Weight loss is the dream of many people. People go through different diets, exercises, and other methods to reduce their weight, and in fact, many succeed in it. However, after losing weight in a short period of time, their skin tends to look saggy and over loose. This is a common problem that is found in people who succeed in losing weight of 46 kg or more in a short period of time.
The Reason Behind The Loose Skin
Contents
In this article, we are going to have an insight into the causes and solutions that can be applied to the problem. Haven’t you heard about the term elasticity?
Skin is also elastic in nature. The skin looks tight and young due to the production of two proteins called elastin and collagen.
Collagen is the main protein found in the skin which makes up to 80% of skin structure providing firmness and strength. Elastin provides elasticity to the skin which makes the skin stay tight.
But the skin expands at the time of weight gain and causes damage to the elastin and collagen. The already expended skin becomes loose when you go for a weight loss journey. It seems to appear loose and saggy after losing weight.
Factors that contribute to your skin elasticity
There are a number of factors that influence the rate of your skin elasticity. The below factors are found to be contributing to skin strength and tightness.
✳ Age: Age is inversely proportional to elasticity. That is, the older you are, the amount of collagen or elastin produced will be lesser.
✳ Weight loss amount: weight loss above 46 kg will result in more loose or saggy skin than a moderate weight loss journey.
✳ Genes: The genes play an important role in your skin look. Some people will look younger regardless of their age due to their genetics. Genes affect the look of your skin whether they are saggy or tight.
✳ Smoking: Smokers will be more affected by skin aging than others.
✳ Nutrition and water: Staying hydrated and taking sufficient nutrients, vitamins and minerals make skin healthy.
✳ Duration: the longer you are in the state of overweight or obesity, the more the skin will look saggy after weight loss.
✳ Exposure to sun: Long exposure to the sun causes reduced production of collagen and elastin in the skin.
How to tighten your loose skin- remedies?
These remedies may help you to restore skin elasticity to some degree. But for a huge variation, you might want to go for other treatments.
✅ Be active in resistance training.
Performing regular resistance training helps not only to build muscle mass but may also improve skin appearance.
✅ Hydration and a healthy diet
Drinking a sufficient amount of water and keeping hydrated may improve the skin’s appearance. The water inside will help the nutrients to be delivered easily to skin cells which also helps the skin appearance well.
A healthy diet with protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamin c helps to improve the health and appearance of the skin and your body. Protein helps the body to produce more collagen to make the skin appear better. The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish may help in anti-aging and improving skin elasticity.
Vitamin c helps the skin to protect from sun damage and collagen production.
✅ Take collagen supplements
Collagen supplements like collagen hydrolysate are said to improve skin tightening. The practical effect of collagen hydrolysate is not proven, but it is said to have an effect on skin texture and tightening.
✅ Medical treatments for skin tightening
If you are having loose skin after a major weight loss, then you may go with medical treatments suggested for skin tightening.
✅ Body contouring surgery
Body contouring surgery is preceded by removing the extra skin and fat of the person to reduce the skin loosening.
Body contouring surgery may have some complications like bleeding and infection and it is requested to stay in the hospital for about 1 to 4 days.
Conclusion
Many people who are suffering from obesity and are overweight choose a weight loss journey. . But, at the same time that may result in loose skin.
Loose skin can be treated with different natural remedies for people with small to moderate amounts of it.
But a major amount of weightlessness might need medical treatment like surgeries to tighten your loose skin.
Amanda Wingfield is a certified Diabetes Management Specialist who also holds an MD in Endocrinology, with certifications from ABIM and AACE. She has a decade of experience serving thousands of patients through her independent practice and has been working in the capacity of an expert diabetes consultant for the past 4 years. Ms. Wingfield is revered by her regular readers for her in-depth research and evidence-based analysis of diabetes medications, supplements, and treatments, and her highly critical style of writing.