10 TIPS ON HOW TO TIGHTEN LOOSE SKIN AFTER WEIGHT LOSS

10 Tips on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss

Just when you think you’ve got it cracked and you’ve lost the weight, you start to notice a new problem – loose skin! Loose skin after weight loss can be an embarrassing problem and shatter your dreams of at last being able to go on a beach holiday without any trepidation or anxiety.

When you lose weight quickly, the lower levels of the skin, known as the dermis and sub dermis, sometimes cannot keep up with the change in your shape and fail to contract along with your loss in fat, which can lead to loose skin under the arms or around the belly. You can tighten this skin though with exercise, nutrition and creams, so don’t book the appointment with the cosmetic surgeon yet!

Your skin is a living organ and it will, in most cases, reshape itself to fit your new body, but this process can take up to two years, so here are some ways that you can speed up that process:

1. Don’t lose weight too quickly

Our first tip on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss is – don’t lose weight quickly. If you’re reading this article, then this piece of advice may be a little bit like shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted, but if you’re about to start losing weight take it steady! Your skin is elastic, but it does take time for it to adjust and extremely rapid weight loss is not good for you anyway.

2. Drink water

Staying hydrated is crucial to retaining the skins elasticity, so remember the guidelines: you should be drinking around two litres of water every day.

3. Use skin firming creams and lotions

Another thing that can help you on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss is a skin firming cream. You can purchase creams specifically designed to help improve the elasticity of your skin. Look those containing Aloe Vera, Vitamin A and Vitamin E, these are the ingredients which will increase the collagen and elastin in your skin.

4. Healthy Diet

Our next tip on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss is – stick to a healthy and balanced diet, as it’s another way to get the collagen and elastin that your skin needs. Protein rich foods, such as milk, cottage cheese, beans, nuts and seeds all contain the components needed for the collagen and elastin to form.

5. Stay out of the sun

Limit your exposure to the sun’s rays and stay out of the tanning booth! Overexposure to both can actually make the skin even looser, as can the chlorine in swimming pools, so be aware.

6. Mineral scrubs

Using mineral or salt scrubs on a regular basis is another great tip on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss. Scientists believe that one of the effects of using scrubs is to increase the blood flow, which helps to promote healthy and elastic skin.

7. Weight training

Another recommendation on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss is – try weight training. If you didn’t use weights to lose the fat in the first place, now is the time to start. Toning your muscles will help replace the fat with a lean, athletic look and help fill the space left by all that hard dieting.

8. Calisthenics

Add some windmills and jumping jacks to your workout to help your skin readjust to your new shape, help build up new muscle and give your heart a work out too. Including calisthenics in your regular exercising routine is another effective tip on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss.

9. Look after your skin

Simply nourishing and caring for your skin will go a long way towards getting rid of those extra folds of skin left behind after your weight loss. Exfoliate daily to remove the dead skin cells, use massages and regularly take a bath with minerals and sea salts to help improve skin elasticity and texture.

 10. Cosmetic surgery

In extreme cases, cosmetic surgery may be the only answer. If you have carried excessive extra weight for many years, your skin may have lost its ability to regain its shape and you may need to have cosmetic surgery to remove some of the excess skin. Consult your doctor and do an extended research before making any decisions to do a cosmetic surgery.

Your skin is naturally elastic and with proper hydration and diet, it will in, by far, the majority of cases, readjust itself to your new shape. The skin does lose some of its elasticity with age, but you can’t turn back the clock, so concentrate on keeping up that healthy diet and exercise regime instead!

Do you have some other tips on how to tighten loose skin after weight loss? Feel free to share your thoughts and tips in the comment section below.

Stay happy and healthy!

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