Loose skin after weight loss can be painful: Know how to get rid of it

Loose skin after weight loss can affect your self-confidence and cause embarrassment. But preventive measures and treatment options can easily help you deal with this condition.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Published: September 20, 2019 10:19 am

Nowadays, there are also some non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures that uses radio frequencies to tighten your hanging skin.. ©Shutterstock

When you lose your excess kilos, it can be a great feeling. You feel euphoric, a sense of achievement and relief all rolled into one. But this success can also have a few side effects. If you lose a lot of weight in a very short period of time, you may be perplexed by loose skin that hangs from different part of your body. This is because when you are obese, your skin stretches itself to hold the excess bulk. And sudden disappearance of this bulk leaves an empty space under your skin. This results in ugly folds of loose skin. This is usually evident in the abdomen, thighs, arms, and even the face.

CAUSES OF LOOSE SKIN

As you age, your skin loses its elasticity. So older people are more at risk of this side effect. If you are young, massive weight loss may or may not cause this condition depending on your skin health and genes. Also, in younger people, this may be a temporary condition. But if you are older, your skin will not be able to shrink back along with the rest of your body. It may very well be a permanent fallout of your weight loss success.

Other than this, there are certain other factors that can lead to loose skin after weight loss. Excessive exposure to the sun, low water intake and bad dietary habits may also cause this condition. Smoking is another risk factor because this can accelerate skin ageing and loss of elasticity.

HOW TO AVOID LOOSE SKIN AFTER WEIGHT LOSS

If you need to lose a huge amount of weight in a short period of time, you may not be able to avoid this condition. Besides, this can also lead to other health complications. Know how to reduce your risk of loose skin after weight loss.

Go for gradual weight loss

It is best to space out your weight loss over an extended period of time. Do it gradually. Try not to lose more than 2 to 3 kilos in a month. This will ensure that you don’t lose your muscle mass in the process. It will also give your skin time to adjust to your weight loss.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise along with your weight management procedure will ensure that your muscle mass is not affected by your weight loss. This will improve the health of your skin and reduce the risk of sagging. It will also help you replace the lost fat with more muscles. This will go a long way in reducing your risk of loose skin. Consult a doctor before taking up any form of exercise to avoid risk of injury. But exercise alone will not help you tighten your facial skin. But it can be effective for your abdomen, arms, legs and back.

Take up yoga

If you practice yoga throughout your weight loss period, you will significantly reduce your risk of loose skin. There are many yoga asanas that increase skin elasticity and suppleness. But do not take up some difficult poses at the beginning just because it promises benefits. You may just end up injuring yourself. Seek the guidance of a certified yoga teacher to guide you through the paces.

Drink a lot of water

Water is essential for skin elasticity. You need to stay hydrated at all times. Drink at least two to two and a half litres of water every day. Also, you may add foods with high water content to your diet. Avoid tea and coffee as it may increase your risk of dehydration. Instead of gulping down a lot of water at one go, it is better to space it out and take sips throughout the day.

Follow a nutritious diet

This is very important if you wish to reduce your risk of loose skin after weight loss. Collagen and elastin boost skin elasticity and keep it supple. Food that contain a lot of protein will provide you with the necessary collagen and elastin. So, add a lot of dairy products like cottage cheese and milk to your diet. Also eat more of legumes, tofu, beans, nuts, seeds and fatty fish.

INVASIVE OPTIONS TO GET RID OF LOOSE SKIN

Sometimes, even after taking all the necessary precautions mentioned above, you may not be able to avoid loose skin after weight loss. In such cases, you may have no other option but to go in for invasive medical procedures to get rid of this sagging skin. But you have to wait for at least a year or two before opting for such procedures. Body contouring surgery is one option. But it is rather expensive, and recovery takes a long time.

If you have loose skin on your abdomen, you can go in for abdominoplasty or panniculectomy. Both are invasive procedures. In the former, a surgeon will tighten the muscles and skin of the abdomen. This is also commonly known as a tummy tuck. The latter procedure is better if you have skin breakdown or infection because of the loose skin on your abdomen. In this procedure, a surgeon will remove the excess skin and tighten the remaining skwhyin over your abdomen. He will not touch your muscles.

If you have this problem in your thighs, you can go in for a simple thigh lift procedure where a surgeon will tighten the skin on the thighs. Or you can just opt for a full body lift. But remember that all these procedures are risky and come with their own sets of complications. It is best to consult a healthcare profession to guide you in this.

A FEW OTHER OPTIONS

If you are not in favour of invasive procedures, then you may try wearing compression garments. This will give your body shape and hide the ungainly folds of skin hanging down from your body. Nowadays, there are also some non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures that uses radio frequencies to tighten your hanging skin. But these are very expensive procedure and the results may not be perfect either. Talk to your doctor and find out about the viability of such options.

Published : September 20, 2019 10:19 am

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