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How to Get Rid of the Look of Crepey Skin, Cause by Cause
Crepey-looking skin can come from sun, dryness, weight changes, or medication. How to find your main cause and match a routine to it, plus when to look further.
Key Takeaways
No cream makes crepey-looking skin disappear, but a routine matched to its main cause may help it look visibly smoother and firmer over months.
Cleveland Clinic names sun exposure and dry skin as the two main causes, with large weight changes, long-term use of some medications, smoking, and alcohol among other contributors.
Visible dryness is the part that can respond fastest. Two weeks of thorough moisturizing on damp skin can show you how much of the crinkled look is about water.
For sun-related crepiness, a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist points to daily sun protection first and a Retinol cream at night.
Very loose skin after a large weight loss is beyond what creams can reach. Cleveland Clinic notes it may need a plastic surgeon.
The Short Answer
To get rid of the look of crepey skin, start by finding its main cause. A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist, writing in a guide to what causes crepey skin, traces crepey-looking skin largely to sun exposure, which can break down elastin, and to dry skin. Daily sunscreen, a moisturizer with hydrating or Hydroxy Acid ingredients, and a Retinol cream may help mildly crepey-looking skin appear smoother, while large amounts of loose skin need in-office or surgical care.
What “Get Rid Of” Can Realistically Mean
Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologist is candid that moisturizers and creams work well for mildly crepey-looking skin but have limitations. That’s the honest frame for any routine: You’re aiming for skin that looks smoother, more hydrated, and less crinkled, not for skin that’s been reset.
How much a routine can do depends on why the crepiness is there. So the first step here is a diagnosis of sorts, not a shopping list.
Why Skin Turns Crepey-Looking
Crepey-looking skin has a thin, finely wrinkled texture, a bit like crepe paper. Cleveland Clinic says you’ll most often see it under the eyes and on the arms.
Two fibers in the skin explain much of it. MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s health reference, describes collagen fibers that give skin support and elastin fibers that give it flexibility. Cleveland Clinic explains that UV exposure can break down elastin over time, and compares the result to an elastic waistband that loosens with wear.
Moisture is the other half. MedlinePlus says oil glands produce less oil with age, starting gradually after menopause for women, which can make it harder to keep skin moist. Cleveland Clinic adds that skin no longer produces oils the way it once did for many people in their 40s and beyond.
Find Your Main Cause First
Most crepey-looking skin has more than one cause. Look through this list and note which ones fit you, because each points to a different part of the routine.
Sun exposure: Cleveland Clinic says crepey-looking skin can typically be traced to sun exposure. If the crepey look is worst on your chest, forearms, or the backs of your hands, and milder on skin that’s usually covered, sun is likely a large part of it.
Visible dryness: If the crinkling looks worse in winter, after hot showers, or when your skin feels tight, visible dryness is playing a role. This is the most changeable cause.
Weight changes: The Cleveland Clinic dermatologist says crepey-looking skin can appear as early as your 20s in people who have gained and lost substantial amounts of weight.
Medications: She names long-term prednisone as one potential cause. Don’t stop a prescribed medicine on your own; raise it with your prescriber.
Tanning beds: Regular indoor tanning is another reason she gives for crepey-looking skin showing up early.
Other contributors: The same article lists alcohol use, smoking, lack of sleep, air quality, and stress.
A Two-Week Moisture Check
Because visible dryness is the cause you can test fastest, start there. For two weeks, follow the American Academy of Dermatology’s tips for relieving dry skin on the crepey-looking areas:
Keep showers and baths to five to 10 minutes, in warm rather than hot water.
Pat skin dry gently with a towel instead of rubbing.
Apply moisturizer while skin is still damp, and again whenever it feels dry.
Choose a cream or ointment over a lotion. The AAD says they add more moisture to skin and are more effective than lotions.
Pick products labeled “fragrance-free,” which the AAD recommends over “unscented.”
Run a humidifier in your bedroom at night if your home air is dry.
At the end, compare the area in the same light you started in. If the crinkled look has eased noticeably, visible dryness was a big part of it, and keeping this up may do a lot of the work. If little has changed, sun exposure or lost elasticity is likely the larger factor, and the next section matters more.
Matching the Routine to the Cause
If Sun Is the Main Cause
The Cleveland Clinic dermatologist’s first piece of advice is to stay out of the sun as much as possible, wear sunscreen every day, and choose sun-protective clothing outdoors. Use a broad-spectrum formula and apply it to the crepey-looking areas, not just the face.
At night, she recommends Retinol creams to help reduce the crepey look. The AAD’s Retinoid guide suggests starting with the lowest-strength product you can find, using it only at night, and protecting your skin from the sun by day. Expect a drier, flakier stretch at first; the Cleveland Clinic dermatologist says that phase is common and temporary.
If Visible Dryness Is the Main Cause
Keep the moisture routine going and give your moisturizer a closer look. Cleveland Clinic suggests moisturizers with lubricating and plumping ingredients, such as Alpha or Beta Hydroxy Acids, including Lactic Acid or Glycolic Acid, or one with a high concentration of Hyaluronic Acid, which is known for holding onto moisture. She adds that emollients and Hydroxy Acid cleansers may help keep skin from becoming crepey. Our guide to lotions for crepey-looking arms and legs compares body formulas by these ingredients.
If Weight Change Is the Main Cause
Topicals still help the skin look smoother and better hydrated, so keep them. But Cleveland Clinic is clear that after a large weight loss, a lot of crepey-looking skin may need to be removed by a plastic surgeon. Set expectations around texture, not tightening.
Whatever the Cause
Diet plays a supporting part. Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologist suggests a diet high in antioxidants, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, and the article notes that vitamins A, C, D, and E and omega-3 fatty acids can contribute to how skin looks.
Putting It Together: A Sample Week
Here’s how the pieces can fit for the most common mix, sun exposure plus visible dryness, on the arms and chest.
Every day: A short, warm shower, then a rich cream on damp skin. In the morning, broad-spectrum sunscreen on any skin your clothes don’t cover.
Three evenings a week to start: A low-strength Retinol cream on the area, followed by your moisturizer once it has absorbed.
One or two other evenings: A body lotion with Lactic Acid or Glycolic Acid instead of the Retinol, not on the same night while you’re getting used to both.
Every evening: Moisturizer as the last step, with extra on any patch that feels tight.
Add the Retinol nights only after the moisture routine feels comfortable, and if anything stings or burns, drop back to moisturizer alone for a week.
Where It Shows Up, and Small Adjustments
Under the eyes: This skin is delicate. The AAD’s face-washing guide advises being gentle around the eyes so you don’t pull on the skin. Introduce any Retinol here last, and more slowly. Our roundup of fragrance-free eye creams lists gentler options.
Arms: The backs of the arms are easy to miss with sunscreen and easy to over-wash. A rich body cream on damp skin after every shower is the core step. For firmness-focused formulas, see our guide to creams for loose-looking skin on the arms.
Neck and chest: These see a lot of sun. Carry sunscreen and moisturizer down past the collarbone.
How Long Before It Looks Different
Crinkling linked to visible dryness can look softer within days of good moisturizing. The AAD’s tips for getting results say a moisturizer can plump the look of fine lines in a few days of use, but most products take at least six weeks of consistent use, and some up to three months. A new Retinol cream belongs in that slower group, so give it the full stretch before you judge it.
In-Office Options, Named Briefly
When crepiness is more than a routine can address, Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologist lists in-office categories including fractionated laser, focused ultrasound, and radiofrequency, along with surgery for larger amounts of loose skin. Whether any of them fits the area that bothers you is a question for your own dermatologist.
When to See a Board-Certified Dermatologist
Book an appointment if crepey-looking skin appears quickly, comes with bruising or tearing, or doesn’t look any different after a few months of consistent care. The AAD notes that persistent dry skin can be a sign of an underlying condition, and Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologist recommends working with a doctor to choose the options that fit your skin and lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of crepey skin?
Find the main cause, then match the routine to it. For visible dryness, moisturize damp skin with a cream, keep showers short and warm, and look for Hyaluronic Acid or a gentle Alpha Hydroxy Acid. For sun-related crepiness, wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every day and add a Retinol cream at night. These may help mildly crepey-looking skin look smoother over months of consistent use. Large amounts of loose skin need in-office or surgical care.
Is crepey-looking skin the same as dry skin?
Not quite, though they overlap. Visible dryness can make skin look crinkled, and that part can ease with steady moisturizing. Crepiness that stays after a few weeks of consistent moisturizing is more likely linked to sun exposure and a loss of elasticity.
Why does my skin look crepey in my 30s?
Cleveland Clinic says crepey-looking skin usually begins to appear in your 40s, but it can show up as early as your 20s in people who use tanning beds regularly or have gained and lost substantial amounts of weight. Long-term use of some medications, such as prednisone, is another possible cause.
Does Retinol help crepey-looking skin?
It may. A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist recommends Retinol creams to help reduce the crepey look, and the AAD says a Retinoid can help the body make more collagen. Start with a low-strength product at night, wear sunscreen by day, and expect some temporary visible dryness at first.
Can lifestyle changes help crepey-looking skin?
They can help prevent more of it. Cleveland Clinic lists smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep, poor air quality, and stress among contributors, and recommends a diet rich in antioxidants. The biggest lifestyle change, by its account, is limiting sun exposure.