Beginning in your mid-40s, however, facial fat starts to lose volume and drifts downward, clumping around your chin, jaw and neck. Skin that was smooth and tight becomes loose and sagging, and features that once were round may sink.
While a loss of elasticity can start happening in your late 20s depending on your genetics, Shafer says that it's especially common in late 30s to early 40s patients. “This is most often when patients start looking in the mirror and noticing that their skin is not as 'tight,'” he explains.
Skin becomes loose and sagging, bones lose their mass, and muscles lose their strength as a result of time spent living life. Most people begin to notice a shift in the appearance of their face around their 40's and 50's, with some also noticing a change in their 30's.
Exposure to light is a top cause of premature aging: Sun exposure causes many skin problems. Ultraviolet (UV) light and exposure to sunlight age your skin more quickly than it would age naturally. The result is called photoaging, and it's responsible for 90% of visible changes to your skin.
According to the research, the average American starts feeling old at the age of 47. Similarly, the average respondent starts to really worry about age-related bodily changes around 50 years old.
Treatment for Facial Volume Loss and “Double Chin”
Facial volume loss is caused partly by the breakdown of proteins such as collagen that provide structure to your skin. This change occurs as we age. Our youthful balance of fat changes – we lose it in some areas and gain it in others.
Loss of muscle tone and thinning skin gives the face a flabby or drooping appearance. In some people, sagging jowls may create the look of a double chin. Your skin also dries out and the underlying layer of fat shrinks so that your face no longer has a plump, smooth surface. To some extent, wrinkles cannot be avoided.
Your skin is another obvious indicator of your age. This doesn't just include wrinkles, but things like dry skin and tired eyes, which can both be avoided. Reddit user Redhaired103 posted in /r/AskWomen that dark circles, pale skin, puffy eyes, and heavy makeup can also make you look older.
With age, that fat loses volume, clumps up, and shifts downward, so features that were formerly round may sink, and skin that was smooth and tight gets loose and sags. Meanwhile other parts of the face gain fat, particularly the lower half, so we tend to get baggy around the chin and jowly in the neck.
Both genetics and lifestyle-related factors have an influence on our youthful appearance. The key to understand perceived ageing is the interaction between these two elements. Epigenetics can provide this key.
Incorporate foods high in vitamin C like citrus fruits, which studies have shown may promote younger looking skin. Have food high in essential fatty acids, such as walnuts or olive oil, to keep skin cells hydrated. Avoid food high in unhealthy fats, which could make your skin appear less youthful.
How vitamin D deficiency leads to accelerated skin aging isn't fully understood. However, some experts suspect it has something to do with vitamin D's protective and antioxidant properties on the skin.
“Turkey neck” happens when the neck muscles begin to weaken and the skin loses elasticity. The loose skin can become droopy and wrinkled, drawing unflattering comparisons to the neck of a turkey. Age and sun exposure are the main culprits of sagging skin.
Yes! Phew. Increasing your collagen and elastin reserves (and hyaluronic acid too) will help repair loss of skin elasticity. Doing so long term will prevent further loss and encourage good skin elasticity in future.
Bottom line: Laser resurfacing can tighten skin, usually better than any other skin-tightening procedure. It can also diminish fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots on the skin, such as age spots. The tradeoff is that it requires downtime and has a greater risk of possible side effects, such as scarring.
Facial liposculpture is an excellent method for getting rid of that nagging sag under your chin. Performed in the offices of Cosmetic Laser Dermatology, the board-certified dermatologists give you a customized, contoured look that tightens your skin without invasive surgery.