Just imagine this - that as you are looking at yourself in the mirror , you suddenly notice that you have many more lines, groves and besides that your skin looks a little loose and seems to have lost that glow ! In general you skin is looking aged and beginning to lose its tautness which is one of the earliest signs of aging . Most women at this stage panic and go in for all kinds of treatments that they can think of , each one often contradicting the other !

There begins a never ending cycle of facials and every other possible skin treatment you can think of trying to bring back the same firmness and suppleness that your skin possessed a decade ago and unless care is taken at the right time, skin tends to lose its elasticity and tautness very quickly !... Skin normally loses its bounce as we age, which can lead to sagging, wrinkles and dull looking complexion. Sagging and wrinkles result from several factors, including sun damage and a loss of collagen and elastin.

Our skin is incredibly elastic. Elasticity of skin tends to decrease with age and wrinkling and loss of elasticity is partly the consequence of aging , which may be due to genetic factors or as a result of environmental factors such as tress, excessive sun exposure, and nutritional deficiency.

Certain parts you can fix like for example the environmental and nutritional but the genetics and age part, you cannot do anything much about .

Some reasons why skin loses its tautness

Skin has two layers called epidermis and dermis a layer called Dermis which is the second layer which provides the bulk and volume to the upper layer and makes you look youthful. Dermis is made up layers and layers of fibrous bands called Collagen which actually provide elasticity to our skin.

Collagen is constantly being produced and also destroyed in our bodies. In the early growing years the production exceeds the destruction so a healthy balance is being maintained which keeps the skin supple all the time. But with age and time and sometimes other added factors like genetics , exposure to sun and nutrition , the skin cells begin to deteriorate and the result begins to show.

Other factors which also add on to this process are smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse which can age the skin much faster giving it a leathery look. A reduction in our muscle tones too promotes slackness causing the skin to look baggy and dull.

Some Indications of skin loosening up

Pores – This is one the earliest indicators. When you begin to see pores appearing on your facial skin it is a sure sign that your skin is loosening up and you need to take some precautionary measures to see that it does not deteriorate further. Why this happens is because the collagen present around the openings of oil glands and hair folicles become weaker causing the pores to open up.

Lines on forehead and cheeks – This is yet another sign that indicates aging of the skin. Some people delay it by being extra careful but eventually everyone will have to go through this stage in life.

Slight droop of eyebrows and wrinkles around the eye – As we age our eyes begin to look duller and the brows tend to droop which makes us look older. Similarly we see many fine lines appearing around the eye and lips and they become deeper with age. 

Loose skin on the abdomen , buttocks, thighs and arms - Skin, since it is losing its elasticity, begins to fall in folds especially if the person is fat or overweight, whereas a trim looking individual may not show signs of age that fast. So it is all the more reason to remain fit and trim with a flat stomach and as little fat as possible on other parts of our body.

Amazing Skin Facts

1, According to statistics , an average adults skin spans 21 sq ft and weighs between 4 and 5 kg. And the total length of the blood vessels that are part of our skin layers is an amazing 18 kms.

2, This is even more amazing to know – that the total amount of skin that we shed in our life time is sufficient to build a two storey building!

3, The skin release anywhere between 10 -13 liters of sweat on a hot summer’s day .

4,the skin sheds a layer of dead cells every 24 hours ( which is why it is very important to scrub while you bathe or clean yourself) and renews itself every 28 days !

5, Skin is able to repair itself in a matter of days without any  outside help and most of the minor marks and blemishes vanish with time because of the constant process of rejuvenation of skin.

For a Firm and Glowing Skin

Everything ultimately comes down to your diet and life style! Once you change your life style and make some minor changes in your diet you will reap the benefits of having a healthy glowing skin. It is also important to follow a skin care routine.

1, One should realise that it is not possible to have firm and supple skin all your life time especially when it has already lost its tautness. How much your skin will return to its former tautness therefore, depends partly on age and also the routine you are willing to follow. The older you get and the more you try to lose weight , the more your skin tends to sag and it will not return to normal quickly.

2, Food plays a major part in how your skin looks. Cutting down sugar is good not just for your health, it is also good for your skin. So reduce sugar in your diet if you want to maintain a firm and glowing skin. In fact nutritional experts are of the opinion that you have to eat at least 5 colors each day among fruits and vegetables.

3, Eat a diet rich in colored fruits, green vegetables and lots of sprouts and food rich in protein like soya and lentils. A good balanced diet does wonders for your entire system especially your skin and hair both of which mirror good health.

4, Wear a sun protection cream while going out in the skin and sun glasses which protect your eyes and the area round the eyes which is very sensitive and delicate.

5, Make sure that you eat enough soluble and insoluble fibers ( dissolves in water and slows down digestion) each day . Soluble fibers are found in oats ,lentils, apples, orange, blueberries, cucumber etc... Insoluble fibers ( add bulk to the diet and has a laxative effect) on the other hand are found in wheat, grains, brown rice, dark leafy vegetables, cabbage, broccoli etc..

6, Eat healthy fats . When you have the urge to munch on something either have fruits or nuts like almonds and walnuts. For those of you who feel it is expensive – sweets are much more expensive, also stuff like ghee and butter, which can be damaging for health and skin.

7, It is also important to maintain a healthy and steady weight.When your weight keeps fluctuating , your skin too keeps on changing its elasticity and tends to become less firmer .

8, Most importantly skin too is part of one’s personality and it thrives depending on the state of our mind. When we are happy our skin responds positively and glows. When we are recovering from an ailment we can see that our skin tends to look sallow. So, it is in our interest to keep ourselves healthy in body and mind !

9, Make sure that you don't expose your skin to the sun and its UVA and UVB rays which can be very harmful for your skin. They result in sunburns and dark spots and tanning. UVB rays in fact plays a bigger role in causing skin cancer, so make it a practice to wear a good sun screen that can protect your skin when you go out in the sun. When you travel to places located in higher altitudes make sure to take a sunscreen that has higher SPF ( Sun protection Factor) that is able to tackle the sun damage.

10, Facial exercises help in toning our facial muscles and thereby also keeping our skin in top condition . Simple air kissing the ceiling while looking up and filling the mouth with water and clenching and un-clenching your jaw helps a lot in keeping your jaw line neat and firm for a much longer period of time.

11, Also, what we need to focus on is sleep and enough of it . Sleep is very important for skin and our general health. You cannot make up for lost hours of sleep, so make sure that you get your 7 or 8 hours of sleep each day. Prolonged lack of sleep results in bags under the eyes, dark circles and sallow skin and fine lines around the eyes and forehead which is very difficult to repair after a while.

12, Last but not least is cleansing which is very essential for our skin. In fact cleansing forms the base of any skincare regimen you adopt. So make sure that your skin is absolutely clean and free of makeup at bedtime so that it has time to breath and rejuvenate.Using a home made face mask with turmeric and sandalwood paste or gram flour and yogurt definitely helps since both the masks firm up the tissues .Fruits like tomato and orange can be used on the skin as scrubs to remove dirt and clean the pores.They also lighten your skin to a certain extent besides being economical with no side effects !

Conclusions

Basically, what we must realise and accept  is the fact that  we can only do so much, where physical beauty is concerned .Skin care is no doubt essential but one cannot turn the clock backwards . So we need to get moving and change the things on which we have control . Also, don't worry about those things you don't have control over since they are beyond you and worry is only going to make matters worse for your skin as we already discussed above.

Eating a healthy diet, exercising and drinking lots of water is good for our system and our skin, so make sure that you cultivate healthy food habits that help you in the long run!

( images from wikimedia image gallery)