Do you have concerns of loose, crepey skin on your face and/or body? Skin laxity is something everyone will face at some point in their life due to the natural aging process. Besides aging, there are other factors that can play a part in skin laxity, such as intrinsic and extrinsic factors, genetics, diet, lifestyle, sun exposure, stress and smoking. Sometimes following a healthy diet and workout regimen isn’t enough to target laxity in the skin. There are two vital components to the skin’s structure that will affect laxity; collagen and elastin. As we age we begin to lose these two key components and our skin begins to lose elasticity, resulting in loose or sagging skin.

What is collagen?

Collagen is the main structural protein found in the skin and other connective tissues throughout the body. Think of collagen as the “building blocks” of the skin. 

What is elastin?

Elastin is a protein that coils and recoils like a spring within the elastic fibers of connective tissue, accounting for the elasticity of the skin and other structures of the body.

The skin depends on both collagen and elastin to remain tight to our face and body. Collagen and elastin are found in the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis, which is located right above the fatty layer which lies beneath the skin. 

So why do we lose collagen and elastin as we age?

As we age, our bodies begin to stop producing collagen and elastin. Other outside factors are responsible for the destruction of these two key components in the skin; keep in mind the difference between destruction and production. The aging process can be rushed by the things we are doing in our day to day lives, affecting the appearance and health of our skin.