Trying to get rid of loose skin after weight loss? We understand your pain! Having toned arms, a flat stomach, a firm buttock, more energy, and a well-defined body in exchange for loose skin in your thighs, arms, or stomach doesn't seem like a good trade-off, and it's probably not what you had in mind when you decided to lose weight.
So, is it possible to avoid loose skin after weight loss? It is possible. In some cases, when people lose a lot of weight, they generally have to undergo surgical procedures in order to get rid of loose skin, but in moderate weight loss, it is definitely possible to follow healthier habits to maintain your skin's elasticity.
How to Avoid Loose Skin During Weight Loss?
Here are some things you can do before, during, and after your weight loss journey to avoid loose skin:
1) Lose weight slowly
Even though it may not always be possible, losing weight slowly is the best way to avoid loose skin. Dieting has an effect on the skin because both losing and gaining weight cause the skin to stretch and lose its elasticity. Because of this, when gravity pulls on the skin, it is more likely to crease and sag.
Don't do things like skip meals to lose weight quickly if you don't want your skin to sag. Instead, change your diet so that you eat healthier foods instead of less of them. You'll lose weight slowly this way. You should lose no more than two pounds per week.
2) Eat a Balanced Diet
Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and foods high in vitamins A, C, and E as you try to lose weight. This will help your skin retain its elasticity. You should also eat a lot of protein and healthy fats to avoid having loose skin after you lose weight.
3) Lose Weight by Building Muscle
Getting stronger by building muscle while you lose weight makes your skin look tighter. When the fat that used to fill the space is gone, the skin gets loose. To stop this from happening, change it to muscle.
Building muscle also helps you lose weight because it keeps burning calories even after you're done with your workout.
4) Quit Smoking
Chemicals in cigarettes make your skin lose its elasticity. Nicotine also stops your skin from getting the nutrients it needs. This leads to wrinkles and dry skin that show up early and don't go away when you lose weight. The effects can also affect the skin in other parts of your body, and there is a greater chance that you will be left with loose skin.
5) Drink Water
When trying to lose weight, people who drink water regularly lose weight faster. It fuels exercise and suppresses your appetite. Staying hydrated keeps the skin flexible and stops it from getting loose after you lose weight.
6) Protect your Skin
Due to less elastin and collagen, your skin loses its elasticity as you age.
Take care of your skin and don't spend too much time in the sun to avoid this. You can do this by planning to work out early in the morning or late at night if you do them outside.
When you are out in the sun, you should put on sunscreen. If you don't have to be in the sun, stay in the shade to protect your collagen from UV rays.
How to Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss?
Before you try to tighten your skin, you need to find out if you really have loose skin or just a thin layer of fat. Find out by pinching your skin.
Subcutaneous fat is the cause of loose skin that is more than a few millimeters thick. If you lose the fat under your skin, you might not even need to have your skin tightened.
If not, you can do the following to make your skin tighter after losing weight:
1) Proper Diet
Collagen and elastin are two proteins that help the skin bounce back. Make sure your diet is full of vitamins A, C, and E to get more of these things. Some of these foods are:
Vitamin A can be found in cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yogurt, spreads with added vitamin A, and other foods.
Vitamin C can be found in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, oranges, strawberries, and other foods.
Vitamin E can be found in almonds, peanuts, sunflower or olive oil, margarine, fruit juices, spinach, and other plant-based foods.
2) Hydration and Moisturization
Staying hydrated is just as important for helping you lose weight as it is for keeping your skin tight and elastic.
Getting more water every day keeps your skin hydrated and helps it work better. This means that loose skin will not only become more flexible, but it will also look better.
Not only should you drink water to stay hydrated, but you should also put lotion on your skin to keep it hydrated. Moisturizing not only makes your skin feel soft and supple, but it also makes stretch marks less noticeable.
If you use a good moisturizer with natural oils like olive oil, your skin will stay healthy and flexible.
3) Exercise
If your skin has been stretched for a long time, it may be difficult or time-consuming to shrink back to fit your smaller body. By building muscles to fill in the empty space, you can make your skin look less saggy.
Face exercises, lifting weights, and resistance training are all good ways to build muscle mass and tighten loose skin. You can build muscle and make your skin tighter even if you only work out for 30 minutes a day.
Takeaway
After moderate weight loss, skin will tighten on its own. Weight loss of above 100 pounds requires medical procedures to tighten.
If you eliminate all risk factors before starting your weight loss journey, lose weight steadily, and take all the necessary steps and treatments throughout and after, your skin will regain its lost charm after you accomplish your goal.