We all get frustrated by loose skin and most of times look for the ways to tighten it as it affects our self-esteem and lowers our self-confidence as well. There are many different reasons which can result in developing loose skin, and in most of the cases the reason varies from person to person.
There are different causes for loose skin which include sudden weight loss, pregnancy, and the effects of aging as well and some of the most common places people experience loose skin include the following:
- Stomach
- Face
- Neck
- Buttocks
- Arms
- Legs
Some of the most common causes of saggy skin
Aging
As we grow, our skin starts showing the signs of aging and we start losing two important proteins which are manufactured in the dermis including elastin and collagen. Similar to the name, elastin gives skin elasticity and it has the ability to bounce back the skin when stretched while Collagen is produced by fibroblasts. Collagen includes tightly-constructed fibers which help in maintaining its structure and firmness. Both these proteins keep on reducing with the passage of time, which results in saggy skin at the later ages of life.
Some other factors which result in a decline of these types of protein include:
- UV exposure- Too much exposure under the Sun and inadequate care of your body results in increasing process of skin aging which in turn makes the skin look saggy and wrinkles start appearing on the skin even at a younger age as well. We are always advised by the dermatologist to wear SPF every day, especially while going under the Sun. Not only exposure to skin results in skin cancer but also direct exposure to the sun age your skin prematurely which results in saggy skin.
- Increase in the amount of pollutants in the environment including cigarette smoke, bad air quality results in saggy skin
- Also, changes in the lifestyle and poor nutrition and bad drinking habits results in losing skin.
Weight loss
Holding extra weight for a longer period of time results in damaging the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin which in turn results in saggy skin. In case you lose a significant amount of weight, then there are chances that you might have saggy skin. The problem of sagging skin is likely to be faced more by those people who witness sudden weight loss, such as after bariatric surgery. In these kinds of instances, these weight loss procedures results in higher growth of saggy and drooping skin that hangs on the body. Your age at the time of weight loss also plan an important factor on impact your skin.
Pregnancy
In most of the cases, post pregnancy women tend to have saggy skin as women who give birth to multiples, such as twins or triplets, are expected to have more sagging skin around the abdomen as compared to those mothers who gave birth to a single child. Also your maternal age play an important role in saggy skin.
Illness
There are few illnesses which results in saggy skin including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma which is known as granulomatous slack skin. People suffering from this kind of illness tend to have slackening of skin near the elbows and knees and saggy skin which is caused due to granulomatous also don’t respond well to the treatment.
Though there are some of the reasons which are beyond our control, but surely there are things that can be done to tighten and enhance the appearance of loose or sagging skin.
How can a loosen skin be tighten
There are different ways through which the loosen skin can be tighten and most of the common ways which help in improving loose skin include:
- Exercise
- Firming products
- Nonsurgical procedures
- Weight loss
- Massage
Here are six ways you can tighten loose skin
Exercise
Building muscle mass with the help of weight training exercises can help a lot in reducing the appearance of loose skin, especially in the cases when you experience loose skin due to sudden weight loss. If excess fat remains in your skin for more time, there are higher chances that your skin can lose some of its ability to shrink with weight loss. By replacing that lost fat with muscle mass will reduce the impact of loose skin which in turn will improve your motivation as well. Also, in case you are witnessing loose skin due to a recent pregnancy then you are advised to consult a doctor before starting with any kind of exercising as there are some exercises that you need to avoid especially immediately after pregnancy. One form of exercise which don’t give the desired results include facial exercise; though these types of exercises are popular since the 1960s, but there is little research which support that these exercises actually in tighten the loose skin.
Firming creams
There are various types of firming creams available in the market that can help in improving the appearance of loose skin, particularly skin that needs adequate hydration. These kinds of solutions can ensure effective moisturizing for some period of time only and gradually with the passage of time, lines and wrinkles start appearing again on the skin. People use these firming cream more often as they contain retinoid which help in preventing free radical damage in the skin which in turn affect negatively collagen. Collagen is needed by the skin to make you appear young and healthy and collagen in the skin helps tissues to maintain elasticity which in turn lowers the chances of loose skin.
Supplements
Though there is no short cut available in the market to fix the loose skin immediately, there are few kinds of supplements which prove to be helpful. Some of the types of supplements which you can try are mentioned beneath:
Collagen hydrolysate- Collagen is needed to have a healthy and glowing skin, and a study done in the past revealed that supplementing collagen might prevent the negative effects of skin aging.
Protein- Amino acids found in protein (lysine and proline) are important for building blocks for your body’s collagen production.
Vitamin C- Our body need vitamin C supplements for the synthesis of collagen which in turn lowers the chances of loosen skin.
Gelatin- Gelatin is cooked animal collagen which is mostly used in treats like jello and gummy candy. Since Gelatin is an amazing source of glycine and is used to build block for your own body’s collagen production.
Besides there are many kinds of natural body oil which are manufactured to tone, moisturize, and firm the skin. Some of the types of oils which you can use include Geranium oil, Siberian Fir, Apricot kernel oil among many others.
Lose more weight
Stubborn fat under the skin can result in loosing skin and this kind of fat is being referred to as subcutaneous fat. By losing the subcutaneous fat which are present inside the body you can make your skin look firm and tight.
Massage the area
By regularly massaging loose skin, you can experience increased blood flow and help evoke an anti-aging response. Along with massaging your body, you can also use a salt or sugar scrub to increase blood flow.
Cosmetic procedures
There are different cosmetic procedures available in the market which can help in losing the skin, out of many types of processes some are mentioned beneath:
- Chemical peels- BY removing the outer layer of old skin, the appearance of loose, sagging, or wrinkled skin on the face and neck can be reduced to a greater extent. Once the old skin gets peeled off, the skin below it is usually less wrinkled and smoother.
- Ablative laser resurfacing- This process is also being referred to as “laser peeling’’ and its more like a chemical peel because it removes the outermost layer of old skin. With the help of the laser, the layers underneath the top layer get warmth and heat in turn improves collagen production.
- Ultrasound skin tightening- In this procedure, heat is used to stimulate collagen production and the focused ultrasound energy is transmitted through the skin’s surface to heat the deeper layers to lower losing of the skin.
- Radiofrequency treatments- This is another form of method widely used under which heat is transferred to induce collagen production and this method focuses more on the skin’s outer layer.
- IPL/RF combination treatments- Both these treatments combine intense pulsed light (IPL) and radiofrequency (RF) and is used to heats outer and deeper skin layers with an aim to enhance collagen production.
- Neuromodulators- This treatment is known as Botox and the toxin botulinum, known to relax wrinkles, is injected deep into the skin. This process needs the lowest recovery time and also lowers the appearance of loose skin.
These are all some of the ways through which we can reduce chances of loose skin; also there are many types of surgeries available in the market which can help to remove loose skin. These types of surgeries are being known as body-contouring surgeries. In case you are using some other ways to tighten your skin and are not getting the desired results, then it is recommended to consult a doctor and see how things can work in a more supportive way.
Home Remedies
There are many kinds of home remedies available for skin tightening which are effective as clinical procedures, and can make you feel more pampering.
- Coffee- Coffee contain antioxidants which can slow down the visible signs of aging skin, you can prepare a homemade scrub of coffee grounds, brown sugar, and coconut oil for an exfoliating treatment which can help in temporarily tighten your skin.
- Witch hazels are used as astringent to lower the appearance of pores and tighten skin.
- You can get involved in an Epsom salt baths which can enhance circulation and will be a temporarily solution for tightened skin.
We all will age down during the later years of our life, but aging gracefully means no compromise on the quality of the style of living. Always remember that you are an amazing and wonderful creation by the God and taking care of your body is your responsibility only so that you can have an energetic and appealing skin all the time.
How to reduce significant sagging?
There are many surgical procedures which are impactful in removing loose skin and are recommended after weight-reduction surgery. The body contouring procedures can result in some degree of visible scarring on areas such as the upper arms and need some time for recovery, which varies from 2 weeks to 1 month.
Some of the kinds of body contouring surgeries include:
- Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
- Arm lift surgery (brachioplasty)
- Face lift
- Neck lift
- Lower body lift
- Upper body lift
- Medial thigh lift
When should you consult a doctor?
You are advised to consult your doctor about sagging skin in case:
- You feel emotionally low about saggy skin
- There is a sudden and immediate change in your skin’s condition, which results in looseness, swelling, or rashness as well.
- You have saggy skin which hangs down and results in irritation and pain.
There are many kinds of home treatments available for saggy skin which can result in some positive changes; though non-surgical procedures for this condition are effective, but are temporary solutions only. It is important that you listen to your doctor’s instructions about the kind of treatment you need.
Saggy skin is not a medical condition and is not something which is common to all; but all those who are experiencing it might feel frustrated or it can impact their self-esteem as well. If you have saggy skin and home treatments are not responding, then you can see your doctor to discuss about their options.
Wrap-up
Loose skin can be problematic, but in case you experience loose skin, then you don’t need to feel disappointed as there are multiple ways through which you can minimize or reduce it. Collagen is a one of the biggest factor in the skin’s elasticity and by boosting your body’s collagen production, you can lower loose skin. Also, by avoiding smoking, tanning and using those types of skin products that are made using harsh chemicals; you can reduce the chances of saggy skin significantly.
