Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss

After months of dieting, or pregnancy, you find that you have won the battle. You have either delivered your baby, or find yourself finally at your goal weight. The problem is that one you gain and lose that much weight, loose skin is an unsightly and uncomfortable reminder of your larger former self. There are not as many options designed to tighten loose skin as there are diets, but you do have a few options.

Surgery is the only sure way to permanently remove the excess loose skin that is left over after extreme and rapid weight loss. Surgery can remove loose skin from the thighs, buttocks, stomach, arms, and breasts. Scarring is a result of most surgeries, but can be minimized by your surgeon, and the sight of scars may be far more tolerable that those flaps and folds of loose skin. Surgery to tighten loose skin is not without risk. It involves a general anesthesia, requires recovery time, and may result in infection, bleeding, or other surgical complications. If you are considering surgery to tighten loose skin, be sure to discuss the benefits and risks with your physician.

Exercising during and after weight loss can drastically reduce the appearance of loose skin. By engaging in strength training and muscle building exercises, you are not actually tightening the skin, but instead giving it a firmer foundation to adhere to. Before starting any exercise regimen, be sure to consult your physician to determine if you are healthy enough for an increase in physical activity.

Genetics does play a large part in the elasticity of our skin, and once it is stretched to a certain point, surgery may be the only option to tighten and remove loose skin.

Prevention of loose skin is the best defense against it. To prevent loose skin after weight loss, make sure to stay hydrated while dieting or during pregnancy. Eight glasses of water a day are recommended, as are sports drinks that contain electrolytes.

It is also important to include exercise as approved by your doctor as part of your weight loss plan. Don't lose weight too quickly, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds a week is generally accepted as safe. Keep your skin moisturized during weight loss. A quality moisturizer used 2x a day can really improve the appearance, firmness, and elasticity of your skin.

Reducing your exposure to the sun and tanning beds will serve to maintain your skin's natural elasticity by avoiding the damaging UV rays that can prematurely age the skin.

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