How you can lift sagging skin without surgery

As you get older it’s natural for your skin to sag because the collagen and elastin fibres diminish. Collagen and elastin are responsible for your skin’s ability to retain its normal shape, but as you get older these fibres break down and your skin begins to stretch and sag.

Your skin might lose its elasticity because of excessive exposure to harmful sun rays, years of smoking, a regular intake of alcohol, obesity, rapid weight loss, a poor diet or dehydration.

While there are a whole range of over-the-counter products claiming to rejuvenate your skin and reduce sagging, there are only a select few methods that actually do the trick.

There are however some natural home remedies that can help tighten the sagging skin on your face, neck, arms and breasts.

1. Lemon
You’re often told to nourish your skin with vitamins C, E and copper peptides, and the vitamin C in lemon helps boost collagen production, which in turn helps restore your skin’s elasticity. Lemon has astringent properties that assist in tightening the skin and reducing wrinkles and other signs of ageing.

You can:

• extract some fresh lemon juice and rub it gently on your face and neck. Leave it for between 5 and 10 minutes and then rinse your face and neck with water. Do up to three times daily and be sure to follow-up with a good quality moisturiser.
• add the juice of half a lemon to a cup of cold water. Splash the mix onto your freshly washed face and allow the lemon water to air dry. You’ll get the best results when you follow this remedy once or twice a day.

2. Cucumber and avocado
Believe it or not, cucumber has a bit of a reputation for its anti-ageing properties. It tightens the pores in your skin and nourishes it, but it also stacks up as a good exfoliator, which helps when you want to shed dead and tanned skin cells. On the other hand you have avocado, which is known for its moisturising properties. With their powers combined you have a very good product for sagging skin.

You can:

• blend one cup of finely chopped avocado with one cup of finely chopped cucumber. Apply this to your face and neck and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Wash off thoroughly with warm water. Regular application of this blend will assist in tightening of your skin.
• grind half a cucumber and squeeze it through a strainer to extract its juice. Apply the juice on your face and leave it until it dries. Rinse off with cool water. Follow the remedy once a day for best results.

3. Yoghurt and honey
Yoghurt is a wonder remedy for many ills because it contains nutrients that are ‘food for your skin’. Yoghurt is an excellent source of protein, which is good for your digestive system, and it is also a good moisturiser. Such properties will not only help tighten your skin, but it will add a glow to it too.

When you add honey to yoghurt (yes, it tastes delicious) you create a moisturising mixture. The honey has the capacity to draw moisture from the atmosphere and has been used for thousands of years as a treatment for wrinkles.

You can:

• mix 2 or 3 teaspoons of honey and a few tablespoons of yoghurt with a 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Apply to the skin for 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and then splash on some cold water. Use at least once a week.

4. Egg whites
Like lemon, egg whites are naturally astringent, which is why they are a good home remedy for sagging skin.

You can:

• whisk one or two egg whites until you get a foamy texture. Apply to your face and/or neck and leave for about 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.
• add 1 tablespoon of plain yoghurt to one egg white and whisk it. Apply the mixture to your face and leave for around 20 minutes. Rinse.

5. Exercise and water
Flabby arms and legs are largely the result of a lack of exercise or movement that leads to a loss of muscle tone and tension. There are a few simple exercises that can prevent skin from sagging however, skin elasticity and recovery might take a bit longer.

You can:

• make a routine out of exercising at least three times a week for between 30 minutes and 1 hour. You want to include swimming, biking or walking at least twice a week, which works the muscles of your arms and legs.

To tighten up your skin the simplest method (which is why we’ve left it until last) is to drink plenty of water. When you drink water the cells in your skin become more elastic and as you all know, the main reason behind sagging skin is loss of elasticity. Taking in lots of fluids can rectify that and restore tight skin.

Do you have sagging areas of skin? How does it affect you?