I want to improve the sagging of the face | Know the cause and restore the firmness of the skin

Have you ever been shocked to see your own face reflected in a mirror or glass? With age, sagging and wrinkles that didn't bother you when you were younger become more noticeable. Nasolabial folds, which are said to show age, and blurred facial lines are mostly caused by sagging. Here, we will introduce the causes of sagging, how to improve it, and how to treat it.

Find out in this article

• What is facial sagging? What causes sagging?
• What part of the face can you see the sagging of the face?
• How to improve sagging face
• How to treat sagging face

What is facial sagging?

Sagging of the face refers to the skin that is sagging around the eyes, mouth, and the entire face line. As the skin and ligaments on the face weaken due to aging, the ability to support the skin weakens, giving the impression that the skin under the eyes and around the mouth hangs down, often making the person look older overall.

Causes of facial sagging

There are various causes of sagging face, but the main causes are "decrease in collagen", "decrease in facial muscle strength", "increase in fat" and "increase in swelling". In other words, taking measures against these causes can slow down the progression of facial sagging, so let’s take a closer look.

loss of collagen

In the dermis layer of the skin, there are fibrous tissues such as collagen and elastin, which make the skin elastic. In addition, hyaluronic acid, which has the property of retaining moisture, also keeps the skin firm and elastic. If the amount of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, which support the elasticity of the skin, decreases or deteriorates, the elasticity of the skin will be lost and the skin will sag.

Weak facial muscles

Muscles in the body gradually weaken as we age. The muscles of the face are no exception, and it is natural that they gradually weaken with age. Facial muscles called facial muscles are located deep in the dermis layer, and it is said that there are more than 30 types of facial muscles, but about 30% are usually used, and the remaining 70% are hardly used. , The unused facial muscles gradually weaken and the skin becomes saggy.

Increased fat and swelling

The subcutaneous tissue, the lowest layer of the skin, is also called subcutaneous fat because it consists of abundant fat and ligaments that wrap and support it. And facial muscles further below the skin support this subcutaneous fat. As the subcutaneous fat increases, the facial muscles cannot support the fat and lose gravity and droop and sag. Swelling also causes sagging. This swelling occurs when the flow of blood and lymph is blocked, which leads to a deterioration in the function of the tissue of the dermis layer, which increases the sagging of the skin.

eating habits are disturbed

Changes in the body caused by eating habits can also cause sagging. For example, the rapid loss of body fat can cause sagging skin. If the subcutaneous fat that supports the skin suddenly decreases, the skin remains intact, but only the fat decreases, causing the skin to sag. Also, if you eat only sweets, there is a risk that excess sugar in your body will bind to your body's proteins, causing "saccharification." “Glycation” refers to the deterioration of cells in the body. The result is sagging and wrinkling of the face. 1)

Areas where facial sagging is noticeable

In terms of the face, it is said that the cheeks and under the eyes are prone to sagging. Among the cheeks, the upper, lower, and outer cheeks are said to be prone to sagging. Also, the eye area is a very easy-to-understand area. Puffiness around the eyes can make you look like a bear and make you look tired and old. In addition, the nasolabial fold that appears in a curve from the edge of the nose to the edge of the lip, and the Golgo line that forms a horizontal V from the eye area become more noticeable due to sagging.

[By part] How to improve facial sagging

Many people say that they didn't think anything of it when they were young, but these days, every time they look in the mirror, they become concerned about sagging. Even if you say sagging of the face in one word, the parts that are concerned about sagging, such as the eyes and mouth, differ from person to person. So, let's find out the cause of each part's slack and see how to solve it.

Around the eyes (eyelids, corners of the eyes, etc.)

The eyes will be the part that occupies a large part in the first impression. Sagging around the eyes can make you look older. The cause of sagging eyes is the decrease in muscle strength around the eyes. The orbicularis oculi muscle, which surrounds the eye, is involved in the movement of the eyelid. This orbicularis oculi also works to support fat, and when it weakens, it causes sagging around the eyes. As an improvement method, it is most effective to use the muscles of the orbicularis oculi muscle firmly. You can improve the blood circulation of the eyelids and outer corners of the eyes by doing the eye exercises I will introduce below and loosening the orbicularis oculi muscle horizontally and vertically.

Around the eyes (under the eyes, dark circles, etc.)

As with eyelids and outer corners of the eyes, measures against tear bags under the eyes are also effective. We also recommend doing exercises that close your eyes while holding your finger under your tear bag, and facial exercises that are effective for dark circles. Dark circles under the eyes are mostly caused by poor blood circulation. Lack of sleep, fatigue, and overuse of the computer can lead to poor blood circulation and dark circles on the face.

mouth

The mouth is one of the important parts that affects the age of appearance as much as the eyes. One of the causes of sagging around the mouth is a decrease in the strength of the orbicularis oris muscle. The orbicularis oris is a muscle around the lips that plays an important role in the movement of the lips and mouth. It is said that many people have weakened the orbicularis oris muscle due to the long mask life in recent years, but this orbicularis oris muscle has a great influence on the sagging of the cheeks. The orbicularis oris muscle is also a muscle, so if you don't move it properly, it will deteriorate. In order to prevent sagging due to the orbicularis oris muscle, it is important to move your mouth consciously and make an effort to use the orbicularis oris muscle.

cheek

The cheeks have facial muscles such as the zygomaticus major, zygomaticus, and zygomaticus minor. Each of these muscles lifts the corners of the mouth, supports fat, and pulls the lips back and upward. By strengthening the muscles in the cheeks, it prevents sagging cheeks and tightens the entire face. Exercise and strengthen these muscles in your cheeks. Pucker your mouth and repeatedly blow air into and out of your cheeks, pull up the corners of your mouth, and consciously raise your cheeks, repeatedly uttering “u” and “e”. It is effective to do exercises that use your muscles, such as keeping your muscles in.

chin

With age, the jaw line and face line collapse. A sagging chin can give the appearance of a so-called double chin. In order to prevent this chin sagging, it is important to be conscious of weight management, to prevent fat from accumulating on the face, and to correct the posture. For example, when you use your smartphone for a long time, you may find yourself leaning forward or looking down without realizing it, which can lead to a posture that does not use the muscles around your chin at all. When this chin slack accumulates, the face line tends to collapse. When you use your mobile phone, hold it in front of your face as much as possible so that you don't look down too much, and when walking, try to look forward so that you can maintain the correct posture. increase.

how to improve sagging face

Methods to improve the sagging of the face include moisturizing care and UV protection that are performed to prevent external factors of sagging, training facial muscles, and stretching around the neck and chin. It also leads to improvement of sagging of the face, but it can also prevent future sagging of the face.

Moisturize and care

When the skin dries out, it can no longer retain moisture, and the skin loses its firmness and elasticity. Skin that has lost its firmness and elasticity causes the skin itself to sag, resulting in a noticeable sagging of the face. Therefore, it is important to keep your skin well moisturized so that it does not dry out. Aim for a skin that does not sag.

protect skin from UV rays

Ultraviolet rays not only cause sunburn, but also sagging. Ultraviolet rays have the effect of destroying the components necessary for skin elasticity and firmness, such as collagen and elastin, so avoiding direct exposure to ultraviolet rays is one of the measures to prevent sagging. Let's start with daily habits such as sunscreen, a hat, and a long-sleeved jacket. 1)

train facial muscles

The muscles of the face that make various facial expressions are called mimetic muscles. As facial muscles weaken, they are no longer able to support the skin, resulting in sagging and wrinkling. It is said that there are about 32 types of facial muscles on the face, 70% of which are located around the mouth. Among them, the orbicularis oris muscle that spreads radially around the mouth is connected to all facial muscles, so by training the muscles around the mouth, you can train the muscles of the entire face and make it firmer.

Stretching around the neck and chin

Lymph is concentrated around the neck, and if the muscles around the neck are not moved, the flow of lymph in the surrounding area will also be stagnant, causing the face to swell and, as a result, cause sagging. Stretching is recommended to move the muscles around the neck, promote the flow of lymph, and make the face look refreshed.

Those who want to treat facial sagging immediately

You can improve sagging to some extent by training your facial muscles, stretching around your face, and adjusting your daily lifestyle habits such as eating habits. However, it takes a long time for the sagging improvement effect to appear. Also, if you don't take care of it in the right way, you can also make the sagging worse. Therefore, attention is being focused on aesthetic medicine, in which care is provided by specialists who have the correct knowledge and methods.

Treatment at a cosmetic dermatologist is recommended

“Cosmetic medicine,” which has become increasingly popular in recent years, refers to treatments performed by cosmetic dermatologists. It is a treatment that people receive to live a beautiful and fulfilling life. Aesthetic medicine has made remarkable progress in recent years, and it is evolving year by year with the advent of new medical technologies and medical devices. Sagging care does not improve easily with self-care, and it takes time. Experienced specialists with a wealth of knowledge and advanced techniques use the latest equipment to perform treatment, which is recommended because it allows for more efficient and high-level treatment.

All-in-one care for the face and the entire face

"Medical esthetics" is a term used to describe the provision of esthetic-like facial treatments by highly skilled specialists using aesthetic medical equipment that can only be used at medical institutions. Medical esthetics is a treatment that stops "metabolism decline", which is the cause of skin aging, at the cellular level. This allows you to take care of the face and the entire face at once. In addition, since the treatment does not use needles, there is little damage to the skin, and it can be performed safely as if it were an esthetic treatment.

summary

The sagging of the face could not be prevented or improved without persistent self-care and awareness of prevention from a young age. However, with recent advances in aesthetic medicine, it is becoming possible to treat it casually. If you have not seen any improvement with self-care, or if you want to improve as soon as possible, why not consider aesthetic medicine? You can consult with specialists who have high-level skills and extensive knowledge, so they can give you advice on beautiful skin and skin care in addition to sagging. There are a wide variety of types of aesthetic medicine, so choose the one that suits your skin concerns and budget, and aim for beautiful skin.

References

1) Wenge Z et al. Research Advances on the Damage Mechanism of Skin Glycation and Related Inhibitors. 2022 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36364850/