Tighten Skin After Weight Loss

What Causes Loose Skin After Weight Loss?

Loose skin after weight loss is common, particularly in those who lose 100 pounds or more. The skin may lose elasticity and sag as a side effect of such a dramatic change in size.

Factors That Influence Loose Skin

In addition to losing elastin and collagen, after excessive weight loss, the makeup of the collagen left in your skin changes. In fact, after losing weight, your skin contains less collagen. This results in its composition changing.

What Are the Side Effects of Loose Skin?

After a significant weight loss, many people are not bothered by excess skin and never require treatment. However, it is also possible for this extra skin to become irritated and even infected. Side effects of loose skin may include:

• Chafing: When excess skin folds over onto itself, it rubs together and chafing can occur. This can lead to a painful, itchy rash.
• Infections: When loose skin folds over itself, it can be difficult to thoroughly clean each fold. Bacteria can accumulate and overgrow, causing an infection.
• Discomfort during exercise: Excess loose skin can cause pain and discomfort, especially during exercise.

At-Home Treatments

There are some simple, healthy habits you can try at home to address loose skin. While at-home treatments can help you make small improvements to the look and feel of your skin, they won’t completely address the cause of your sagging skin or fix it completely.

• Exercise: Physical activity and strength training routines can help you maintain your weight loss and build healthy muscles.
• Diet: Another way to improve loose skin is with your diet. Talk to your healthcare provider about adding the following to your meal plans:
  • Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon, tuna, walnuts, and almonds
  • Vitamin E, found in nuts and seeds
  • Antioxidants, found in dark chocolate, berries, and other fruits
• Firming Cream: Firming creams promise to firm and tighten loose skin. Unfortunately, these claims have not been proven by research, and natural or herbal remedies do not need to prove their safety or efficacy in order to be sold. Always check with your healthcare provider before trying a new skin product.
• Collagen: Preliminary studies on collagen supplements suggest that oral collagen supplements may help improve skin moisture and elasticity, and topical collagen applied directly to the skin may help reduce wrinkling and roughness. However, higher-quality studies are needed, and there isn’t any research showing a benefit for skin that is sagging after weight loss.

Medical Treatments

As bariatric and weight loss surgeries have become more common, so too have procedures to address the excess skin that can result from them. If you’ve lost a lot of weight, talk with your healthcare provider about the right medical treatment for addressing loose skin.

• Body Contouring Surgery: Body contouring surgery is performed by a plastic surgeon and involves removing excess skin and fat from the body. The surgeon will also work to improve the shape of the remaining tissue, giving your body a smoother appearance.
• Other Medical Procedures: If you’d like to avoid surgery to address your loose skin, there are other options. Radiofrequency-based energy devices are noninvasive and minimally invasive body contouring procedures that can help to tone the skin.

Conclusion

Loose skin after a significant weight loss is common and often doesn’t require treatment. If you have a lot of chafing and discomfort or are frustrated by it, there are several treatment options, with body contouring surgery being the most effective. To determine which treatment is right for you, talk with your healthcare provider.

FAQs

Q: What causes loose skin after weight loss?
A: Loose skin after weight loss is common, particularly in those who lose 100 pounds or more. The skin may lose elasticity and sag as a side effect of such a dramatic change in size.

Q: What are the side effects of loose skin?
A: The side effects of loose skin may include chafing, infections, and discomfort during exercise.

Q: What are some at-home treatments for loose skin?
A: Some at-home treatments for loose skin include exercise, diet, firming cream, and collagen supplements.

Q: What are some medical treatments for loose skin?
A: Medical treatments for loose skin include body contouring surgery and other procedures, such as radiofrequency-based energy devices.

Q: How can I determine which treatment is right for me?
A: To determine which treatment is right for you, talk with your healthcare provider.