Thick skin is important. Not just in a let-that-shady-comment-roll-off-your-back way. But the actual, physical skin that covers your actual, physical body.
Healthy skin can thin out for various reasons, including lifestyle factors like smoking, or simply as a natural sign of aging. You may also notice that your skin is thinner in certain areas of your body compared to others.
Can thin skin be thickened? It’s a reasonable question, seeing as thick skin can help your body bounce back from bruises and even help fight infections. Here, we’re diving into all things “thin-skinned,” and what causes it. We’ll learn what “thin skin” actually means and how you can reverse or bolster it now and in the future.
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What Is Thin Skin?
In order to answer this question, first, we need to dive into the different layers of the skin and understand each of their functions. Simply speaking, your skin exists in three layers:
- Epidermis – You’re most familiar with the epidermis simply because it’s what you can see when you look in the mirror or at your body. It is the outermost layer of skin and your body’s first defense against the outside world. As we age, this layer thins out—although the number of skin cells remains the same [1].
- Dermis – This is the middle layer, and the location most responsible for a loss of skin thickness over time. Within the dermis, you’ll find familiar-sounding components like collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. These are the materials that are responsible for your skin’s elasticity and ability to bounce back after a cut or bruise. Over time, our bodies produce less of these substances, which can cause our skin to lose some of its thickness [2].
- Hypodermis – This is the deepest layer of your skin and the one that holds fat and energy. It also connects your skin to your muscles and bones. This layer can become thinner or shrink as we age, which can cause the appearance of wrinkles, sagging, or skin thinning [3].
What Causes Thinning Skin?
Before we learn how to deal with thinning skin, we first need to determine what causes it. There are several different factors that can cause thinning skin, some of which can be monitored or even controlled. Other factors are simply natural occurrences of life.
Lifestyle
- Exposure to UV light – Perhaps the greatest and most destructive lifestyle factor that influences thinning skin is exposed to UV light. It impacts your skin every day, even if you’re not going to the tanning salon. UV light from the sun may cause your healthy skin to thin and even develop hyperpigmentation over time [4].
- Diet – Like all other aspects of your body, your skin is impacted by what you eat. Maintaining a well-balanced diet with healthy fats and leafy greens can help keep your skin buoyant and fortified [5].
- Alcohol – Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol may also influence how quickly your skin thins or sags with age. Alcohol dehydrates your body, making your skin more vulnerable to loss of vitamin and nutrient loss that contributes to skin dullness [6].
- Smoking – The negative impact that smoking has on the skin has been studied for years. Though the root cause is still being hypothesized, smoking has been shown to speed up premature aging skin and atrophy, or thinning [7].
- Medication – Prolonged use of certain medications like blood thinners, corticosteroids, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) can also thin your skin over time [8].
- Dehydration – Your skin, like every other organ of your body, functions best when equipped with ample amounts of water. Dehydration can cause a decrease in skin elasticity, which can add to the appearance of skin thinning or sagging [9].
Location
- Around your eyes
- Palms of your hands
- Soles of your feet
- Genitalia
To understand the parts of your body where the skin is naturally thinner, think about your body parts that are generally more sensitive to the touch (and have been since you can remember). In these cases, thin skin is actually by evolutionary design; The thinner skin allows the many nerve endings in these parts of your body to feel exactly what you’re touching.
Take your eyelids, for example. On average, the skin of your eyelid is only about 0.5 mm thick. The skin on your eyelids is naturally thinner and more sensitive to protect and flex appropriately. Compare it to the skin on the bottom of your heel, which is about 4 mm thick [11].
Genetics
Some people are simply more prone to thin skin than others. The thickness of the dermis layer of your skin, in particular, is determined mostly by your genetics. For example, if you looked at the back of your hand as a child and saw prominent blue veins, you may be genetically predisposed to thin skin [12].
Aging
There aren’t ways to reverse the natural effects of aging like this one. However, you can protect your skin to help slow down the aging process. Daily skincare maintenance can help your skin look more youthful for longer and fight against external skin-thinning factors like UV rays.
What Are the Effects of Thin Skin?
Thin skin is not only an issue of aesthetics. Skin is our body’s barrier against the outside world, so having thick skin can and does protect you against harmful elements.
As your skin thins, you may notice [13]:
- More bruises
- Longer healing time from cuts
- Increased susceptibility to skin disease
- Increased vulnerability to infection
How Can I Control Thinning Skin?
The short answer is that there isn’t much you can do to plump up skin that has already thinned. However, you can take preventative measures to slow down the process.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a natural moisturizer. It works to pull moisture back into areas of the skin where hydration is lacking or lost. As we age, the extra boost of hydration helps bolster the look of sagging, wrinkling, or thinning skin [14].
Peptides
In addition, peptides may also help [16]:
- Promote a clear complexion
- Moisture retainment in skin
- Strengthen the skin barrier
- Skin become more firm
- Soothe inflammation
- Repair damaged skin
Areas that are naturally thin-skinned, like around your eyes, can benefit from a night cream or daily moisturizer with SPF, hyaluronic acid or peptides.
Proactive Lifestyle Choices
In these areas of your life, choose healthy options to protect your skin from skin damage:
- Diet – Indulge in nourishing foods that are rich in vitamins A, C, and E to promote excellent skin health.
- Clothing – Wear long-sleeved clothing and hats every time you face direct sun exposure. You can also seek out shade when you don’t have a sun hat to protect your facial skin.
- Alcohol and cigarette use – Reduce how much alcohol you drink or cigarettes you smoke to benefit your skin and help your overall health as well.
- Hydration – Aim to drink at least two liters of water per day. Hydrating your body is an immensely powerful and easy tool for moisturizing your skin and helping your body perform its healing functions at its best.
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Although skin that has already lost its thickness cannot be thickened, the best form of action is proactive measures to keep your skin healthy, hydrated, and full of life.
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