How to Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss
As you lose fat and your loose skin begins to appear, the
first rule is: don’t panic! Because it is a living organ, your skin will slowly
return to a shape that fits your new body. But since that process can take up
to two years, here are steps you can take to make your skin tighten more
quickly:
Tip #1: Don’t Lose Weight Too Quickly
In addition to weight loss, age, poor nutrition,
dehydration, excessive sun exposure, and smoking can all affect the elasticity
of the skin.
Crash diets and excessive amounts of time spent exercising
can rapidly shed both muscle and fat, resulting in a double-whammy on your
skin--the supportive underlying muscular structure that holds skin against your
body is lost, as is the fat that keeps the skin stretched out.
Quick and dirty tip for not losing weight too quickly: Aim
for 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week, and make sure your weight loss program
includes weight lifting so that you do not lose lean muscle. Check out more
weight lifting and strength training tips here.
Tip #2: Stay Hydrated
Attend to your hydration needs. Water is a crucial component
of maintaining skin elasticity. From both food and drink, you should be taking
in at least two liters of water each day.
Tip #3: Eat Properly
Two necessary ingredients that keep skin plump and elastic
are collagen and elastin. Protein-rich foods such as cottage cheese, milk,
legumes, tofu, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish all contain collagen and elastin
forming components, as well as oils to help maintain healthy skin.
Quick and dirty protein tip: For optimum absorption, squeeze
100-200 calories of these protein sources in immediately after your workout.
For more on what to eat when working out, see my article on what to eat before
and after exercising.
Tip #4: Take Care of Your Skin
Nourish and care for your skin. Daily exfoliation can help
to remove dead skin cells and increase skin circulation. A hot bath with sea
salts and minerals can improve skin tone. Skin tightening creams with herbal
formulas and ingredients such as aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, yeast extract, soy
protein, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A can help to hydrate and increase
collagen and elastin formation in skin.
Stay away from harsh detergents, such a sulfates in soaps,
shampoos and dishwashing liquids, limit your sun exposure and stay away from
tanning booths, and limit your exposure to hot and chlorinated water—all of
these things will decrease skin elasticity.
Quick and dirty tip: If you swim for fitness, use soap and
shampoos that are specially designed to remove chlorine.
When to Consider Surgery for Loose Skin
Skin can only be stretched so far before it looses some of
its ability to snap back. If you’ve had a 9-month pregnancy, then you’ll be
able to tighten your loose skin. But if you’ve carried a hundred or more extra
pounds for many years, you may be a candidate for plastic surgery to tighten
and lift loose skin. This fix should only be used in extreme cases, and I
should warn you: my clients who have undergone this operation have actually
gained more fat afterwards while they were rehabilitating from surgery!
Bottom Line
As mentioned earlier, elasticity of your skin will naturally
decrease with age. Though you can address issues such as not losing weight too
quickly, staying properly hydrated, eating the right foods, and caring for your
skin, you simply have no control over your age! Quick and dirty tip: Rather
than letting age stress you out, you should focus on the things over which you
have control—like exercising and eating right—and you’ll find that you always
look good.
Whether you have a kangaroo pouch, an orangutan chin, or
elephant legs, you can use the tips in this article to tighten loose skin or
prevent loose skin in the first place.
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