Sagging Skin: Dermatologist-Approved Skincare Routine to Firm and Tighten Your Skin

Published: June 2022

Last Reviewed: May 2025

As we age, the structure of our skin naturally changes. Over time, our skin often loses elasticity, volume, and firmness, which can lead to a looser, sagging appearance. This can occur in various areas of the body and is usually accompanied by deeper wrinkles, common signs that typically begin to show by our 40s. These changes are caused by a combination of internal ageing processes and external environmental factors.

Read on to discover what sagging skin is, what causes it, and the dermatologically and clinically approved skincare routine to help tighten and firm your skin.

Sagging skin or saggy skin refers to loose, drooping skin that has lost its firmness and elasticity. 

It can happen almost anywhere on the body and typically happens when the skin loses the ability to adjust back into place normally as we age. Common areas where you might see sagging skin include: 

• Upper arms
• Face and jawline
• Neck/throat
• Jowls
• Inner thighs
• Chin
• Eyelids
• Abdomen 

While sagging skin can be improved with the right skincare, targeted treatments and healthy lifestyle habits, the first step to effectively addressing it is understanding what causes it and how it shows up on your skin.

While genetics plays a role in how our skin ages, external factors like sun exposure, pollution, stress, diet, and smoking can accelerate the ageing process and contribute to sagging skin. 

Over time, a combination of internal changes and external stressors reduces the skin’s ability to stay firm, smooth, and lifted. Understanding these causes is the first step toward finding the right solutions to help tighten and firm sagging skin on the face, jowls, or other areas of the body.

Sagging skin is a natural part of the ageing process, but it doesn’t happen overnight. As we get older, the skin’s supportive structure begins to weaken. This includes a gradual loss of fat cells that help maintain volume and a significant decline in the production of two vital proteins: collagen and elastin. These proteins are essential for keeping skin firm, elastic, and youthful-looking.

Elastin is responsible for the skin’s ability to stretch and bounce back. It gives firm skin its flexibility and resilience. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It forms strong fibres that provide structure, strength, and firmness to the skin and throughout the body.  

With age, the body naturally produces less collagen and elastin, which leads to thinner, weaker skin that gradually loses its ability to stay tight and lifted. While this decline is a normal part of ageing, it can be accelerated by external factors such as sun exposure, smoking, and poor nutrition, all of which further reduce these essential proteins over time.

Sagging skin can appear earlier in life if you’re frequently exposed to sunlight and neglect proper skincare or overall health, making the skin look loose and wrinkled at a younger age. Excessive sun exposure weakens the skin’s structure, damages collagen, and accelerates photoageing (premature skin ageing caused by the sun). 

To help prevent this, it’s important to use an advanced broad-spectrum sunscreen every day to protect your skin and reduce early signs of ageing.

Lifestyle factors can speed up skin ageing and lead to sagging. Smoking, poor diet, lack of sleep, stress, and sun exposure all damage collagen and elastin. These habits also trigger oxidative stress, where free radicals break down skin cells. As a result, skin loses elasticity, leading to wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging. A healthy lifestyle helps protect skin and maintain its youthful look.

As with general skin ageing, external lifestyle factors can impact our skin and cause wrinkles, loss of elasticity and sagging skin. 

Saggy or skin sagging after pregnancy is very common and may result in less firm skin. This may be more prominent for women who carry multiples, such as twins or triplets, as they may see more sagging skin around the abdomen than those who only carry one baby. Dry skin can also be more prominent during pregnancy, alongside skin sagging. 

Certain vitamin deficiencies can lead to a loss of skin elasticity, resulting in sagging and wrinkles. Here are some key vitamins that play an important role in maintaining healthy, firm skin:

• Vitamin C: Essential for collagen production, which helps maintain skin firmness and elasticity. Without enough vitamin C, your skin may lose its structure, leading to sagging and wrinkles. Learn more about the benefits of vitamin C for your skin.
• Vitamin A: Vitamin A supports skin cell renewal and repair. A lack of it can leave your skin looking dry, dull, and more prone to sagging because it hinders the skin’s ability to regenerate and maintain a healthy barrier.
• Vitamin E: Known for its antioxidant benefits, vitamin E protects the skin from oxidative stress and helps maintain hydration. Low levels of vitamin E can cause dry, rough, and saggy skin.
• Vitamin D: While it’s best known for supporting bone health, vitamin D also plays a crucial role in skin health. A deficiency can contribute to skin ageing and increase the appearance of sagging, especially in areas affected by collagen breakdown. 

To support healthy, firm skin, it’s important to maintain a well-balanced diet rich in these vitamins. If you’re concerned about vitamin deficiencies, consider consulting a healthcare provider to determine whether supplements are necessary.

Our skin naturally changes as we get older, and one of the most noticeable changes in ageing skin is sagging skin. Signs of ageing typically begin to appear in the late 20s to early 30s, although the exact age can vary depending on genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

When the skin’s function slows down, it can lead to visible changes such as:

• Loose or sagging skin
• Loss of volume and facial contours
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Reduced skin elasticity
• Nasolabial folds appear more prominent
• A dull or tired-looking complexion

Early signs of volume loss and sagging can be subtle, but here are some key things to look out for:

• Lipstick feathering around the lips
• Flattened or hollow-looking cheeks
• A less defined, saggy jowls.
• Lines and folds on the neck, often called "turkey neck"
• Wrinkles on the forehead, brows, and around the eyes (crow’s feet)
• Downturned corners of the mouth and marionette lines
• Hollowing around the temples and under-eye area

These changes can make the face look older, tired, or less vibrant than you feel. The good news? With the right skincare routine, targeted treatments, and lifestyle changes, it's possible to firm the skin and restore a more lifted, youthful appearance.

Although a loss of volume is a complex concern and is in many ways inevitable, the visible effects can be treated in a variety of ways to tighten skin.

Learn more below about the dermatologist-approved skincare routine and clinically-tested products that can help prevent and treat sagging skin. 

Cleansing is one of the most important steps in skincare routine, as it helps keep your skin clean, balanced, and ready to absorb the active ingredients from your serums and moisturisers. Make sure to use a mild, hydrating cleanser both morning and night to remove impurities like sunscreen, dirt, and excess oils that build up during the day and overnight. 

Eucerin DermatoClean Refreshing Cleansing Gel provides a gentle yet thorough cleanse, effectively removing dirt while protecting your skin from unnecessary stress or dryness. Its rich, creamy texture makes it suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

The Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Epigenetic Serum helps firm sagging or loose skin by addressing key symptoms of ageing at a deeper level. Its key active ingredient, Epicelline®,  is designed to reactivate the skin’s youth genes through epigenetic mechanisms, helping to improve firmness and visibly reduce signs of ageing. 

Glycine Saponin supports collagen production and skin renewal, promoting a firmer, more youthful look. The formula also includes high and low molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid to deeply hydrate and plump, and improve elasticity, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. 

The serum’s innovative Age Clock Technology works to target the skin’s internal age, helping to slow the visible effects of ageing and restore a more youthful skin appearance. Clinical studies show visible results after four weeks of use.* 

*Clinical study over two and four weeks with 43 volunteers, respectively. Product-in-use test over four weeks over 160 volunteers.

Introducing the new Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler 3x Effect Firming Serum, launching summer 2025. Specifically designed to treat sagging skin, this anti-ageing serum firms, hydrates, and plumps, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

With 5% Provitamin B5 to strengthen the skin barrier, Micro Hyaluronic Acid for deep hydration, and Ectoin for improved resilience, this ultra-light, fragrance-free formula boosts skin regeneration and enhances overall skin quality, making it perfect for restoring firmness and combating the signs of ageing.

Anti-ageing creams can help restore lost volume and tighten skin. When used daily, they can visibly improve skin firmness and elasticity while reducing common signs of ageing, such as wrinkles, fine lines, and dullness.

The Eucerin Hyaluron Filler + Elasticity range is specifically formulated to target the needs of mature skin and is clinically proven to help firm and tighten sagging areas. 

Eucerin’s innovative blends of high and low molecular Hyaluronic Acid deeply hydrates and visibly plumps even deep wrinkles, while Arctiin stimulates natural collagen production, helping to strengthen the skin’s structure over time. With regular use, skin feels firmer and smoother, appears fresh, radiant, and rejuvenated. 

Applying sunscreen daily is essential for protecting your skin from UV damage, one of the main causes of premature skin ageing (photoageing). Without protection, sun exposure breaks down collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles, fine lines, sagging, and uneven skin tone.

Eucerin Sun Fluid Photoageing Control SPF 50 or SPF 30 is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and prevent new signs of ageing caused by sun exposure. Its formula combines short and long chain Hyaluronic Acid with advanced UVA/UVB filters to visibly plump fine lines and support, smoother, firmer-looking skin.

Read more below to discover the best ingredients to treat sagging skin, or learn more about a comprehensive dermatologist-recommended anti-ageing skincare routine for everyday use (AM & PM).

The following active ingredients are used in anti-ageing formulas to address the causes of skin sagging, loss of volume and poorly defined facial contours.

Arctiin is a naturally derived active ingredient extracted from the fruit of the Burdock plant with anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties. It strengthens connective tissue by increasing the production of the main extracellular matrix components collagen and Hyaluronic Acid and inhibiting the degradation of elastase. Additionally, Arctiin has anti-inflammatory properties. 

The Arctiin in the Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler + Anti-Age Body Cream helps boost collagen renewal, improving elasticity and firming skin on the body.

Hyaluronic Acid is formed by skin cells and is part of the connective tissue of the skin. One of its key functions is to retain moisture, and it has the ability to bind in between 1,000 and 10,000 times its own weight in water (i.e. one gram binds between one and ten liters). As we age, the skin’s natural ability to produce Hyaluronic Acid decreases and wrinkles start to form and deepen.

A gradual drop in the ‘filler’ substances that keep skin looking firm and feeling smooth lead to a loss of volume, less defined contours and sagging skin in the different layers of skin:

The epidermis. As we age, the outermost layers of skin produce less hyaluronic acid and fewer lipids. Skin is less able to bind in moisture, becomes drier and, as a result, fine lines and wrinkles appear. Skin starts to sag, appears thinner and its texture may be dry and rough.

The deeper layers of the skin. A 1% annual loss of collagen worsens the thinning effect together with a declining level of functional elastin. As elastin is partly responsible for the skin’s elasticity and strength, a decrease in these two substances together results in a sagging, less elastic skin. The volume-giving cells that keep skin `filled out’ reduce in size and number, leading to a shrinking of these layers. The result is a more drawn and sunken look to the skin, with flattening of the cheeks.

Over time, the blood flow delivering nutrients slows, resulting in dullness and a tendency towards dehydration and slower healing. Skin undergoes a further loss of elasticity and deep wrinkles start to form.