How To Tighten Loose Skin
While many of the factors causing loose skin are beyond your control, such as ageing, some of the process is reversible and your skin depending on the extent of damage or loosening can be salvaged. Cosmetic surgery is the most effective way to tighten your skin, but since many people prefer not to go under the knife, there are non-surgical ways to lift your loose skin, too. According to Healthline, these methods include the use of firming creams that contain a chemical derivative of vitamin A called retinoids. This substance helps with the “proliferation, maturation, and turnover of skin cells,” Dr. Alyson Wells, owner and medical director of the Valley Plastic Surgery, told the website.
Secondly, supplements containing hyaluronic acid could prove helpful, although this method is deemed comparatively less effective . Another way to tighten loose skin is to break a sweat in the gym. That’s right: Weight training exercises that can help you build muscle mass can help decrease the appearance of loose skin, particularly if weight loss is the reason why your skin to became loose. Apart from these, regularly getting massages can also help lift loose skin. Per Healthline, massages can help tighten loose skin by increasing the flow of blood and “evoking an anti-aging response.”
Achieving Tighter Skin With Medical Treatments
Body Contouring Surgery For Excess Skin
All of these procedures fit into the body contouring category of cosmetic surgery. Combining multiple procedures into one surgery is normal, especially if you have several areas of concern. For instance, combining a tummy tuck with breast surgery is common.
Are you wondering how to get rid of loose skin and considering a surgical fix? First, speak to an experienced plastic surgeon about your options so you can make a well-informed choice with all the facts.
Book a consultation today at the Harley Clinic if weight loss has left you with excess loose skin.
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To Reduce Significant Sagging
Surgical procedures to remove loose skin are often recommended after weight-reduction surgery. In most cases theyre considered cosmetic procedures and may not be covered by insurance. These procedures fall under the category of body contouring surgery.
Body contouring procedures can leave some degree of visible scarring on areas such as the upper arms. They also require significant amounts of time for recovery, lasting from 2 weeks to 1 month. You may opt to have one area of the body treated, or multiple areas.
Types of body contouring surgeries include:
How To Tighten Loose Abdominal Skin
Having a baby or losing a significant amount of weight is cause for celebration for many people. But if your recent reduction around your midsection has left you with loose abdominal skin, you might be wondering if there is anything you can do to tighten and tone this part of your body.
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Consume Certain Nutrients And Stay Hydrated
Certain nutrients are important for the production of collagen and other components of healthy skin:
- Protein. Adequate protein is vital for healthy skin. The amino acids lysine and proline play a direct role in collagen production.
- Vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed for collagen synthesis and also helps protect skin from sun damage (
What Is The Recovery Like
Skin excisions that involve larger incisions, especially those around the midsection, may require several days in the hospital. On the other hand, a patient undergoing an arm lift could be sent home that same day. Body contouring procedures could also fall under either circumstance.
“The recovery time for an arm lift includes compression garments and limited activitylifting no more than 20 pounds, for example,” Dr. Malin said. Most skin incisions take six to eight weeks to heal, and healthcare providers and patients should follow up closely with each other during this time.
Healthcare providers also won’t perform more than one or two skin excision surgeries at one time, so someone who’s lost weight all over may need multiple surgeries, months or even years apart, to remove all of the excess skin that’s bothering them.
These procedures can be pricey and often aren’t covered by insurance. However, carriers may approve some procedures if healthcare providers and patients can make the case that excess skin folds were causing pain, rashes, or infections.
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What Causes Loose Skin After Weight Loss
Several factors cause loose skin following significant weight loss. Our skin is mainly made up of proteins like collagen and elastin fibres. These proteins give the skin a firm appearance and allow it to snap back in place after stretching it.
When you gain weight, the skin remains stretched for a long time, and the collagen and elastin fibres become damaged. When you lose weight finally, your skin lacks the proteins to help it snap back to its original shape. That stretched skin loses its firmness and therefore remains hanging on the body.
Besides collagen and elastin loss, excessive weight gain also damages the collagen left in the skin. After weight loss, your skin will therefore contain less collagen. The skins composition is also different compared to the collagen of younger and healthier skin. Other factors that contribute to loose skin after weight loss are age, general health, genetics and lifestyle choices like smoking.
Fat Storing Hormone As The Root Cause Of Loose Skin
Lets discuss whats causing flabby skin, regardless if its a weight loss or fat loss effect or not. By understanding the root cause of your problems, you can cure the problem. In the past blogs and videos, Ive pointed to cortisol as one of the root causes of loose skin under the arm. But, theres another hormone that can cause flabby skin– Fat Storing Hormone However, Fat Storing Hormone itself isnt the root cause, but rather the resistance to Fat Storing Hormone is whats causing the problem.
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Why Skin Doesnt Snap Back
The elasticity of your skin depends on how long you were obese. It doesnât matter if you dropped pounds quickly or slowly. The longer it was stretched out, the less likely it is to bounce back.
âItâs like a balloon,â says Marie Jhin, MD, a dermatologist in San Francisco. âWhen you first blow up a balloon, itâs really small and tight.â You have to stretch it first, she says. But when itâs deflated, it doesnât return to its original shape.
A lot of it has to do with age and genetics, too, she says. âEveryone starts to lose as they get older.â
What Does Uneven Lipo Look Like
Uneven fat removal. The liposuction process relies on fat being removed evenly and consistently across the area. When fat isnt removed evenly, it can result in areas that look bumpy, wavy, or warped.
How do you get rid of ripples after liposuction?
Have lymphatic post-liposuction drainage massage at least two times a week for six weeks to prevent lumps, ripples, scarring and fibrotic adhesions forming. If lumps, ripples, scarring and fibrotic adhesions have formed then you must have a massage three times a week.
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What Causes Excess Skin After Weight Loss
The skin has a remarkable elastic ability which enables it to expand and shrink when our weight changes. However, gaining and losing large amounts of weight can put too much strain on the skin and cause permanent changes to the structure and elasticity of the skin.
The top layer of our skin is called the epidermis. Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, which is full of elastin and collagen, the fibrous cords which anchor the skin to the fat cells beneath.
Try Regular Strength Training
Add strength-training workouts to shape and tone the muscles. Building muscle tone may also have a positive effect on loose skin.
Situps and pushups are go-to gut busters, but Pilates, yoga, and barre classes include moves like planks that force you to tighten your core, hip, and glute muscles for extended periods of time. This improves muscle tone, helping to tighten and lengthen you out.
If youre taking a class or working with a trainer, let the instructor know that you recently gave birth. There may be certain moves you need to avoid.
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How Long Does Skin Tighten After Lipo
Every person is different and your plastic surgeon can talk with you about skin tightening as part of your body contouring procedure if warranted. Depending on how much fat is removed, you can expect to see final results between 1-3 months after the procedure.
How long does it take to recover from flank liposuction?
For the first few days of downtime, it is very important to get plenty of rest and drink a lot of water. Most patients require about a week of downtime after which they can return to work. Strenuous activities like intense workouts will need to be avoided for four to six weeks.
Why are my sides so hard after lipo?
After any type of surgery, the skin can build up adhesions and scars as part of the healing process. However, the body can abnormally increase the production Fibroblast in the form of bands which connect two or more tissues causing hardness under the skin.
Why Do Some People Have Excess Skin After Weight Loss
In general, the skin has some degree of elasticityknown as skin turgorthat allows it to expand and contract around a person’s changing body frame, Dr. Malin said. But that degree of elasticity is different for everyone and depends partially on their overall health and the health of their skin.
It also depends on how much weight a person loses and how fast they lose it. “We don’t really understand completely why some people’s skin contracts better than others, but we do know that excess skin is a common problem for people who lose more than, say, 20 or 30% of their body weight,” Dr. Malin explained.
People who undergo bariatric surgery and lose a large amount of weight all at once are likely to have some excess skin afterward, Dr. Malin said. For example, a European Journal of Plastic Surgery article published in January 2022 noted that individuals who undergo bariatric surgery have excess skin following the procedure. Women can also experience excess skin around their stomach after losing weight post-pregnancyespecially if they gave birth to multiples.
But excess skin can also happen to people who lose a lot of weight through improved diet and exercise. “We do believe that a slower weight loss is less likely to cause this because it allows the skin time to contract,” Dr. Malin explained. “But we see patients who have lost weight quickly, and patients who have lost weight over time, so there’s really no guarantee.”
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To Reduce Moderate Sagging
Non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments can improve the tone and elasticity of saggy skin. They tend to be most effective if theyre combined with healthy lifestyle choices, such as not smoking cigarettes and never tanning. These procedures are done by a dermatologist and include:
- Laser therapy. Several types of laser therapy treatments can help boost collagen production and improve overall skin tone. Most people see the best results after multiple treatments. Laser therapy can be beneficial for firming the upper arms and stomach, as well as other areas of the body.
- Laser resurfacing. This highly effective procedure also uses a laser, but is more invasive and has a longer recovery time, typically around two weeks. Laser resurfacing removes the upper layers of skin and sends heat deep into the lower layers. Its sometimes referred to as laser peeling.
- Microfocused ultrasound . This technique sends heat deep into the skins layers, supporting collagen production and lifting saggy skin. It can take several months before you start to see an improvement in your skins firmness and elasticity. The results from ultrasound are not permanent and typically last about 1 year.
How To Tighten Skin After Weight Loss
Losing a significant amount of weight can have a myriad of health benefits for your heart, hormones, and body in general. However, it has one side effect: loose skin. Many individuals who have successfully lost a large amount of weight, usually 100 pounds or more, may find themselves with loose skin that is uncomfortable and frustrating. Fortunately, there are ways to manage and treat loose skin with lifestyle changes, noninvasive treatments, and surgery.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
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Factors That Influence Skin Loosening During Weight Loss Include The Following:
- Age: As you get older, your skin becomes less elastic.2
- Amount of weight you lost: Weight loss of 100 pounds or more typically results in a greater amount of hanging skin.
- Genetics: Genes influence how much firmness your skin retains as you get older. Some people are just more susceptible to sagging skin than others.
- How long you’ve been overweight: If you’re overweight for a long period of time you’re skin may not be able to fully contract back into its smaller shape down when you lose weight.
- How quickly you lose weight: When you lose too much weight too fast, such as with weight loss surgery, your skin’s elasticity doesn’t have time to catch up. The result is loose skin.3
- Nutrition and water intake: Your skin may not be as healthy or firm if you aren’t getting balanced nutrition, vitamins, and minerals and staying hydrated.4
- Smoking: Smoking can speed up the normal aging process of your skin.
- Sun exposure: Your past, present, and future exposure to the sun can damage your skin.
Who Might Get Loose Skin
After losing weight, loose skin can seem like the final hurdle.
First, we hope youâve taken a moment to congratulate yourself. Weight loss can be tough â and losing a large amount of weight is a journey you can only truly understand if youâve been through it.
However, after the hard work of losing weight, loose skin can remain in places where you once had excess fat – such as stomach, thighs, chest, arms, and neck â which can range from a barely-noticeable few millimetres to several highly visible inches.
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What Should You Know Before You Consider Surgery For Excess Skin
It’s not a good idea to undergo surgery for excess skin if you’re still in the process of losing weightor if there’s a good chance you’ll gain it back right away. “We look to see that a patient is at a healthy weight based on their body mass index or based on their lifestyle and how they feel,” Dr. Malin explained. “I want a patient to be at that stable weight for about six months since their weight loss, which gives the body time to get back to equilibrium.”
Sometimes, a plastic surgeon may refer you to a nutritionist or a personal trainer, to help with weight loss, before they address their excess skin. Healthcare providers will also consider the patients’ overall health when determining whether they’re a good candidate for surgery.
Dealing With Loose Skin After Weight Loss
Skin is incredible it can expand and shrink as your weight fluctuates. The only problem is when you gain and lose a large amount of weight, as this can cause permanent changes to your skins structure. Loose skin is common in people whove had weight loss surgery that has resulted in significant weight loss in a relatively short period of time.
Excess skin can make daily activities and finding clothes that fit challenging. Hygiene can also be an issue with excess skin with problems like sores and rashes. Loose skin can also be painful as it can irritate your skin or tug at you.
Not to mention, it can be highly frustrating that your body doesnt reflect the positive image that you have worked to create. So, while loose skin after weight loss is normal, it can provide a unique set of discomforts if its too much.
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Follow A Healthy Diet
Incorporating healthy kinds of food and removing others is a very important factor for people who want to eliminate loose skin after weight loss without surgery. To have the best results, you should consume plenty of nutrient-rich foods, which include whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. In addition, you should avoid taking diuretic drinks such as coffee, alcohol, and soda that can increase the fluid loss from your body and can exacerbate loose skin.
Besides, it is also essential for you to include raw food in your healthy diet because there are many vitamins and nutrients which can out of foods when they are cooked. Raw foods are anything from veggies to fruits, even raw fish . When you start to include these raw foods to the daily diet, you will have a way on how to get rid of loose skin quickly.
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