Flabby Skin: Causes and How to Firm Skin After Dieting and Beyond

Flabby Skin: Causes and How to Firm Skin After Dieting and Beyond. In this article; How do I tighten my skin after extreme weight loss? Does the skin tighten again after losing weight? Can sagging skin be tightened again? How can I tighten my skin after losing weight without surgery? Answers to your questions and what to do for skin tightening? We have compiled for you all the curious about it.

Flabby Skin

Flabby skin appears mainly when the weight loss is very fast and the epidermis does not have time to adapt to the loss of inches. It can be seen more frequently in the areas of the arms and abdomen, but in general it affects all skin tone. In addition, loss of skin tone is a physiological factor due to age, but it is also a consequence of excessive weight loss.

What is flabby skin or excess skin?

Excess skin, also known as “flaccid skin” or “hanging skin,” refers to a condition in which a person’s skin is more abundant than normal. It can occur after significant weight loss, pregnancy, aging or other factors. It is certainly a typical condition of rapid weight loss, starting from a significant weight, but the causes may be different, including genetic.

It can be more than just an aesthetic problem for many people and create no small amount of physical or functional discomfort. For example, hanging skin can even interfere with movement or cause skin irritation and dermatitis.

There are several treatments for excess skin and can include surgical procedures such as dermolipectomy (surgery to remove excess skin and fat) or noninvasive treatments such as laser therapy or radiofrequency to stimulate collagen and elastin production.

Flabby skin: why does the skin lose tone?

Physiological aging of the skin begins relatively early – as early as around age 30 – and leads to a decreasing production of collagen molecules, the main protein that makes up mammalian connective tissue responsible for maintaining skin tone.

Its decrease inevitably leads to a loss of tissue support capacity and thus to downward sagging.

In addition to physiological factors, there are external factors: the main one is weight change, which can occur both in case of pregnancy and in case of sudden weight loss.

There are also environmental factors, such as pollution, ultraviolet rays, and weathering, which cause collagen disruption leading to progressive loss of elasticity.

Other factors that contribute to loss of elasticity are:

Disordered eating.
Smoking.
Stress.

Therefore, it is important to take some precautions to keep skin elastic and regain lost tone. So here are some tips to avoid losing skin tone and elasticity. If you are interested in this topic, find out why it is bad for your health to lose weight too fast.

Aging

As we age, skin tends to lose elasticity and firmness, causing sagging and excess skin in different parts of the body. As the years go by, in fact, the skin begins to lose its ability to retain water in the tissues and gradually reduces the production of collagen and elastin.

These are two proteins responsible for skin firmness and elasticity. Therefore, when their concentration decreases, the structure of the skin changes and flabby skin appears.

Pregnancy

At this stage of a woman’s life, the skin stretches to accommodate the growth of the fetus and the mother’s weight gain. The skin is therefore subjected to a certain amount of stress. After childbirth and then with post-pregnancy weight loss, the skin may not fully return to its original position, so it is important to try, little by little, to firm the muscles to avoid flaccidity.

Bariatric surgery

In those suffering from obesity, including severe obesity, bariatric surgery is often necessary to reduce stomach size and accelerate weight loss so as to improve not only physical fitness but overall health. In weight loss surgeries, such as gastric bypass or vertical gastrectomy, excess skin can be a typical postoperative result.

In fact, when much weight is lost, flaps of skin remain where fat previously accumulated with a deforming effect that can create much discomfort. Post bariatric plastic surgery can be used in these cases. If you are interested in this topic, learn more about our in-depth article on obesity.

Flabby skin: the rules to follow

1 – Don’t lose weight too quickly

This is rule number 1, the most important advice of all, which you should never forget. Losing so much weight quickly is dangerous for your health and for your skin: losing too much weight too suddenly will make your skin less elastic and will also bring with it the risk of stretch marks.

To maintain your skin tone, you need to follow a balanced diet, such as the Mediterranean diet on which the Melarossa diet is based, which allows the body to lose weight in harmony.

2 – Increase muscle with lean protein

While it is true that high-protein diets are to be avoided, it is also true that protein helps you build muscle and also contains collagen and other nutrients that your skin needs to stay supple.

So be sure to eat the right amount of protein, preferring lean ones, such as white meats, fish, and low-fat cheeses. You can follow the principles of the Mediterranean diet to make sure you have the right balance of all foods.

One trick: eating protein after exercising will give an extra boost to protein’s ability to build muscle mass.

For example, you can consume yogurt with some fresh and dried fruit: you will regain energy and help your muscles.

3 – Make sure you are always sufficiently hydrated

Healthy, toned skin is first and foremost well-hydrated skin. The best way to get the right hydration is to drink plenty of water, at least 1.5 to 2 liters a day.

Consume lots of fruits and vegetables, which, thanks to their water content, help your skin hydrate from within.When your body is hydrated, your skin also looks brighter and more toned.

4 – Do free-body sports

Free-body exercises are ideal for building muscle and also for firming flabby skin after a diet. Add free-body exercises to your weekly fitness routine: jumping rope, push-ups, lunges, etc.

These are all exercises that can make your workout more fun and at the same time reset your skin tone. Add to your workout a circuit with weights three times a week-this will help in building muscle mass.

5 – Targeted cosmetic treatments

The use of cosmetics and treatments, combined with advice on sports and nutrition, can help you maintain and improve skin tone.

The most effective are:

Firming creams containing glutamine (amino acid) and elastin. If used consistently, it can help significantly improve the appearance of the skin.
Creams with hyaluronic acid and collagen.
Essential oils. Among the best is castor oil: to enjoy its benefits, add a few teaspoons of this oil with lemon juice and massage it into your skin every night. Also very effective is lavender essential oil, which you can use every night. And then almond oil, an excellent natural moisturizer that is also good against stretch marks.
Draining oils can be used in the shower, applied with a massage, to drain fluids and promote toned, smooth skin.

Do-it-yourself toning creams and masks.
You can also make toning creams and masks at home.

Add a teaspoon of honey with finely chopped rosemary to a tablespoon of witch hazel water. This is a plant with astringent properties. Spread the cream on your belly and let it absorb well, then rinse.

Or, even more simply, use a beaten egg white: wait until it is dry before rinsing.

Repeat the treatment at least 3 times a week.

6 – Don’t overdo the tanning

Ultraviolet rays and weathering cause collagen breakdown.

It is essential to protect the skin and avoid being in the sun too long because too much exposure dehydrates the skin leading to a loss of elasticity. This applies both when you sunbathe and when you use tanning lamps.

Unless you restrict your sun exposure time, always use sunscreen and you will see that your skin will gain a better tone when you nourish and protect it!

Also pay attention to any situation where your skin can be attacked by sudden changes in temperature or the action of chlorine.

Just remember to shower with fresh water and slather on a cream after swimming in the pool to ward off excessive dryness.

7 – Flaky skin: what to do

In some cases, when weight loss has been very important, for example in a pathological condition such as obesity in which, after losing weight, abundant tissues can be a problem not only aesthetically but also psychologically, it is advisable to consult your doctor, who will be able to guide and offer alternatives and solutions to solve this problem.

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