talk about how to improve skin elasticity, it is important to explain the difference between elastin and collagen.

Elastin and Collagen are both proteins found mostly in connective tissues within the skin and they do slightly different things.

Elastin allows the tissue in the body to snap back into shape. It allows the skin to stretch to create expression and then return to normal. Elastin comes from the word elastic, so imagine a rubber band and this is how it works.

Collagen gives the skin its rigidity and plumpness and works alongside elastin to give the skin its shape and firmness.

Unless you have some magical gene-improving elixir, loss of skin elasticity is unfortunately a natural part of the ageing process!  So, as you age you might start to notice loss of elasticity around your eyes first.  As our skin is at its thinnest around the eyelids and under-eye areas, it is here where the ageing process shows itself first and the skin doesn’t seem to bounce back like it used to. People often find the jowls and neck are the next areas to show signs of reduced elasticity. The loss of elasticity causes skin to look saggy and crinkled.  This is due to the loss of elastin and collagen in the skin which provides skin with the ability to stretch and snap back into place.

Other than ageing, there are several other factors that will affect our skin health and the loss of elastin in our skin, these include; 

• sun exposure
• air pollution 
• poor nutrition
• smoking

So, if you are concerned about your skin’s elasticity and want to help reduce this process then these are the first things to consider; give up smoking, always wear a high SPF sunscreen all year round, enjoy a varied diet full of fruit and vegetables of various colours, and try to avoid air pollution (or wear a serum to protect you from it).

Once you’ve addressed these primary factors, there are still plenty more things you can do to proactively improve your collagen and elastin levels, the first one as mentioned above,  is to use skincare products that can not only protect your skin but also help rebuild your levels of collagen and strengthen and stimulate your elastin fibres too.

Skin Care Products to help reduce loss of collagen

Antioxidants – There are many products on the market that contain antioxidants that protect your skin from the free radicals (air pollutants) these will protect your skin and reduce the loss of collagen and elastin.  One that we love is the iS clinical Super Serum as it provides extremely powerful antioxidant protection and with Vitamin C encourages collagen synthesis.

Retinols – a derivative of Vitamin A, retinols are the only FDA approved skin care ingredient proven to have visible anti-ageing results, this is because it can boost collagen levels as well as helping skin turnover to reveal fresh new skin cells.  When looking to buy a retinol you should look for one that is professional (pharmaceutical) grade, ideally sold from a skin specialist. Retinols come in different strengths, it is always advised to start low and work your way up to improve the skin’s tolerance with the higher levels of vitamin A.

Hyaluronic Acid injections (Profhilo) and Dermal Fillers – Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body that holds up to 1000 times its weight in water so when injected it can plump up the skin leaving it looking firmer and tighter. Profhilo is a popular treatment administered by an aesthetic doctor where hyaluronic acid is injected into several points around the face to leave skin looking radiant and glowing.  In addition, dermal fillers administered by a doctor also give the appearance of a more youthful complexion as areas where collagen is lacking can be filled to plump up the skin.

Treatments to stimulate Collagen

There are many facials and facial treatments available that will help stimulate collagen levels in your skin, we recommend that you have a skin consultation with one of our trained skin care therapists who can advise you on the most suitable treatment for your skin and your concerns.  These may include a Chemical Peel, a course of LED light therapy, skin tightening and also Microneedling.

One of our most popular treatments, a hydrafacial will stimulate collagen as within the 6 step facial there is  a light peel and LED light treatment both of which will build collagen in the skin. A course of microneedling with SkinPen is also a highly effective way to improve your skin’s elasticity as the tiny needle punctures stimulate the skin’s natural wound-healing response so the skin naturally produces more collagen to heal the dermis leaving you with radiant, plumped skin.

So, although skin naturally loses some of its ability to bounce back as we age, there are factors that can speed this process up including sun exposure, smoking, and a poor diet but there are also successful treatments for improving skin elasticity so the best way forward is to have a skin consultation to discuss your skin concerns and skin care routine with a trained therapist.