What's causing your crepey skin?

As we grow older, our skin can gradually become more loose and flaccid. But when skin begins to feel thin as paper, or like crepe, the most common cause isn’t age, says dermatologist Amy Kassouf, MD. Unlike wrinklesaround the eyes and mouth (that result from repeated muscle movements), crepey skin typically can be traced to sun damage. Over time, exposure to the sun breaks down elastin, the fibers in your skin that allow it to stretch and return to its normal position. Those fibers can heal, but they eventually lose their ability to repair completely after repeated exposure over time. Think of it as an elastic waistband that, with wear, becomes more lax. Crepey skin usually begins to appear when you’re in your 40s. But it can show up as early as your 20s if you are a chronic tanning-bed user or have gained and lost substantial amounts of weight. Medications are another potential cause of crepey skin, such as long-term prednisone. Luckily, there are ways to prevent crepey skin — and even correct some aspects of it, Dr. Kassouf says. Read more at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2017/01/whats-causing-your-crepey-skin-and-how-can-you-fix-it/