A Dermatologist Tip That Can Plump Crepey Skin In One Simple Step

On the papery skin point, lack of moisture is a driving force behind crepey skin. Here's what you need to know.

Crepey skin just describes the appearance of thin, delicate, slightly wrinkled skin that tends to appear on more mature skin. It gets its name from crepe paper and looks very similar to the material. While it can appear on the face (around the eyes mainly), you'll most often see it on the body: the backs of the hands, chest, neck, arms, and legs. 

So if you're seeing crepey skin start to appear on the backs of your hands, neck, or elsewhere on the body, take it as a sign that you need to up your moisturizer game. As board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., once told us: "Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize—this can improve the appearance.”

The first rule of hydration is to find a robustly formulated moisturizer. Look for body lotions or hand creams rich with lipids, humectants, and antioxidants. There are many great skin-supporting ingredients to look for, such as ceramides, aloe vera, shea butter, oat extracts, botanical oils (like jojoba, moringa seed, argan, or coconut), and vitamin E. These can all soothe the skin, improve skin barrier function, and provide lasting hydration. 

"If you wait too long, you miss that narrow window of opportunity to really trap and seal those nourishing ingredients in the skin before all the water evaporates off the surface, further compromising your skin," she told us about caring for your skin microbiome. When that water evaporates (a concept known as transepidermal water loss1), it'll leave your skin even drier than it was before—especially if you rinse with hot water, which evaporates faster. 

While crepey skin is ultimately caused by natural collagen loss over time, its appearance is made considerably worse by lack of hydration. If your skin is looking more parched lately, consider finding a more hydrating product and be sure to apply it immediately after getting skin wet.