3 Quick & Easy Ways To Tighten Skin Over Time, From Experts

You don't have to resort to invasive skin-tightening procedures if you don't want to: Yes, those can be helpful, but there are plenty of natural (and less invasive) methods out there. If you want to encourage youthful-looking skin without sacrificing your overall skin health, we've got you covered. 

Topical retinol serums and creams are one popular option for reviving sagging skin. "Retinol binds to retinoid receptors within skin cells," board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., once told mindbodygreen. This "activates genes that upregulate collagen production."

If you already use retinol in your routine, feel free to skip down to the next point. Or you might consider increasing your retinol's potency or your routine cadence. 

See, retinol exists on a sliding scale, with over-the-counter (OTC) treatments being some of the most gentle. While these may be ideal for sensitive skin types, others might need a bit of a stronger treatment. 

Want to level up? You may consider upgrading to stronger forms of retinol, like retinaldehyde, or talk to your dermatologist about prescription-only products, like tretinoin.

Here's a way to tighten your skin at its core: Increase your natural collagen production via collagen supplements. 

"Collagen is what gives our skin a tight and taut look, but as we age we begin to lose natural collagen," board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine Jeannette Graf, M.D., once told mbg. But good news: Collagen supplements have been shown to help promote your body's natural production of collagen1.

When shopping for these products, though, formula matters. "While there may be some truth to collagen supplements stimulating collagen production, it's important to not skimp on quality when buying collagen supplements," Graf emphasizes. 

She recommends looking for hydrolyzed collagen peptides (FYI: The aforementioned study also emphasizes hydrolyzed collagen peptides). While collagen research is still evolving, most of the promising results have been seen with this form.

More specifically, the research shows that these collagen peptides are able to support skin elasticity and dermal collagen density2. What's more, "Amino acids in collagen supplements might increase hydration levels in the skin," Graf adds.

Sleep habits may seem unrelated to beauty concerns like sagging skin, but make no mistake: Beauty sleep is real.

In fact, a lack of sleep can accelerate aging skin. Losing sleep increases cortisol (the stress hormone), which can break down collagen over time—research has demonstrated a link between shut-eye and collagen production3, which is why many experts consider sleep a vital part of any "anti-aging" skin routine.