The desire to reverse the signs of aging is evident when you consider that some $12 billion is spent annually in the U.S. on various cosmetic procedures, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center or UMMC. Aging skin tends to becomes thinner and prone to sagging. The American Academy of Dermatology explains that loss of firmness is due to a dwindling supply of collagen and elastin fibers that kept skin plump. Several oral supplements may help your thicken your skin and increase firmness.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha lipoic acid is a fat soluble and water soluble antioxidant which allows it work throughout the body. The body generally produces a sufficient amount of alpha-lipoic acid. When taken in supplement form it may guard against a number of health conditions and also have anti-aging effects on the skin, reports the website Skin Type Solutions.
The suggested dosage for antioxidant support is approximately 40 mg. per day. Dietary sources of alpha lipoic acid include organ meats, red meat and Brewer's yeast.
At least one skin firming cream that contained alpha lipoic acid received a satisfactory grade by the website Smart Skin Care.
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B 3 is important for healthy skin. One form of vitamin B3 known as niacinamide may help reduce wrinkles and improve skin elasticity, according to the website Skin Therapy Letter.
The body converts another form of vitamin B3 called niacin into niacinamide when it is consumed in larger amounts than the body requires.
The recommended daily dosage of vitamin B3 is approximately 50 mg. Dietary sources of vitamin B3 include beets, organ meat, salmon, swordfish, tuna and peanuts.
DMAE
DMAE or dimethylaminoethanol is purported to improve skin firmness and muscle tone when taken in supplement form and when applied to the skin.
DMAE may also fade the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, notes the Cleveland Clinic. DMAE is manufactured naturally in the brain and is also contained in foods such as sardines and salmon.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids can help keep the epidermis or outer later of the skin moisturized which improve fullness and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reports the website Skin Type Solutions.
Omega-3's are not produced by the body but can be found in abundance in foods like carp, salmon, soybeans and olive oil. Taking more than 3g daily of Omega-3 supplements can increase the risk of bleeding, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center.
References
Writer Bio
Karen Hellesvig-Gaskell is a broadcast journalist who began writing professionally in 1980. Her writing focuses on parenting and health, and has appeared in “Spirituality & Health Magazine" and “Essential Wellness.” Hellesvig-Gaskell has worked with autistic children at the Fraser School in Minneapolis and as a child care assistant for toddlers and preschoolers at the International School of Minnesota, Eden Prairie.