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'I Lost More Than 30 Pounds…And Gained Lots Of New Wrinkles In The Process'

After losing more than 30 pounds over this past year, I found myself having a classic Clueless Monet moment. While the image in my full-length mirror reflected my newfound strength and energy , the face staring back at me in my magnifying one looked puzzlingly tired and, somehow, older.

'I Lost More Than 30 Pounds…And Gained Wrinkles'

Fine lines around my eyes and forehead had become exaggerated, and my undereyes looked hollow and purplish. It wasnt all in my head. A trip to the dermatologist for a Visia scan (a diagnostic tool that shows skin damage) revealed my skins age to be four years older than my true one. Um, what?!

Im definitely not alone in this experience. I see it very frequently, says dermatologist and Womens Health advisory board member Mona Gohara, MD. Sagging, wrinkling, and fine lines are more apparent with even a 10-pound weight loss , she says.

Our face has fat, and that fat actually makes us look more youthful.

The reason? Like all the other parts of the body, our face has fat, and that fat actually makes us look more youthful, explains NYC dermatologist Anne Chapas, MD, of Union Square Laser Dermatology. People who have higher BMIs generally tend to look younger. And since you cant spot-reduce fat (Working Out 101), if you lose weight, youre losing it from your face too.

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Those who have lost and gained multiple times in the past, are older, or have sun damage are particularly affected in the face by new weight loss. Thats because sun damages elastic fibers (which also reduce with age), making it harder for skin to really bounce back, says Dr. Chapas.

Thankfully, a few skin-care tweaksand perhaps a trip to the dermatologistgive you ways to address your top complexion concerns so your face can match how absolutely awesome and energized you feel on the inside. Start here

Premature drooping of the jawline (a.k.a. jowls) is one of the most common issues. When you drop pounds, youre also shedding the components that make your skin plump, like subcutaneous fat, collagen, and elastin, says Dr. Gohara. And while you cant rebuild fat with skin care, you can spur the growth of new collagen over time with ingredients like retinol (in Origins cream), growth factors (in SkinMedicas serum), and peptides.

For more pronouncedand fasterresults (typically within four to six weeks), Dr. Gohara likes noninvasive Ultherapy, a type of ultrasound technology that uses heat to stimulate collagen. It damages the skin so that its mad, and then the skin reacts by creating collagen, she explains. It sounds scary, but the injuries are microscopic.

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Suddenly noticing crows-feet where there werent any before? Fine lines can definitely become exaggerated with weight loss, says Dr. Gohara. Her fix: a product with hyaluronic acid (try StriVectins moisturizer). It sends hydration into the skin and plumps it up to give you both immediate results and long-term benefits, because it can actually drive your body to create its own hyaluronic acid.

Fat under the eyes helps mask the dark blood vessels below. So less fat equals dark circles. A collagen-stimulating cream with retinol can help, as can a light-reflective eye cream, like LOral Pariss, which makes circles appear less hollow. But a trip to the derms office is the best bet. For a quick fix, the number one thing we do is filler. Its injected into that area, and it can immediately correct that sunken lookpatients walk out almost fully corrected and they dont need to put concealer there anymore, says Dr. Chapas. She prefers hyaluronic acidbased Restylane for this area because it comes off as natural and lasts anywhere from one to three years.

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An unexpected but extremely frequent side effect is surprise breakouts. Switching your diet often has implications in terms of your skin, says Dr. Gohara. A possible trigger: protein shakes. Whey proteins are especially notorious for creating acne, she says.

Treat your newfound spots by washing with a salicylic acid (a gold-standard anti-acne ingredient) face wash and using a glycolic acidinfused face pad. And always use a nonpore clogging moisturizer (look for noncomedogenic on the label).

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Women's Health.

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