A friend of mine one time said something along these lines:

"I figure if I’m skinny all my life, when I get older, I can just gain weight and I won’t show the wrinkles.  You know, kind of like a balloon — fat will stretch the wrinkles out."

That was almost 20 years ago, and I think she’s had time to reconsider that statement.  But is there a nugget of truth in what she said?  If you lose weight, will the skin on your face sag and get wrinkly?  There’s no one way to answer that, because everyone is different, but here are some things to consider.

Your Age

The younger you are, the more likely your skin will spring back.  For example, if you’re in your 30’s or 40’s, you have a better chance of not having much skin sagging, if at all.

The older you are, the more possible it is for a sag effect — but keep reading, as there are ways to fight back!

The Number Of Pounds You Have to Lose

The fewer pounds you need to lose, the less adjustment your skin needs to make.  Conversely, the more pounds, the higher possibility of some sag.

There’s a way to fight back here, too.  By losing weight slowly (no more than 2 pounds a week), you give your skin time to play "catch up" with your weight loss.  You’re less likely to show a saggy look.

Your Skin Type

If you have very dry skin, it has less of an ability to adapt to your weight loss.  Your best bet here is to splurge — with every 5 or 10 pounds gone, have a professionally-done facial.  And between times, use a good exfoliant and moisturizer suited to your skin.

If you have oily skin, you’re more in luck, as it tends to spring back faster.  But you can also benefit from a professional facial after every 10 or 15 pounds gone.  Meanwhile, exfoliate regularly and use a water-based moisturizer.

Combination skin — your have the best and worst of both.  Yep, a professional facial would also benefit your skin every 10 pounds or so and (you guessed it) exfoliate and moisturize appropriately.

Fight Back!

Obviously you don’t want to add wrinkles to sagging, so common sense applies here — limit sun exposure and alcohol, and quit smoking — these all help.

So what can you do for the sag?  How about facial exercises?  The whole idea is that the face exercises strengthen and build up your muscles (cheeks, forehead, eyes, chin, throat) so that they hold up your skin better.

They are quick (usually about 20 minutes) and you can do them anywhere — at home, in the car, lying in bed before you go to sleep.

 
   

 

One book I’ve read and think is excellent (and am putting into practice) is by Carole Maggio called Facercise.  Carole has packed a lot of information in this book, and the exercises cover every spot on your face — from forehead to throat.

A neat part of the book is in the beginning where she shows some real women’s before picture, and then after just 7 days — the book is worth it almost worth just those pictures, but Carole shows us how they did it!

And it’s not just about sagging — the facercises can also combat wrinkles.  While they may not totally go away, they can certainly be less noticeable and give you a younger appearance.

Oh, another way the facercises work is that they increase the blood flow to your face and that nourishes it…and helps to give your skin a bit of a glow.

I got excited when this book finally arrived and I was able to read it and then actually do the exercises.  Now I’ve only really done it once so far, and I’ve put my "before" pictures on the "Facercise Challenge" page.  I think then I’ll give it two weeks, get another photo, and then again 2 weeks after that.

Warning, though — they aren’t quite as easy as they initially seem from the book.  I just finished a set and my face is kind of sore — I didn’t realize how out-of-shape the muscles actually were!

So get a copy of the book and join me.  Let’s fight back with Facercise.
  The book isn’t expensive at all (less than $11) so it’s cheaper than some of the face moisturizers you use!  Buy the book once and you have it the rest of your life.

Let’s get facercized!