Rapid weight loss is the most common cause of loose skin. Perhaps you were overweight and you’ve managed to lose a huge amount of weight, but now you’re left with loose flaps of skin? Or perhaps you’re a woman who has recently had a baby and you’ve got loose skin from where your bump used to be? In either case, having loose skin can be frustrating. Not only does it not look nice, but it can rub and cause rashes if you’re not careful. Fortunately, there are several ways of reducing this loose skin. Below are a few solutions to look into.
Build muscle mass
Building muscle mass can be a healthy way to fill out the areas of loose skin. This is most achievable if you are still quite young and not already toned.
Weight-lifting exercises can help to tone up arms and legs to reduce loose skin here. Sit ups and core exercises can meanwhile help to tighten the abdomen by building abdominal muscles, while squats and lunges can build glute muscles to reduce sagging skin around the butt. Consider which areas of your body have sagging skin and try to focus on toning up these areas.
Use firming creams
Firming creams are often recommended for people with loose skin. These creams work by increasing the turnover of skin cells, helping to tighten up areas of thin loose skin. Ingredients typically include retinoic acid or tretinoin.
This guide to firming creams compares some of the best options on the market. Some are designed to target specific areas of the body such as the arms or the tummy, while others can be used on all parts of the body.
Try massages
A massage could help to stimulate collagen production in an area with loose skin. This can help skin to become firmer.
Your best option is to visit a clinic that specialises in skin treatments as well as massages. Such professionals will have a better idea as to the type of massage therapy needed to help make skin firmer and may even be able to use lotions or infrared devices to further help tighten up skin.
Alternatively, you can try massaging areas of your body yourself. There are also devices that you can buy that use infrared and RF technology to help boost collagen production within the skin.
Explore cosmetic procedures
When it comes to large amounts of loose skin, cosmetic procedures may be the only solution.
Surgery is the most effective way to reduce large amounts of loose skin quickly. This is typically done in various stages if there is loose skin on different parts of the body. Surgery can be expensive, which is its biggest downside.
Radiofrequency treatment is also an option. This involves heating the skin to induce collagen production. The likes of postpartum skin tightening often uses this treatment and can help remove excess skin gained during pregnancy.
When it comes to small amounts of loose skin and wrinkles, another option is chemical peels and laser resurfacing. This also promotes collagen production to decrease the appearance of loose skin.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Your skin may start to firm up on its own if you are looking after your skin well.
This includes making sure that you are consuming a healthy diet that provides your skin with all the nutrients it needs. Citric fruits are full of vitamin C, which is important for our skin’s collagen cycle – by consuming oranges and lemons, you could help to fight sagging skin. Garlic, tomatoes and egg whites are other foods that are important for our skin.
To make sure that these nutrients are getting to your skin, you should also consider giving up smoking and not drinking too much alcohol. Both smoking and heavy drinking can restrict blood flow and prevent nutrients getting to the right places. This can not just prevent loose skin from tightening up, but may even lead to further sagging of skin. Finally, make sure that you are getting enough sleep. It is while we are asleep that our skin produces new collagen, helping to fight sagging skin. You should aim to get 7 hours of sleep per night. This is not always possible for new moms trying to reduce loose skin around their stomach, however catching up on sleep with naps and sharing night feeds can help. If you cannot get a good night’s sleep for other reasons, there are many other solutions to help you improve your sleep quality.
