After putting in the hard work to lose weight, it can be disheartening to be left with loose skin. It can be difficult to celebrate the journey you have underwent to achieve such success, but you mustn’t let excess skin get in the way. At a healthier weight, you will be rewarded with more energy and less chance of high blood pressure, heart disease, and some cancers.
Plus, if the loose skin is a problem, there are ways to minimize the excess skin that is left after weight loss. This skin has been put under strain from gaining and losing lots of weight, which causes the elasticity and structure of the skin to change. If you put in the work once more, you can reduce the appearance of excess skin.
In this post, four of the best ways to minimize excess skin after experiencing weight loss will be explored.
Exercise
Exercising regularly is a proven method of reducing loose skin post-weight loss. After weight loss, and the skin becomes loose due to less fat, exercise can be used to build muscle mass. This muscle will then replace the missing fat, which can help reduce the appearance of loose and sagging skin.
Using exercise to alleviate excess skin will take time; it is definitely not a quick fix. The best type of movement to use is strength training, which uses resistance and weights to build endurance, muscle size, and strength. Certain exercises will tone different body parts, such as lunges for your legs and bicep curls for your arms.
Most people will fit these sessions in twice or three times weekly, and they can use their own body weight or additional equipment as they progress through the exercises.
Supplements
Some supplements, such as vitamins A, C, and E, can be taken to help tighten excess skin. While vitamin E protects your skin from sun damage, vitamin A is used to help hydrate the skin’s lower layer and vitamin C can be taken to preserve and protect collagen, elastin, and other skin-firming fibers.
People are also encouraged to take essential fatty acids, like omega-3 and omega-6. You can eat fish, such as mackerel and tuna, nuts, and olive and grapeseed oils for these essential fatty acids. Other foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids can be found here. The benefits of this include preventing dry skin and wrinkles, and this will boost your skin’s health.
Surgery
Although this is one of the most extreme methods, surgery can be used to remove excess, loose skin. This is usually carried out by people who have significant amounts of excess skin and feel it has negatively impacted their lives. Surgery does come with risks, however, and these must be taken into consideration before going ahead.
Those who choose to undergo surgery often experience excess skin in their arms, abdomens, and legs. If this is the case, there are numerous surgeries that target these areas and improve their appearance. For example, arm lift surgery not only removes excess skin, it can also improve the contour and shape of the arm and give patients more proportionate overall body appearances.
To determine if you are a candidate for surgery, it is best to discuss your needs with your general practitioner who can put you in touch with the necessary department.
Surgical Treatments
If you’ve tried exercise and supplements but haven’t seen any results, and you would prefer to avoid surgery, there are non-invasive treatments that could help. These include dermatological and surgical remedies, as outlined below:
- Micro needling: This treatment will see tiny needles used to cause micro injuries to the skin. This will stimulate the production of new collagen and elastin, and this will result in tightening skin. Several sessions are required for sufficient results.
- Laser resurfacing: There are several types of laser therapy treatments used to treat loose skin, including non-invasive infrared lasers used to stimulate collagen production and ablative laser surgery to peel off the top layers of the epidermis.
If you are left with loose skin after losing weight, one or more of the methods mentioned in this post could prove useful. Hopefully, with some time, you will be left with skin you can love once more.
