As we age, our skin changes in many ways. From fine lines and wrinkles to dark spots to crepey skin, you may find that your skin doesn’t quite look the way it once did — whether it be the skin on your face or the skin on your body.
Today, we’re talking about crepey skin and how you can address it to get back to having the skin of your dreams.
What Is Crepey Skin?
When it comes to aging crepiness is, unfortunately, a fact of life. Crepey skin is a common skin condition in which the skin resembles crepe paper, hence the name. Often, people notice its appearance on their upper arms, under the eyes, on the neck, inner thighs, or other areas where the skin is already fragile and thin. Crepiness also tends to impact larger areas of the skin.
People often confuse crepiness with wrinkles. Below, we will cover the look and texture of crepey skin and compare the differences between crepey skin and wrinkles. If you are unsure if you have crepey skin or wrinkles, you can visit a dermatologist.
How Does Crepey Skin Look?
Crepey skin has the appearance of thin, saggy skin that tends to resemble wrinkled crepe paper and may feel loose. If you have crepey skin on the inside of your arms, it might look like it droops down below the other skin on your arm.
How Does Crepey Skin Feel?
Crepey skin feels fragile and thin. Again, imagine the texture of crepe paper: extremely thin, almost translucent, and very delicate.
Often, those with crepey skin dislike the appearance and texture of it, and may feel self-conscious. Crepey skin can disrupt the look of a smooth and toned complexion or body, and if it leaves you feeling a little self-conscious, you aren’t alone. However, you don’t have to simply accept crepiness if you find yourself wishing for the smooth skin you once had.
At Ourself, we want you to feel like a renewed version of yourself, not like you have to cover up. That’s why we have developed products that help protect and moisturize crepey skin, like our Mineral Sunscreen and Daily Renewal Cream.
How Are Crepey Skin and Wrinkles Different?
Crepey skin is often confused with wrinkles or fine lines, which happen with age as the skin loses elasticity and collagen production decreases. Wrinkles or fine lines appear as shallow creases on the skin, usually in areas where repeated motions take place. For example, wrinkles and fine lines are common on the forehead due to repeated facial expressions like raising or furrowing your eyebrows.
Crepey skin, however, does not necessarily result from repeated motions or expressions. While both crepey skin and wrinkles can be signs of aging, the appearance of crepey skin can be due to several other factors.
What Are Some Causes of Crepey Skin?
A variety of environmental and genetic factors can lead to the appearance of crepey skin. While some people experience crepey skin as they age, others may develop the condition from sun damage, or even rapid weight gain or weight loss.
Let’s take a closer look at some potential causes for crepey skin, as well as how and why these factors contribute to crepiness.
Sun Damage
While crepey skin on its own is not harmful, it is one of many skin conditions that can pop up as a result of sun damage. Many other forms of sun damage or sun exposure from things like tanning beds are much more dangerous and may contribute to long-term issues.
If you see crepey skin starting to appear, especially at a young age, it is a good idea to get your skin checked out by a dermatologist who can identify and help treat other signs of skin damage from ultraviolet rays.
Dark spots can also appear as a result of sun exposure. Just like crepey skin, dark spots are treatable.Try Ourself’s Dark Spot Intercept Duo for double the dark spot prevention and treatment.
Aging & Loss of Elasticity
As we age, our skin produces less elastin and collagen. Collagen and elastin keep our skin firm and supple and provide us with skin elasticity. Having less collagen and elastin can cause the skin to thin and sag, contributing to a crepey appearance.
Crepey skin is just one of many signs of aging—wrinkles and fine lines are also common as elastin and collagen production decrease. You may also notice a dull or uneven skin tone, which may be addressed with skin brightening products like our Brightening Peel. Blotchy skin, age spots, and liver spots can also occur after years of sun damage and aging.
Dehydration
Skin becomes dry and dehydrated from a lack of oils. Some people are more naturally predisposed to dry or dehydrated skin, while others experience dryness as they age. Just like the fibers that keep our skin supple and elastic, oils help protect our skin and seal in moisture.
Hormonal changes like menopause can lead to dry skin and cause crepiness. Sometimes, people even experience crepey skin that comes and goes with the seasons or day-to-day weather. If you notice that your skin is crepier depending on the day or the time of year, dehydration is likely the root cause of your crepey skin.
Weight Loss and Weight Gain
Crepey skin isn’t always a result of skin conditions or aging and is not necessarily a reflection of skin health. Sometimes, people who quickly gain or lose a lot of weight can experience a change in texture.
If the skin expands or contracts in a short amount of time, it can become thinner than it was before. Often, someone who gains weight and then experiences rapid weight loss will end up with crepey skin because the skin does not have time to shrink back down.
Other Causes of Crepey Skin
Sometimes, medications or genetic conditions can cause crepey skin. If you think your medication may be causing crepey skin as a side effect, talk to your doctor about alternatives.
Additionally, some genetic orders can affect skin elasticity and integrity or cause premature aging. While these conditions are rare, if you are experiencing crepey skin in addition to other symptoms, consult a physician. Your healthcare provider will be able to help you narrow down potential causes and ultimately develop a diagnosis and treatment plan to get you back on track.
How Can You Treat Crepey Skin?
There are several methods you can explore to treat crepey skin. From simple at-home treatments to laser procedures and surgery, you can decide which of these options is right for you.
No matter why you are experiencing crepiness, Ourself’s products can help renew and restore the skin you once knew and prevent further skin damage.
At-Home Treatments
There are several at-home treatments you can do to improve crepey skin. For hydration, try products like over-the-counter hyaluronic acid or moisturizers that contain hyaluronic acid, like our Daily Renewal Cream.
Our formula also contains niacinamide to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and Firming Intides™ to help improve skin texture and other signs of aging.
Exfoliation
Exfoliating can also help with crepey skin. Both physical exfoliants and chemical exfoliants like lactic acid can support healthy cell turnover for a youthful-looking complexion. Physical exfoliants use ingredients with a gritty texture to buff away dead skin, while—as the name implies—chemical exfoliants use chemicals to remove dead skin cells.
You can even try out a homemade sugar scrub to help remove dry, dead skin by mixing your favorite oil with white sugar. The sugar can gently scrub away flaky, dry skin while the oil stays behind to help moisturize. Make sure you use a non-comedogenic oil, especially if you have skin that’s prone to clogged pores.
Retinoids also help exfoliate the skin, which can, in turn, ease crepiness. However, topical skin care products like retinol can also be drying, so it is important to pair these with moisturizers like Ourself’s Daily Renewal Cream Rich to soothe dry, sensitive skin.
Radiofrequency
Radiofrequency is a non-invasive treatment that can help firm and tighten skin, as well as promote skin laxity. This non-ablative procedure helps support proper collagen synthesis, which is often one of the key causes of skin crepiness when it comes from aging.
Radiofrequency treatments are applied using a heat wand that a doctor passes over the skin. The radio waves send signals to your skin to produce elastin and collagen and speed up cell turnover so your skin can become thicker and firmer.
Fractional Laser Treatment
You can also visit a dermatologist to explore fractional laser treatment, which can both promote collagen and elastin production as well as assist with cell turnover. While laser treatments cannot eliminate sagging or excess skin, they can reduce the appearance of fine lines that accompany crepey skin.
Surgical Treatments
Surgery is a very intensive treatment for crepey skin. However, if you are experiencing crepey skin because of significant weight loss, it might be one of your only options to permanently remove crepey skin.
A plastic surgeon can do an operation to remove excess skin. People will often try other options before surgery for their crepey skin. All surgeries and procedures carry risks, and surgeons often only approve patients who meet specific conditions.
Additionally, some people can opt for fillers to reduce the appearance of crepey skin. With filler treatments, hyaluronic acid or other injectables like calcium hydroxylapatite are injected into the skin to give a fuller appearance and treat crepiness.
Fillers can also promote collagen production within the skin. However, fillers come with their fair share of risks. Sometimes, people can experience side effects with injectable fillers and may get their fillers dissolved due to complications. Make sure you discuss all the risks of fillers with your doctor before proceeding with them.
How Can You Prevent Crepey Skin?
We know that crepey skin often occurs due to a lack of moisture and sun damage. Therefore, to prevent crepey skin, you should focus on both sun protection and skin hydration. Giving your body and your skin the TLC it really needs is essential for preventing a variety of skin concerns, including crepey skin, dry or irritated skin, and even things like sun spots.
Build a skincare routine that helps prevent and treat crepey skin by using rich moisturizers like Ourself’s Daily Renewal Cream and sun protection like our Mineral Sunscreen. Keeping your skin hydrated and protected from the sun is the best way to keep yourself from experiencing crepey skin in the future.
Here is a rundown of some of the best ways to care for your skin in hopes of preventing crepiness.
Sun Protection
One of the main causes of crepey skin is sun damage. In order to protect your skin from the sun, you need to use a high-quality SPF on a daily basis. Even if your job takes place mostly indoors or you live in a cloudy climate, you can experience sun damage over time.
Add Ourself’s Mineral Sunscreen to your skincare routine for lightweight yet potent protection against pollution, UV rays, and blue light damage.
Using SPF on your body is just as important as using it on your face. Crepey skin often appears on the arms and other larger areas of the body. By using high SPF sunscreen or body lotions, you can help protect against crepey skin and other forms of sun damage while gaining hydration at the same time.
If you know you will be in the sun for a long time, you should also wear protective clothing. Lightweight, loose linens and cotton can help you feel cool while still protecting your skin from sun damage.
Hydration
Keeping your skin hydrated is also key to preventing skin crepiness, especially as you age. Make sure to avoid harsh cleaners that can strip the skin of natural oils, and incorporate a moisturizer into your daily routine.
For people with a naturally dry skin type, you should be extra conscientious when it comes to providing your skin with moisture. While oilier skin textures might opt for Ourself’s Daily Renewal Cream, people with dry skin or those who live in extreme climates should try out our Daily Renewal Cream Rich for an added layer of nourishment.
Both of our Daily Renewal Creams firm and hydrate skin simultaneously so you can treat the crepey skin you have and prevent any more crepiness from occurring. With hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, Firming Intides™, and extracts like ginger root, spirulina, and oryza sativa, you can expect an overall improvement after two weeks of use.
A Balanced Diet
No amount of skin treatment can fight against an unhealthy, imbalanced diet. You can help prevent crepey skin from the inside by ensuring you have all the vitamins and minerals you need in your diet. Talk to your doctor before beginning any supplements or vitamin regimens.
Ensure you consume adequate vitamin c, vitamin a, and antioxidants to promote healthy skin. While no amount of blueberries or other high-antioxidant food can take away crepey skin, eating enough fruits and vegetables promotes overall health, which can reflect on your skin.
Consuming enough fatty acids, like the omega-3s found in fatty fish, nuts, and seeds, can also help support a healthy skin lipid barrier. Your skin barrier is essential for moisture retention and protection against irritants, and having a strong skin barrier may help you maintain smooth and glowing skin for years to come.
Conclusion
Crepey skin is a skin condition in which the skin on large areas of the body has the appearance and texture of wrinkled crepe paper. It’s often dry, thin, and delicate. You may notice crepey skin on your upper arms, thighs, or under your eyes, and it might appear to sag below the other skin in the area.
Factors like sun damage, dehydration, aging, and changes in weight can all cause or contribute to crepey skin, and though some of these factors are out of your control, there are still steps you can take to help minimize or prevent crepiness.
The best way to treat crepey skin is to prevent it altogether. Protecting your skin from the sun, hydrating using a moisturizer, and promoting health and wellness via a balanced diet can synergistically help. That said, exfoliation, laser treatments, and the right skincare routine may help minimize the look of any crepiness you are already dealing with.
Sources:
Crepey Skin? A Surprising Cause — and 4 Expert Fixes | Cleveland Clinic
Aging changes in skin | MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Radiofrequency for the treatment of skin laxity: myth or truth | PMC