How to Make Skin Gain Elasticity

Proteins in skin form elastic fibers that make skin taut and youthful.

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Collagen and elastin are two skin proteins that greatly determine elasticity levels, which makes them the primary focus of all efforts to help skin regain elasticity. As you begin to age, the natural stores of these important proteins in your body diminish, making skin appear more thin and saggy than in years past. To help skin gain elasticity, what is needed is a means to stimulate your skin cells' natural production of these essential proteins.

Related Searches:Difficulty:Moderately ChallengingInstructions Things You'll NeedSunscreenSports drinks containing electrolytesVitamin C supplementVitamin A supplementVitamin E supplementZinc supplementProtein rich foods (fish, tofu, meat, eggs, milk)Exfoliating creamMoisturizer (or extra virgin olive oil)Suggest Edits1

Refrain from smoking, drinking excessive alcohol, and exposing your skin to the sun for extended periods. Wear sunscreen whenever you go out of doors. These measures minimize damage to current stores of collagen and elastin.

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Take a 500 mg vitamin C supplement every day. Take vitamins A and E and a Zinc supplement daily. These vitamins and minerals help your skin cells repair themselves and fight pollutants that break down the proteins that make skin elastic. Eat two servings of protein daily.

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Hydrate your body to keep skin cells healthy. Drink eight, eight-ounce glasses of water per day. Supplement your water intake with sports drinks that contain electrolytes, if you exercise on a regular basis.

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Apply exfoliating cream to your face three times a week after cleansing. Rub the cream in a gentle, circular motion on your entire face for about a minute. Rinse off the cream and apply a moisturizer or extra virgin olive oil to your face immediately.

Tips & Warnings

Dr. Philip S. Schoenfeld, M.D. F.A.C.S., at the Renu Med Spa reports that neither bovine nor human collagen injections can be used to fill in deep wrinkles, laugh lines, and facial folds. Collagen injections can be scheduled at a plastic surgeons office, and take between 15 minutes to an hour to complete. The effects of collagen injections are temporary, lasting a maximum of six months until a new injection is required.

Collagen creams cannot restore skin elasticity, because collagen is a large molecule that can only sit on the skin's surface when applied topically, Dr. Patrick Bowler, a cosmetic skin specialist and laser surgeon, reported in 2007 on the NetDoctor website. Stay away from expensive creams that contain collagen, or you will only be wasting money.

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ReferencesWeb MD;An Overview of the Skin; Cynthia Dennison Haines MD; September 2009MSNBC; Lose Weight, Gain a "Loose Suit" of Skin?; Jacqueline Stenson; December 2008Renu Med Spa; Collagen Injections; Philip S. Schoenfeld, M.D. F.A.C.S.Net Doctor; Can a Cream Make you Look Younger?; Dr Patrick Bowler; May 2007Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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