Sagging Skin after Losing Weight
There is an abundance of dieting tips out there, such that someone who wants to start losing weight will eventually find advice that actually works for their situation. There is also an abundance of success stories showing how people have overcome being overweight and improved their physical health. However, not everyone realizes that this situation leaves the problem of loose skin. As the body puts on fat, the skin expands to accommodate the increased mass. Once the fat stores are gone, the skin becomes loose since there is nothing to force it to stretch anymore. Understandably, people who have lost weight want to find a way to have firm skin again.
Pacing weight loss
Loose skin after weight loss is commonly caused by the body losing weight too quickly. One of the best ways to ensure firm skin after shedding excess pounds is to keep things controlled. Shedding pounds too quickly causes the skin to sag, and it is not healthy to lose more than three pounds a week in most cases. The skin loses elasticity faster in such cases and does not have the time for it to adjust its shape as the body becomes thinner. A controlled pace of weight loss can help in keeping the skin from lagging behind, and the gradual adjustment also means the weight stays off longer.
Skin care
Moisturized skin is more elastic and resilient, helping it adjust better to sagging because of losing weight. It is advisable to use a good moisturizer to cover the areas of the body where it is burning fat before bed. This can help reduce the sagging and keep the skin firm. It is advisable to wear long sleeves to make sure that the product does not rub off during sleep, as well as to hold the moisture in overnight. Scrubbing the skin can also help, since the removal of dead cells causes the layers underneath to grow faster. These lower layers will be better adjusted to the current shape of the body, reducing looseness.
Exercise routines
Exercise can also help prevent or counter loose skin after weight loss. For example, stomach crunches can help in reducing sagging in the abdominal area while losing weight. Exercise routines also have the additional purpose of helping shed excess weight. Trainers may also suggest lifting weights to build muscle mass. While muscle mass cannot fully replace fat, it can reduce the effects of sagging.
Most experts advise people to prevent sagging of the skin while losing weight, rather than waiting until later to fix it. Firm skin can be difficult to manage once the body mass has been lost, and the time required can be just as long as it took to get the skin to stretch that much in the first place. Surgery is an option, but doctors believe that prevention would be a more practical idea.
