When you gain weight, your skin stretches due to the more fat and body mass area it needs to cover. If you drastically lose weight, whether through exercise, diet, or surgery, the skin loosens because it has no time to shrink, along with the rapid weight loss. This causes sagging and loose skin after weight loss.
Usually, minimal skin sagging after weight loss can return to its normal shape. However, skin that has been excessively taut over a long period of time loosens with weight loss and requires toning exercises or plastic surgery to remove the excess loose skin. After losing weight, you may be able to tighten loose skin with various lifestyle and medical methods. These may include changes in diet and physical activity, non-invasive procedures or body contouring surgery.
This blog discusses the cause of loose skin after weight loss and possible options to tighten it up.
Table of Contents
- What Causes Loose Skin After Weight Loss?
- How To Tighten Up Flabby Skin After Weight Loss? 10 Ways & Tips
- Will Loose Skin From Weight Loss Go Away?
- How Long Does It Take For Loose Skin To Tighten?
- Dietitian’s Recommendation
- The Final Say
- FAQs
- References
What Causes Loose Skin After Weight Loss?
The skin is the largest organ of our body and forms a protective barrier against the surrounding environment. It is made up mostly of proteins, especially collagen and elastin that make up the bottom layer of your skin.
- Collagen is typically white in colour, makes up about 80% of your skin's structure and offers strength and firmness.
- Elastin is the yellow tissue that gives the skin elasticity and helps maintain its tightness.
During weight gain, the skin stretches to make room for increased growth and when you lose that weight in a short time, excess skin may hang from your body. Pregnancy is one of the most common reasons for loose skin.
The greater your weight loss, the more pronounced your loose skin will be. Usually, when the skin is stretched or pulled, it will return to its original form due to the collagen and elastin in the skin, which give the skin its elasticity and make that possible.
However, if the skin is significantly stretched over a long period of time, collagen and elastin fibres are damaged. As a result, they lose some of their ability to bounce the skin back to its original shape. So, when you lose a lot of weight, excess skin can hang from your body.
Also Read: Why Is The Skin Under Your Armpits Dark? 9 Causes, Vitamin Deficiencies, and Home Remedies You Need!
How To Tighten Up Flabby Skin After Weight Loss? 10 Ways & Tips
You can tighten up your flabby and lose skin by doing these:
1. Strength Training For Muscle Building
Any kind of physical activity and strength training can help you maintain weight loss and build muscle mass, which can help fill out the space left behind by fat. Additionally, regular exercise improves blood circulation, which promotes collagen and elastin production, which contributes to skin's firmness and elasticity.
Also Read: 6 Expert-Recommended Ways to Gain Muscle Fast!
2. Healthy Diet With Protein & Essential Nutrients
Especially when paired with muscle-building exercises, eating a healthy diet rich in lean protein can help support muscle growth.
Additionally, when you eat a healthy diet, you get certain nutrients that are important for the formation of collagen and other components essential for healthy skin. Nutrients that support collagen synthesis and skin firming are:
- Vitamin C
- Protein (Amino Acids - Glycine and Proline)
- Zinc
- Copper
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Silica
- Biotin
- Hyaluronic Acid
Also Read: 10 Healthier Food Swaps That Can Bring A Huge Impact On Your Long-Term Wellness
3. Avoid Sun Exposure
Protecting your skin from UV rays is crucial for maintaining its health and preventing further damage to collagen and elastin, which are essential for skin elasticity and firmness. Photoaging caused by the UV radiation of the sun includes wrinkled, sagged skin with fine lines and loss of skin tone through broken-down proteins, primarily collagen and elastin.
To minimise UV exposure, it's important to adopt several protective measures. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to all exposed areas with at least SPF 30, even on cloudy days, since clouds may allow UV rays to penetrate. Other forms of prevention include wearing protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed hats to protect your skin from direct sun rays.
4. Collagen
Studies on collagen supplements show that oral collagen supplements improve skin moisture and elasticity. Topical collagen applied to the skin may reduce wrinkles and skin roughness.
5. Body Contouring Surgery
Body shaping surgeries are performed by plastic surgeons that remove excess skin and fat from the body and improve the shape of the remaining tissue so your body and skin appear smoother. There are several types of body-shaping surgeries and procedures, depending on where you have excess skin and how much you would like to remove. Some of them are:
- Tummy tuck
- Panniculectomy
- Arm lift
- Breast lift
- Lower body lift
- Thigh lift
6. Massage The Area
Massaging loose skin increases blood flow to the area, which may promote collagen production and skin tightening over time. However, it's not going to magically tighten loose skin and works best when combined with other treatments like skincare products or exercises and done regularly.
Also Read: 7 Benefits of Rubbing Ice on Your Face for Skincare That’s Cooler Than Ever!
7. Alternative Treatment
Although body contouring surgery is the most common procedure to remove loose skin, there are less invasive options that have a lower risk of complications, such as:
- Radio Frequency Treatments – These treatments use heat energy to stimulate collagen production, helping to tighten and firm loose skin. The improvement will be gradual, with noticeable results after several sessions.
- Ultrasound – Ultrasound therapy targets deeper layers of the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin production and reduces sagging. Over time, this procedure helps tighten and lift the skin with minimal discomfort.
- RF Needling therapy – Unlike other skin tightening treatments, RF Needling therapy targets both the surface of the loose skin and the deeper layers to lift and firm the tissue. It improves skin texture and firmness.
8. Laser Skin Tightening and Fat Reduction
TightSculpt is another treatment option for people with stubborn fat and loose skin, especially around the abdomen, arms or thighs. In this treatment, first, the laser targets heat into the subcutaneous layer of fat (just under the skin) to remove fat cells. Then, a different laser stimulates collagen throughout the skin to create a skin tightening and firming effect.
9. Keep Up Your Water Intake
Drinking sufficient water and staying hydrated every day is required for maintaining skin elasticity and preventing loose skin after weight loss. Drinking water encourages skin regeneration and helps maintain its resilience.
Also Read: 5 Detox Water For Weight Loss: Benefits And All About 7-Day Detox Diet!
10. Use Moisturising Serums
Hydrating and cell-strengthening serums can do wonders to reduce wrinkles and help skin look younger. When deciding which serum to go for, always choose the one that is the richest in vitamin A and collagen peptides. These ingredients help your skin produce collagen and maintain youthful vitality. Moisturisers with hyaluronic acid can help your skin stay hydrated and promote skin cell growth.
Also Read: 10 Targeted Exercises To Slim Face And Neck With Fat Reduction Tips!
Will Loose Skin From Weight Loss Go Away?
Yes, it is possible for loose skin to disappear after weight loss, but it can take a long time, especially if there’s a lot of loose skin.
For most people, loose skin does not cause any health damage and will disappear within a few months or years. It's a natural part of a significant weight loss journey that should be celebrated. However, for some people, loose skin can create discomfort or body image issues that can affect their self-esteem.
It may take weeks to months or even years. If the skin is still loose after consistent natural treatments for one to two years, it may not be tight anymore without surgery.
The key to minimising loose skin is maintaining healthy muscle tissue, improving your lean body or mass percentage, and regular exercise throughout your weightloss journey, which will prevent your skin from sagging. However, these things can also be affective to reduce the loose skin.
How Long Does It Take For Loose Skin To Tighten?
The time it takes for loose skin to tighten depends on several factors, such as:
- The method used
- The severity of skin laxity
- Individual skin health
Non-invasive treatments discussed above, like radiofrequency, ultrasound, and RF needling require multiple sessions spaced weeks apart. They give noticeable improvements after 2 to 3 months.
For natural skin tightening, factors like age, genetics, and the degree of skin sagging play an important role and may take several months to see significant changes.
In some cases, more intensive procedures, such as surgery, may be necessary for results.
Also Read: How To Reduce The Underarm Fat? Tips & Exercises To Help You Get Rid Of That Bulge
Dietitian’s Recommendation
If you want to tighten loose skin after weight loss, you may need to significantly increase the elastin and collagen content of your skin. It will help you tighten your skin again, and your appearance will also be attractive. Also, try muscle strength training, massages, spas, and regularly following a healthy diet.
Dt. Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Having excess loose skin is common after dramatic weight loss. If loose skin is bothering you, you can either opt for natural methods like diet, exercise and massage or treatment and surgery.
With small to moderate weight loss, your skin will likely shrink on its own, which is where home remedies can help. However, more significant weight loss may require body contouring surgery or other medical procedures to tighten or remove loose skin.
FAQs
1. How to avoid sagging skin while losing weight?
To avoid sagging skin while losing weight, aim for gradual weight loss of 0.5-1kg per week to allow skin to adjust. Incorporate strength training and hydration to maintain muscle tone and skin elasticity.
2. Does everyone have loose skin after losing a lot of weight?
No, not everyone experiences loose skin after weight loss. It depends on factors like age, genetics, skin elasticity, and how quickly the weight loss happens. Younger individuals and those who lose weight slowly are more likely to retain firmer skin.
References
- https://www.webmd.com/obesity/loose-skin-after-weight-loss
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-tighten-skin-after-weight-loss-5101107
- https://rejuvaustralia.com.au/blog/8-tips-naturally-tighten-your-skin-after-weight-loss/
- https://www.medicinenet.com/does_extra_skin_go_away_with_weight_loss/article.htm
- https://www.health.com/weight-loss/get-rid-of-excess-skin#:~:text=Ways%20to%20tighten%20loose%20skin,opt%20for%20body%20contouring%20surgery.
- https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a28483223/loose-skin-after-weight-loss/
- https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/lifestyle/beauty-skin/loosening-of-the-skin-after-weight-loss-these-easy-tips-are-best-to-improve-skin-tightening/articleshow/86475679.cms?story=6
- https://healthmatch.io/weight-management/how-much-weight-loss-causes-loose-skin#how-to-improve-loose-skin-after-weight-loss
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