Skin Tightening Tricks To Lift Your Face & Body Now

Are you searching for a bit of lift and sculpt? And looking for the best skin-tightening treatments to solve the sagginess? 

We have the lowdown here. Firstly, what’s to blame? Well, you’ve got gravity as you age, the sun, genetics, lifestyle choices, exercise routines – there is a whole host of reasons for the sagginess. Skin changes are among the most visible signs of ageing. Sagging skin, for one, is a common concern. It’s not harmful, but some people may dislike how it looks. If it bothers you, there’s hope.  

We need a more realistic and holistic approach to reduce skin slackening and revive skin elasticity and bounce.    

Beauty Daily consulted with top experts on how to tighten skin: we listed the best skin tightening treatments, advanced skin tightening creams, and dietary and lifestyle habits to adopt to treat skin sagging.  

What causes sagging skin?

Before we discuss your options on how to tighten your skin, it’s beneficial to understand the causes of sagging skin.  

“Sagging skin is inevitable. As we age, we lose collagen and elastin, which are the proteins that help keep our skin tight. In addition, hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in our body, also decreases with age. Hyaluronic acid helps the skin retain moisture and appear plump.” As a result, skin sagging usually occurs in the early 30s,” US-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr Karan Lal tells Beauty Daily.      

Certain factors we can’t control when it comes to skin ageing result in saggy skin.   

Firstly, the inevitable ‘intrinsic ageing’, also called chronological ageing. It is something we can’t control and is caused by internal factors.  

As we mature, our skin cells biologically age and hormones drop; midlife oestrogen levels fall for women and testosterone for men diminishes. The cell’s slow regeneration in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin on your body) leads to thinner, drier, and saggy skin.  

Then there’s ‘extrinsic ageing,’ triggered by environmental aggressors and unhealthy lifestyle choices.  

“External factors that result in saggy skin include sun and UV damage, environmental stressors such as pollution, smoking, alcohol, refined sugars, and poor diet,” explains Dr Paris Acharya, a London-based aesthetic doctor.  

Read next: Tried & Tested Ways To Tighten Slackened Skin 

Can sagging skin be tightened?

Absolutely. However, there’s no possible way to prevent the appearance of saggy skin altogether. But there are plenty of ways sagging skin can be tightened and its appearance reduced. 

Examples include undergoing the non-surgical route, such as in-clinic skin tightening treatments, incorporating high-tech skin tightening creams, wearing SPF religiously, engaging in certain exercises to tone and firm the skin, staying hydrated and taking dietary supplements, and consuming collagen-boosting foods.  

Read next: Everything You Need To Boost Your Collagen

How to tighten eyelid skin without surgery?

If you desire more lifted eyes sans eyelid surgery, try Total Eye Lift, £60. It’s formulated with plant-based retinol, organic harungana, making it safe around the eyes.

“You would never dream of putting retinol around the eye because it is too delicate and it’s never advisable. Unlike retinol, the alternative organic harungana is safe around the eye”, says Charlotte McHale, Clarins Training Manager.

This silky gel-cream texture glides onto the eye area and visibly lifts the eyelids while reducing puffiness and dark circles in only 60-seconds.

What is the best skin tightening treatments?    

Here we list five expert-approved in-clinic skin tightening treatments to consider.  

1. Radiofrequency Skin Tightening    

You may have seen this treatment go by Thermi, Exilis, Profound RF, and Thermage, Morpheus8, among others. Radiofrequency (RF) therapy, also called Radiofrequency skin tightening, is one of the most popular anti-ageing and skin tightening treatments offered by aesthetic practitioners. It’s also a hit for patients, offering minimal downtime but maximum results.  

It sends radio heat waves below the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin production. This process speeds up cell turnover, so the skin gets firmer and thicker over time.    

Besides sculpting sagging facial contours, Radiofrequency skin tightening treatment also evens skin tone, plumps out wrinkles, smooths cellulite, and helps treat loose skin around the belly or upper arms‌. 

2. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)  

This ultrasound procedure is different from the one doctors use for medical imaging.‌ High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive and painless skin tightening treatment. It heavily relies on ultrasound energy to induce collagen. The dermis (the middle layer of skin) is stimulated through the ultrasound procedure to produce new collagen. The result? Younger and tighter-looking skin.  

The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery says that ultrasound treatment can smooth wrinkles on the face, improve skin elasticity, improve both neck and facial skin, reduce the appearance of jowls and lift drooping eyelids or eyebrows. So it’s something to consider if these are areas of concern.  

3. Botox

Ever considered getting Botox? Dr Lal recommends it if you’re serious about tackling your sagging skin problems; consider getting an early [baby] Botox in your 20s and 30s.    

“This can help your skin age better and reduce wrinkle formation,” he says.  

Botox tightens sagging skin wherever it is injected, including around the eyes.  

4. Laser treatments  

Another effective skin tightening procedure is laser treatment. Dr Lal suggests: “Consider laser treatments in your late 20s to help boost collagen production.”  

Laser skin tightening treatment uses an infrared light laser to penetrate beneath the skin. The laser is hot but is tolerable on the skin. It stimulates the skin to make more collagen and elastin, resulting in firmer, less crepey skin that looks tighter.  

It works really well in the remedy for those pesky smokers lines and wrinkles above the lip.

People between the ages of 30 and 65 benefit, and even people who do not have noticeable sagging skin may find it preventive. But, of course, prevention is better than cure!  

5. Microneedling    

To treat saggy skin on the body, Dr Lal recommends “Considering microneedling treatment on the body to help tighten the skin and stimulate collagen. I love injectable biostumulatory agents like Sculptra on the body. These injections help your body produce more collagen. Think of it as fertiliser. It is not a filler, so it doesn’t act right away. It takes three to six months and multiple treatments to start seeing improvement.”     

Microneedling skin tightening treatment involves pricking the skin with tiny, sterilised needles. The small wounds cause your body to make more collagen and elastin, resulting in youthful-looking skin.  

Read next: What Is Red Light Therapy And Does It Really Work?    

Lifestyle and dietary changes To adopt to prevent saggy skin

1. Collagen-rich diet and supplements   

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says the most effective way to prevent or work against skin ageing is by eating a balanced nutritional diet. So if you want to work your way from inside and out, and tighten slacken skin, rethink and redo your diet by including more collagen-boosting foods. 

Lola Biggs, a dietician at Together Health UK, recommends including collagen-boosting foods like spinach, broccoli, and citrus, which can help with skin elasticity.  

“Spinach is a brilliant hydrating, antioxidant-packed ingredient rich in vitamins A, C, E and K and lutein and magnesium. This leafy green enhances collagen production to help keep skin firm, soft and smooth.  

Broccoli is another favourite beauty ingredient. An anti-inflammatory is full of vitamins C and K, folate, fibre, calcium, and a ton of antioxidants to boost collagen production and give skin elasticity and strength.  

Lastly, certain foods like citrus fruits can help encourage the production of elastin and collagen and improve skin glow, firmness, and plumpness,” Biggs says. 

You can also support your diet by including beauty supplements like Together Health Beautiful Hair, Skin & Nail supplement, £15.99.  

This vegan-friendly, food and plant-based supplement are formulated with 12 carefully selected wholefood nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It includes powerhouse hyaluronic acid for intense hydration and to retain moisture, collagen-boosting vitamin C to support and strengthen skin tissue and beta-carotene, which helps reduce levels of oxidative stress and improves overall skin appearance.  

2. Make sure to keep hydrated

When your skin is dehydrated, it will display signs of premature ageing, like less elasticity and more fine lines and wrinkles. To reach your daily recommended fluid intake, the NHS recommends six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day. If staying hydrated is a struggle for you, here’s How To Stay Hydrated In 7 Easy Ways, According To A Top Nutritionist  

“The key to avoiding sagginess is to moisturise regularly. This will help hydrate your skin and make it look more toned,” recommends Dr Lal. Also, consider incorporating more hyaluronic-infused skincare products into your routine.  

Check the Hydra-Essential Range. The hero ingredient in this range is a derivative, a similar component originating from Madagascar from the Leaf of Life plant.  

Check this out: a high-tech cream from Clarins’ reformulated Hydra Essentiel (Ha2) is launching at the end of January; it promises plumper skin in 60 seconds, giving the skin more bounce and youthfulness. 

3. Exercise    

Workouts like resistance training in your weekly routine will help build muscle mass and improve the appearance of sagging skin. If you have flabby upper arms, check our Celebrity Trainer Approved Arm Exercises guide.       

To keep your skin firm and tight post-workout, McHale recommends partnering your exercise with sculpting body lotion. It is best to remember that “Lotions work on skin, not muscle,” McHale says.     

“They will stop you from having saggy skin. They will not tighten your muscles because, unfortunately, that requires exercise. Body sculpting lotions and creams will help if you are about to lose a lot of weight and help keep working on your skin’s elasticity until it springs back,” McHale says.  

4. Adjust your skincare routine

“Sagging skin on the body is common, especially after pregnancy, weight changes and during menopause due to reduction in hormone levels,” says Dr Acharya. Adjusting your skincare routine and addressing your skin needs will help reduce the appearance of saggy skin.  

“My recommendation is to boost your collagen levels, whether tailoring your skincare routine, including SPF, retinoids, and vitamin C. As a result, not only will you experience a smoother, brighter, youthful complexion, but you also prevent the signs of premature ageing,” recommends Dr Acharya.   

Weight loss

“Losing weight slowly and steadily is a better way to keep the skin on the muscle than when people lose it suddenly and get a lot of excess skin. Your skin can’t keep up with dramatic weight loss,” says McHale.  

Clarins Body Firming Extra-Firming Gel, £48

McHale recommends using the reformulated Body Firming Extra-Firming Gel, £48. Apply to areas especially prone to slackening: stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks, and arms.

Follow this by lathering Body Firming Extra-Firming Cream, £42, all over the body. This duo combines two plant ingredients with powerful firming and tightening benefits; new organic petasites and organic mitracarpus extracts.   

Pregnancy and postpartum

If you are pregnant, your skin is undergoing many changes too. The moment you know you’re expecting, make sure to apply Tonic Treatment Oil – Firming/Toning, £44, to help your ever-expanding skin.

Clarins Tonic Treatment Oil – Firming/Toning, £44

This will help improve skin elasticity. Apply daily after showering on damp skin. Make sure to include the body-firming gel and cream in your postpartum routine and to exfoliate regularly (once or twice a week) to help with product absorption.  

Read next: Healthy Pregnancy Tips: Your Comprehensive Guide To Bump Beauty 

Perimenopause and menopause

“Major concerns of people going through perimenopause and menopause include sagging skin,” says McHale. These stages significantly impact oestrogen production, leading to a slower production process within vital skin cells, such as fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are responsible for producing collagen and elastin.  

You can boost this by using products from the Super Restorative range. “To help the fibroblast hold on to collagen, we pair harungana (plant-alternative to retinol with organic gorse extract in the Super Restorative range,” explains McHale. “Organic gorse extract increases the strength of a fibroblast by up to 89%,” McHale adds.   

As a result, it restores density to the skin at all levels and combats sagging. 

Explore the Super Restorative range.  

Read next: Functional Movement Exercises To Prevent Seizing Up 

Medical disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert.