How To Get Rid Of Crepey Skin

Updated March 18, 2026

When you think of crepe paper, you may think of brightly-colored party decorations, Mylar balloons, and pin the tail on the donkey. Crepey skin or "saggy skin," however, may not put you in a party mood.

Crepey skin is just a part of getting older, wiser, and more fantastic. But let’s be honest, it’s not a particularly fun part of aging. However, crepey, aging skin can be improved. In this guide, you’ll find the most common causes of crepey skin, prevention methods, and effective anti-aging skincare, along with a dermatologist’s recommendation for this skin concern.

Then you’ll really have something to celebrate.

What is Crepey Skin?

Crepey skin is skin that looks... well, like crepe paper. It’s thin, sagging, wrinkly skin that seems to have lost some of its natural elasticity. When you stretch the skin, it doesn’t settle back into place, but instead, hangs loosely. This kind of aging skin can form in areas that are commonly exposed to the sun, such as above the knee, or in the underarm flesh.

On a cellular level, crepey skin happens when the skin’s elastin fibers are damaged or have difficulty repairing themselves. Elastin fibers are what allow skin cells to stretch and snap back to their normal shape.

The most common crepey skin:

• crepey skin on neck
• crepey skin on hands
• crepey skin on arms
• crepey skin on face

What Causes Crepey Skin?

Luckily, scientists, researchers, and dermatologists have figured out how crepey, loose skin develops over time. There are a number of causes, including:

• Aging – Crepey skin is just another symptom of getting older. As your body ages, your skin produces less oil, collagen fibers, and elastin—all things necessary for taut, healthy-looking skin.
• Genetics – Crepey skin can be a bit like gray hair—some people just get it sooner than others. And there’s nothing to blame except for a genetic predisposition for early signs of aging.
• Dry skin – A lack of moisture in the skin can lead to severe dehydration on the cellular level. Dehydration hinders the dermatological system from keeping skin healthy, plump, and firm.¹ Skin dryness on the face can enhance the appearance of neck wrinkles, fine lines, and other skin imperfections.
• Smoking or pollution – If you’ve ever seen photos of a smoker’s lungs, you can probably guess that cigarette smoke isn’t too kind to the skin either. Exposure to smoke and pollution can increase free radicals in your skin. Free radicals can damage elastin fibers, causing crepey, loose skin.²
• Rapid weight loss – When you lose a large amount of weight, your skin may feel loose and saggy. That’s because you’ve lost the weight that was keeping your skin taut, resulting in crepey skin texture.

The most common cause of crepey skin is something you are constantly exposed to: UV radiation. UV radiation is the blight of beauty, the scourge of skin health, and the most culpable of criminals when it comes to crepey skin. When the body has too much sun exposure, it absorbs UV radiation from the sun’s rays, which causes sun damage to the skin. UV radiation permeates the skin and breaks down elastin fibers, resulting in loose, sagging skin or orange peel skin texture.³

Here’s the good news: elastin fibers can heal ... but there’s a catch. Extended exposure to UV rays over time may permanently hinder the fibers’ ability to heal themselves and may even result in skin cancer.

The result? Crepey skin.

Is Crepey Skin Reversible?

Crepey skin can often be improved significantly, especially in its early stages, through a combination of lifestyle changes, skincare products, and professional treatments. While complete reversal may depend on factors like age, elasticity loss, and the depth of wrinkles, targeted strategies can treat crepey skin by supporting collagen renewal, promoting firming, and enhancing hydration.¹ Ingredients such as retinol, peptides, and hyaluronic acid help improve the appearance of thin skin by restoring moisture and encouraging cellular regeneration, while procedures like laser resurfacing may further stimulate collagen production.²

How To Prevent Crepey Skin

There are some parts of aging you really can’t do anything about. For instance, your mom’s advice seems smarter and smarter the older you get ... and some of the things you did as a teenager seem more and more ridiculous. Thankfully, crepey skin is something you can do something about.

Reduce crepey skin as you age by utilizing the following:

• Apply sunscreen – The American Association of Dermatology names UV radiation exposure as the most preventable cause of early skin damage and aging.⁴ We get it, American Association of Dermatology, the sun is the enemy of youth! But there’s a UV radiation remedy that will fit perfectly in your purse, briefcase, or beach bag—sunscreen.

Chemical sunscreen actually absorbs UV radiation before it can penetrate into your skin, while physical sunscreen sits on top of skin and reflects UV rays away from skin . Apply sunscreen everywhere that could be exposed to the sun, including your face, shoulders, neck, chest, arms, and hands. Do this daily, even when the skies are gray. Use a product that’s SPF 30 or greater and reapply every few hours.

Healthy Skin Tip: If skin health is your priority, you should use sunscreen every day. But you don’t have to use the greasy white stuff you slather on your kids before they jump in the pool. Elevate your definition of sunscreen with a reef-friendly, broad-spectrum, mineral-tinted sunscreen.

Healthy Skin Tip: Find a moisturizer that fights crepey skin on multiple fronts. Moisturizers formulated with antioxidants will tackle free radicals before they can damage your elastin fibers. Add a healthy dose of peptides, the amino acids that promote collagen and elastin production, and you’ve got a powerful anti-crepe cocktail. You can find all of those ingredients in our Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer with TriHex Technology® for your face, TransFORM Body Treatment with TriHex Technology® for crepey skin on the body, and Restorative Neck Complex with TriHex Technology® is a neck cream for your neck and décolleté.

No matter where you are in the aging process, these methods are tried and true practices for all-around skin health. To maintain your skin’s vitality (or get some of it back), just practice skin hydration, eat well, and for Pete’s sake, keep using sunscreen!

How to Get Rid of Crepey Skin

If you’re noticing a little crepey-ness creeping into your skin, there are treatment options available. Depending on the severity and circumstances of crepey skin, you may be able to restore some of the skin’s elasticity.

From the most extreme measures to the simplest, here are the top three ways you can get rid of crepey skin texture:

#1 Surgery – For those with excessive crepey skin, surgery can be an option. However, surgeons tend to reserve this procedure for individuals who have crepey skin as a result of serious weight loss. And just like any surgery, surgical tightening of crepey skin comes with serious risks,⁵ including:

• Scarring
• Excessive bleeding
• The buildup of fluid under the skin’s surface
• Damage to the muscles, nerves, or blood vessels
• Death of fatty tissues

Your doctor will give you the best advice on your situation and whether you should try a surgical solution for crepey skin.

#2 Non-surgical skin procedures – Skin tightening can be done without surgery. These treatments can be effective for up to a year.⁶

• Ultrasound Therapy – Ultrasounds involve high-frequency sound waves to heat the skin. This encourages the skin’s collagen production for firmer, tighter skin.
• Radiofrequency Treatment – Similar to ultrasound therapy, radiofrequency treatments heat the skin using radio waves. The radiofrequency targets deeper layers of the skin to create firmer, smoother skin and promote the production of collagen.
• Dermal Fillers – Filler injections are injected into crepey skin to add volume to the skin and prevent sagging.

#3 Medical Grade Skincare Products – Painless and effective, medical-grade skincare products can help take the visible crepe out of your skin. These products can be purchased through a medical professional’s practice or website, so it saves a trip to the office. With consistent use, you can see continuous results over time (without ever having to get poked, injected, or near a scalpel).

The only downside? Finding the best cream for crepey skin can be like finding a four-leaf clover in a clover field—which is why it’s always good to ask an expert and look for products backed by science.

How Long Does It Take to See Results from Crepey Skin Treatments?

The timeframe to see improvements when you treat crepey skin varies depending on the method used and your skin’s current condition. Topical solutions such as firming lotions, retinol creams, and serums containing hyaluronic acid may begin to improve skin hydration and surface smoothness within 2 to 4 weeks, with more visible changes in wrinkles and texture typically appearing around 8 to 12 weeks of consistent use.³

More intensive dermatological options, such as laser resurfacing, microneedling, or energy-based skin firming treatments, may deliver faster or more dramatic results, often visible after a few sessions spaced weeks apart.⁴

What Do Dermatologists Recommend for Crepey Skin?

When it comes to neck firming cream and other crepey skin products, many dermatologists across the country have two recommendations: ALASTIN Restorative Neck Complex for the neck and décolleté, and award-winning TransFORM Body Treatment for areas below the neck!

We made sure that this was the best product for crepey skin by creating a formula packed with antioxidants and peptides to stimulate your body’s elastin and collagen production. And the results are undeniable.

Trust ALASTIN to Help You Visibly Improve Crepey Skin

When it comes to visibly improving crepey skin, your skin health always comes first. From consistent sunscreen application to implementing effective anti-crepe formulas to support collagen depletion, you can help promote skin elasticity for years to come. And our team of experts is always available to help you find what you need to rejuvenate your skincare routine.

Sources:

1. Cleveland Health. Have Crepey Skin? Here’s How You Can Address It. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/whats-causing-your-crepey-skin-and-how-can-you-fix-it
2. UNC Center for Facial Aesthetics. Laser Resurfacing. https://www.med.unc.edu/ent/academicaesthetics/treatments/laser-resurfacing/
3. PubMed. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Split-Body, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerability of a Topical Body Firming Moisturizer for Upper Arm Rejuvenation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32462206/
4. American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Non-Surgical Skin Tightening. https://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/procedure-learning-center/non-surgical-procedures/skin-tightening/

(US-ALA-2500141)