Nowadays, there is an explosion of skin firming creams and treatments available in the market. But, how do you navigate the multitude of options to get results? How do you know what works and what do not? If you have been wondering about these things, then read on to get your answers.
As we age, our metabolism decrease, we produce less collagen and elastin, and the existing connective tissue weakens and gets damaged. These results in skin sagging, loose skin and cellulite, which is that orange peel dimpling appearance that tends to happen on the thighs. Here are a few popular skin-tightening ways you find around you. From natural tricks to skin-firming creams and non-invasive treatments, let us go through them one by one.
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The Natural Route
To help tighten up the loose skin, there are a number of natural activities.
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These include:
- Regular exercise with weight training will help to build up the muscles under the skin. With stronger muscles, skin appears tighter and smoother. (Also Read: 3 Best Ways to Lose Stubborn Fat without Hitting the Gym)
- You can also cut down calories simultaneously, so that with some weight loss, cellulite can also reduce.
- Finally, regular oil massage in an upward motion can help somewhat reverse the sands of time, helping to keep your skin taut.
These are the most popular natural ways that you can give a try if you want to get rid of dimpled skin.
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The Final Verdict: Natural ways work at a slow pace, and they do not show lightning fast results. Also, they may or may not work on an individual, as a lot of things like metabolism, fitness level and hormonal reasons come into play. But with natural ways, you are in safe hands, as nothing can go wrong in these tricks.
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Skin Firming Creams
Do skin-firming creams work? The fact is that theoretically, many ingredients should temporarily help with light sagging and mild dimpling. These include actives such as, caffeine, retinoid and peptides.
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Here is the reality behind these three ingredients and their effects:
- Caffeine, which is a blood vessel constrictor and diuretic, will help to dehydrate the fat cells and flush out some excess fluid. Unfortunately, this effect only lasts a very short period of time.
- Another ingredient is retinoid, which is a derivative of Vitamin A. It has been proven to increase collagen synthesis. By increasing connective tissue, fat cannot poke through as much, thereby reducing cellulite. In reality, retinoid will provide a small amount of collagen, and the lifespan of this collagen is not long enough to see an appreciable difference in your cellulite.
- The same goes for peptides. Peptides are a next generation active that have been purported to increase collagen synthesis as well. Unfortunately, they have been proven to work, but in a lab, not so much in people. So whether they actually work or not, is yet to be seen.
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The Final Verdict: Topical actives can help a bit in very mild sagging or cellulite, but since their strength and depth of penetration is so poor, it will not be helpful in anything more severe.
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Advanced Non-Invasive Skin Technologies
It seems like every day a new machine is promoted as the latest best thing to tighten up that skin. But how do you choose the right one?
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My Best Advice:
Firstly, look for US FDA Approved lasers.
- There are many Chinese and Korean lasers out in the market, without US FDA Approval that get by with the CE mark.
- If they do not have the US FDA stamp that means they have not gone through the rigorous trials required to prove that their machines actually work.
Second, look for machines that have more than 1 technology in them.
- Most machines operate using only 1 method of tightening or inch loss, but there are a few advanced technologies out there that combine up to 4 methods in 1 treatment.
- One such example is Accent Ultra, making it both time and cost efficient.
Finally, watch out for the right science.
- Newer therapies, such as Low-level Laser Therapy and Cryolipolysis (also known as CoolSculpting), do not have large amounts of data supporting their efficacy, so you may not get the results you are looking for.
- Also, Cryolipolysis can have side effects such as redness, numbness and pain for months.
- Instead, look for Radiofrequency and Ultrasound.
- Radiofrequency and Ultrasound are the two most popular and effective therapies available, and newer machines have no side effects, no downtime and no pain. So, make sure these technologies are the ones you are getting.
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Now that you are aware of all the non-invasive options available, you can make the right decisions for tighter and smoother skin!
Dr. Kiran Lohia, MD, is the American Board Certified Dermatologist. She is also a Celebrity Dermatologist and Medical Director of Lumiere Dermatology, New Delhi.
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