Have you looked down at your legs recently and been surprised to find wrinkles of slack skin above your knees?

Welcome to the Sagging Knees Syndrome Club. (It has a large membership.) Here in ‘Straya, where it’s always beach season, sagging knee skin can take the fun out of frolicking in your swimwear, strolling about in your shorts, and wearing cute knee-exposing frocks.

That’s why we’ve rounded up the best facts, tips, and tidbits to help you keep your knees looking sensational.

Why Is My Knee Skin So Loose?

Several factors can contribute to the development of sagging skin around the knees. The skin over your knees needs to be loose to a certain degree so that your joint can flex and bend. This bending creates tremendous stress on the knee joints, but also on knee skin. Over time, the tissues begin to lose their structural integrity and skin becomes ultra-saggy.

Baggy knees may also be the result of:

• Collagen loss
• Loss of elasticity
• Sun exposure
• Lack of hydration
• Weight loss

In addition to all these things, women can thank menopause for their sagging knee skin. The associated hormonal changes give the body less energy for repairing and rebuilding collagen. As a result, the skin thins and grows crepe-y with fine lines and wrinkles.

Expert Solutions for Saggy Knee Skin

While a little nip and tuck is appropriate for sagging skin elsewhere, it is not appropriate for the knees. In order to lift knee skin properly, a surgeon must lift the skin of the entire upper leg. Instead, experts say patients should opt for:

• Professional laser treatments and dermal rollers are far less invasive than surgery, but quite effective at tightening the skin.
• Microneedling, sometimes with radio frequency, and ultrasound treatments can effectively tighten knee skin.
• Hydrating body products and treatments with ingredients that stimulate the growth of elastin and collagen can be applied nightly to trigger the body’s natural mechanisms.
• Exfoliating lotions and skin treatments remove dead fish-scale surface skin while also providing hydration and triggering collagen production.
• Knee contouring is a comprehensive, 4-step approach to beautiful knees. It starts with liposuction. Next, excess fat is redistributed where volume loss has created a lack of underlying tissue. Laser skin tightening is the third step, followed by laser skin resurfacing.

Surgical intervention is considered a last resort and is most often used on people who have lost a tremendous amount of weight. While the procedure is effective, it is likely to leave a visible scar.

Unsuccessful Treatments for Loose Knee Skin

Beware of tried-and-true wrinkle treatments aimed at other parts of the body, such as the face and neck. They do not work on knee skin. For example, muscle-relaxing injections may be able to smooth wrinkles, but they cannot lift sagging skin. The same is true for facial wrinkle creams.

Working out at the gym is not a solution, as most workouts stress knee skin. What is helpful are leg extensions. These build up the quads and help to keep your legs and the skin that covers them firm naturally.

Knees Up, Mother Brown

Costhetics wants you to be happy with your knees. If you’re troubled by sagging, wrinkly knee skin and don’t know which way to turn, turn to our experts! We can help you find a doctor in your area quickly so you can get ready for a summer of beautiful knees.