How To Tone Sagging Skin On Legs
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Sagging skin on legs is something that most people want to avoid.
While any kind of skin – saggy too – deserves to be loved, an extra amount of sagginess can cause quite a lot of discomfort.
Saggings Skin On Legs: Why It Happens And What Can You Do
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What Causes Saggy Skin On Legs?
Usually, firm, tight skin tends to stretch and then snap back into place.
Sagging skin occurs when certain factors affect the molecular structure that keeps the skin firm and elastic.
The most common cause of sagging skin on legs is a lot of weight loss – too much or too fast, so your skin is unable to catch up with elasticity.
On the other hand, you may also begin to notice sagging skin on legs if you have been exercising a lot more or doing excessive, hardcore workouts.
Mostly, exercising does improve sagging skin on legs, but it’s important to note that not all types of exercise cause the same effects.
Some exercises help firm the skin, while other exercises can cause it to stretch out or even tear (with some exercises, the muscles in your legs are stretched and pulled, causing the skin to stretch).
Another important reason why your legs may look saggy is because of poor circulation.
Poor circulation means that the blood flow isn’t as effective in keeping the skin firm and elastic.
As a result, the collagen fibers in your skin cells are weakened, which causes sagging.
Speaking of collagen, another reason that your skin looks less elastic is that your body is producing less collagen and elastin as you age.
Collagen and elastin are two proteins that are found in your skin cells.
The biggest challenge for anti-aging skincare products is getting enough of them produced.
If you’re not getting or producing enough of these two proteins, also if you smoke or skip sunscreen, you’ll start seeing wrinkles and sagging skin sooner than you’d like.
Related: How To Lift Sagging Skin On Your Face
So one reason or another, eventually, you may begin to notice sagging skin on your legs and even feel that your skin is not as firm as it used to be.
Please know that it’s totally normal, it’s not dangerous and you can improve the tone and elasticity of your leg skin.
How To Tone Sagging Skin On Legs
1. Try a Stretch Mark Cream
If you want an easy, low-effort way to try to solve this problem, you might want to give stretch marks cream a try.
It is quite an effective remedy that can be pretty successful in treating and even eliminating(!) stretch marks and other skin problems – like sagging skin!
A high-quality stretch mark cream will usually contain both collagen and elastin to bump up your own resources of these proteins.
Our favorite right now is Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Stretch Marks Lotion with collagen, elastin, argan oil, and shea butter:
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion For Stretch Marks
You can use it by massaging it into your leg skin twice a day.
If possible, always choose stretch mark creams that have fatty acid-rich ingredients, like cocoa butter.
Fatty acids have the ability to get into the deeper layers of the skin to moisturize and restore elasticity, so they can definitely help with sagginess and loose skin (plus a ton of other skin problems).
Related:
- How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks On Your Back
- Girl Talk: Can You Get Rid Of Stretch Marks On Your Butt?
2. Apply Vitamin E Oil
Another way to get rid of sagging skin on legs is with vitamin E oil applications.
This powerful essence contains a ton of natural antioxidant power that will help reduce the looseness on your precious legs.
Vitamin E will also make your skin look healthier by penetrating the deeper layers of your skin and relieving any sun damage or wrinkles.
To get rid of saggy skin on legs, arms or neck, apply Vitamin E oil all over, using gentle upward strokes.
Leave it in for 30 minutes to allow it to work, and then – wash off if needed, or just let it stay (it gives a nice, sexy shine!).
Jason Skin Oil, Vitamin E 5,000 IU, All Over Body Nourishment
3. Avoid Tight Leggings
You should also avoid wearing tight-fitting items like tights, pantyhose, leggings, and stockings.
These types of clothing will create stretching and stress on the skin, which will make it less resilient and more susceptible to wrinkling and sagging.
On top of it all, leggings and yoga pants mess up with circulation in your legs, which is a huge no-no if you want to say goodbye to saggy skin.
4. Lower Your Stress Levels
Have you noticed that when you’re stressed, your face looks more dull than usual?
Believe it or not, the amount of stress you get in your daily life can also result in a lot of stress-induced skin problems. If you’re stressing a lot, it might contribute to your problem of sagging skin on legs as well.
Stress can also damage the body’s own ability to heal itself, therefore it’s harder for your skin to rebuild.
Strive to learn how to relax properly and get enough rest.
This will improve circulation and increase the skin’s elasticity without any creams and lotions.
5. Eat Nutritious Meals
The situation of sagging skin on legs can be greatly improved with the right diet as well.
It is important to consume healthy foods that are rich in nutrients to nourish the skin from within and keep it looking young.
- Look for foods that are rich in antioxidants like Vitamin A, E, and D.
- Another great choice is Vitamin C, which can be found in oranges, strawberries, and cantaloupe.
- Fruits and vegetables are all great sources of vitamins that feed your skin.
Drinking plenty of water every day is a must as well, especially when exercising or engaging in physical activities.
6. Do Toning Exercises
To get rid of sagging skin on legs, it’s imperative to improve the blood flow to the area.
The best way to do this is, of course, by exercising.
Exercises are great for getting rid of wrinkles and sagging skin on legs (and your whole body, really!).
Improved circulation is one huge benefit, but there’s more!
By strengthening the muscles underneath the skin, they will become more firm, making them less likely to sag.
Don’t know where to start?
Start with the simplest moves.
One exercise you can do is to lay with your back on the floor and then raise one leg up.
Repeat for the other side.
Once you get stronger, move on to the harder activities (like hitting them 10.000 steps daily, how about that?).
Running and walking are other great exercises that you can do to get rid of saggy skin on legs and other areas of your body.
Running will especially increase the circulation in your body and help to get rid of toxins that accumulate in the lymphatic system, causing the appearance of dull and loose skin.
In addition to that, your legs will be given a good stretch as you run.
Walking, on the other hand, is a gentler (and more safe) way to work out the muscles on your legs and is good for keeping your metabolism going.
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We strive to use high-quality information and deliver content that is based on science, latest research, comprehensive studies, or expert advice. These reputable sources have influenced or inspired this article:
- Imokawa G, Ishida K. Biological mechanisms underlying the ultraviolet radiation-induced formation of skin wrinkling and sagging I: reduced skin elasticity, highly associated with enhanced dermal elastase activity, triggers wrinkling and sagging. Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(4):7753-7775. Published 2015 Apr 8. doi:10.3390/ijms16047753
- Reilly DM, Lozano J. Skin collagen through the life stages: importance for skin health and beauty. Plast Aesthet Res 2021;8:2. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2020.153
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