Several external factors are known to exacerbate the natural aging process like UV exposure or extreme temperatures, but gravity plays a particularly relevant role. As it is a constant force pulling downwards, the skin needs to be firm and elastic to counteract its pressure and stay in place. Although this attraction force cannot be avoided, the elements that provide skin firmness and elasticity can be certainly enhanced. This is the case with elastin and collagen, both key proteins of the dermal Extracellular Matrix (ECM) that provide the foundation for the skin, working in tandem.
Collagen cushions and supports the epidermis while elastin allows the skin to stretch and flex smoothly. Thus, they confer cohesion and elasticity to the skin, as well as the capacity to recoil after common facial movements like smiling, laughing, drinking, or crying.
Additionally, several intracellular elements help to reinforce these skin properties and oppose flaccidity. It is agreed that the functionally active form of both proteins is reduced with increasing age as well as their correct assembly, diminishing the skin's capacity to deal with deforming agents and avoid their visible consequences in facial look. Stimulating the adequate mechanisms that strengthen skin cohesion and tightness would reduce sagginess induced by gravity for instance.