How to Tighten Skin After Weight Loss Naturally

Everyone knows how very frustrating it can be to lose weight! Many find it an uphill task and some even give up and never lose weight.

But not only does one have to deal with losing weight, but there are also other issues, like loose skin. This happens commonly when you lose a significant amount of weight.

Before we get right into how you can tackle loose skin, you need to ensure that it’s not excess fat you’re dealing with, because excess fat is often mistaken for loose skin.

Excess fat is soft and unsteady, also if you attempt to pinch the skin, there will be over an inch of skin between your fingers.

Factors that increase the likelihood of having a loose skin

The skin is a physiological organ that consists of different layers, with each layer comprising different cells. Collagen and elastin are found in the innermost layer. These 2 proteins give the skin its firmness and elasticity, respectively.

The skin has an elastic limit. When you add weight over a long period, the skin stretches to make room for the excess fat. If you stay overweight for a long or you become obese, your skin is stretched beyond this limit.

Eventually, when you lose weight, your skin finds it difficult to return to its original shape because of these modifications.

Some factors increase the likelihood of loose skin (otherwise known as saggy skin).

These are:

The duration of your weight gain:

If you have been overweight for a long period, there’s an increased likelihood of having loose skin because your body has stayed in that stretched state for a long and hence finds it difficult to go back to its normal state when you lose weight.

How Much Weight You Have Lost:  

The weight you lose is directly proportional to your chances of having loose skin. However, if you lose weight in small amounts compared to losing it all at once, you will be less likely to have loose skin.

Your age:

Younger people have more collagen than older people. So the older you get, the more likely you are to have loose skin.

Genetics:

This determines how your body will respond to weight loss. Some people have genes that will easily have loose skin, while some lucky ones have tighter skin.

Although you can’t change one’s genes, there are still things that you can do to prevent having loose skin or to deal with it if it’s already there.

Other factors are smoking and excessive exposure to sunlight.

Issues associated with loose skin

Loose skin can come with varied issues ranging from emotional to physical. Some of these problems are:

Low self-esteem:

Loose skin doesn’t look beautiful, it looks disgusting, especially around the belly area. So coming to accept that new body outlook can be quite depressing. You tend to be sadder and more shameful since you’re self-conscious.

Skin irritation:

Loose skin can rub against each other, hence increasing the chances of rashes which can be superimposed with an infection readily.

In a study done, among 124 patients who underwent plastic surgery to tighten their skin after weight loss surgery, 44% of them complained of skin pain, infections, or ulcers as a result of the loose skin.

Physical exercise will reduce:

If you’re self-conscious of how you look, you will eventually reduce your gym visits due to the shame that comes with your body outlook because you don’t want others to see the hanging skin.

Physical discomfort:

Saggy skin comes with physical discomfort, and this can affect your daily activities.

How to tighten your loose skin effectively.

There are various ways to tighten your loose skin. These would include natural, medical, and surgical methods.

In this article, we will take a look at the natural ways by which you can tighten your skin without going through surgery. Although these at-home remedies can help you achieve minor skin-related changes, they won’t eliminate the root cause of your hanging skin or provide a permanent solution.

Here are 10 of these home remedies for tightening your loose skin:

Resistance training  

If you lost weight only through cardio exercises, you would have succeeded in losing just the fat and even muscle bulk.

So, resistance training helps to build up your muscle mass while you shed the extra weight. This then decreases the flappy skin and makes it firmer.

The toning effect of the exercises has a way of tightening the underlying muscles, which indirectly improves the general appearance of the skin while you shed off the extra weight.

If you don’t have access to weights, you could supplement using resistance bands, bottles filled up with sand, or even old tires.

Tone your Abs

Still, on exercises, most of the loose skin after weight loss is seen around the belly area. Simple exercises like sit-ups, crunches, planks, and other exercises that can tone up the muscles and strengthen your core will go a long way. This should be done consistently to see appreciable results.

Take adequate protein

Another way to improve loose skin is to incorporate the right diet along with your weight loss routine. Foods rich in proteins help to prevent skin wrinkles and maintain their elasticity. Also, proteins are important in building muscle mass which helps to firm up the skin.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is currently a breakthrough in skincare. When applied to the skin, it helps to maintain the integrity of the skin by increasing the amounts of collagen and elastin.

Bearing in mind that these naturally occurring proteins reduce with age, this vitamin helps to keep them at the right level to prevent sagging and weak skin.

Vitamin C also acts as a powerful antioxidant and protects the skin from sun damage.

Reduce sun exposure

Your skin needs sunlight to produce vitamin D which is important for bone formation, but too much of everything is not so amazing. The same goes for excessive sunlight. It can burn the skin and reduce its elasticity, hence making it more prone to sagging.

Stay off smoking

Obviously, smoking has side effects on about every part of the body, including your skin!

Cigarettes contain chemicals that are harmful to the skin by destroying elastin and collagen in the skin. By doing this, it’s very clear that your skin is surely going to be saggy and weak.

Not only do they cause saggy skin, but they also cause premature aging of the skin and wrinkling. So if you’re trying to avoid saggy skin, you should do well to stay off smoking.

Take supplements

Some nutrients can work wonders on your skin but are difficult to get from our regular daily meals. Nutrients like:

Gelatin

This is a protein derived from collagen. It contains proteins and amino acids that can help the body build enough collagen, thereby causing a tremendous effect on the skin. It also improves skin hydration

Collagen

You can get collagen directly in the form of supplements. Collagen supplements act by hydrolyzation. So the manufacturers break it down into simpler, readily-absorbable forms, making the body have access to it quicker and hence the effect was seen faster. It can come in the form of tablets, capsules, and powders.

Omega-3 fatty acids:

These fatty acids help to trap enough moisture in the skin and have extensive anti-aging properties.

Exfoliate your skin:

Exfoliation helps to remove the dead cells that have accumulated over time. But not only that, it’s known that exfoliating your skin over time will stimulate collagen production. So add regular exfoliation to your routine. (Youtube) You can do that with natural body scrubs, DIY scrubs, exfoliating mitts, or any other abrasive material that will be effective. You can also learn how to make these natural body scrubs here.

Stay hydrated

Water is the most accessible and best beauty treatment. Your skin will thank you later.

Staying hydrated helps the skin retain moisture for longer, increasing its suppleness and preventing sagging and the early development of wrinkles. So as you worry about loose skin, as simple as this sounds – drink plenty of water!

Lose weight slowly:

Last but not the least, don’t be quick to lose all the pounds within a short while. Take it gradually. Give space for your body to adjust gradually. When you were overweight, your skin stretched and also adapted to that stretched state. So you don’t just wake up, all of a sudden, and decide to shrink it and expect your skin not to feel it.

Also, when you lose weight suddenly you lose muscle mass, and you need the muscle mass to keep your skin tight and firmer.

So take the gradual process, most experts will suggest 1 to 2 pounds per week. It may not seem like much, but over time it adds up, and it’s more maintainable long term.

Wrapping it up

It’s possible to achieve a body you can be proud of without resorting to surgery if you go through these methods and are patient and consistent.

Best of luck!

Frequently Asked Questions