As we age, our skin undergoes various changes, and one common concern that many individuals face is crepey skin. Crepey skin is characterised by a thin, wrinkled appearance that resembles the texture of crepe paper. It can occur anywhere on the body but is most commonly noticed on the arms, neck, chest, and under the eyes. The good news is, there’s a lot you can do to improve the appearance of crepey skin, especially if you are up for trying the latest and most effective skincare, supplements and tweakments. Read on for everything you need to know about tackling it.

What is Crepey Skin?

Crepey skin is a term used to describe skin that has lost its youthful elasticity and firmness, leading to a wrinkled, sagging and crinkled appearance. Unlike fine lines and wrinkles, which are often more visible with facial expressions, crepey skin tends to affect larger areas of the skin and is noticeable even when the skin is at rest.

What causes it?

Crepey skin comes down to one thing: photoaging. This refers to the impact of ultraviolet light, particularly UVA rays that are present year-round in daylight, on your skin. Photoaging not only affects pigmentation but also leads to the degradation of collagen and elastin within your skin. These two proteins are responsible for maintaining the strength and elasticity of your skin. When they deteriorate, it leads to the development of sagging and wrinkles. Additionally, as you age, your skin tends to become drier because your oil glands produce less sebum, which is responsible for sealing moisture into the skin. Drier skin is more susceptible to rapid wrinkling and tends to have a rougher texture compared to well-hydrated skin.

How to improve crepey skin

Hydration

Boosting your skin’s hydration levels is key to improving the appearance of crepey skin. At home, use a combination of occlusive components like shea butter or silicones in conjunction with moisture-retaining humectants such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. In clinic, skin boosters like Profhilo, polynucleotides and Juvederm Volite are perfect for injecting hydration back into the skin to diminish a sagging, dry and crepey appearance. As Profhilo has one of the highest concentrations of HA of any product on the market, it is essentially pure Hyaluronic Acid, which naturally occurs in the body to keep skin hydrated. When injected, it flows and distributes itself evenly to keep skin hydrated and plump, helping to diminish dryness and ‘crepeyness’.

Exfoliation

Given the textural component, I’ll often recommend chemical exfoliation to improve crepey skin. Alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic, lactic or malic acid gently resurface the skin while also improving brightness. AHAs are also humectants, which means they help boost hydration further by drawing water into the skin. 

Stimulate collagen production

Collagen-boosting ingredients, such as topical retinoids, are ideal for enhancing crepey skin since they help to rebuild the skin’s structural loss. Both over-the-counter and prescription retinoids effectively promote the production of essential building blocks within the dermis, thereby contributing to the restoration of skin elasticity and density.

In clinic, energy devices like Sofwave and RF microneedling initiate the body’s natural healing process, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. This transformative approach is particularly effective for addressing laxity, and thin, crepey skin on areas such as the face, neck, and décolletage.

As well as Profhilo, I also recommend Polynucleotides. Polynucleotides are biostimulators which work similarly to HA-based skin boosters, but they go beyond mere hydration. They nourish the cells to make them produce collagen and elastin in a more meaningful way, to improve the extracellular matrix, and they have anti-inflammatory properties. By stimulating collagen production and supporting tissue regeneration, polynucleotide injectables can contribute to a significantly smoother, youthful, and rejuvenated skin appearance.

When it comes to treating crepey skin, the best approach is a combination of professional treatments to re-densify the dermis, alongside a diligent skincare routine to stop it progressing further, comprised of daily sunscreen, retinoids, antioxidant use and safe sun habits.

If you’d like to discuss these options further, and establish what’s right for you, click here to enquire or to book a consultation.