Loose skin can be one of the more frustrating skin conditions to face. This is especially common if you’ve recently lost quite a bit of weight or if you’ve recently been through a pregnancy.
Loose skin can also be an effect of aging and usually happens around the stomach, face, arms and legs. Thankfully, you don’t have to live with loose skin forever and there are some practical ways to get around it, though it will take a bit of hard work on your part!
You may have seen many different firming creams on the market that claim to reduce the appearance of sagging skin.
Most of these creams focus on hydrating the skin and provide temporary relief to dry and scaly skin which can reduce the appearance of sagging. This is because the moisturizing effect can reduce lines and wrinkles, thus making the loose skin less noticeable.
A good skincareroutine can help you achieve similar effects in this regard and you don’t need to purchase an expensive firming cream to see this effect.
But what about other firming creams that actually claim to make your skin appear younger? What about the ingredients such as collagen and retinoids?
Firming creams that contain retinoids will prevent free radical damage in the skin, thus preserving the collagen in your body. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage skin cells and will ultimately lead to aging. Free radicals are generally created from normal essential processes in the body, but can also come from external sources such as air pollutants, x-rays and cigarettes. In addition, increased collagen production in the body can help decrease the appearance of wrinkles and also prevent new wrinkles from forming.
This makes some expensive firming creams more effective at tightening your skin. Just be sure to check the list of ingredients and that it is scientifically proven to increase collagen production and protect against free radical damage.
In terms of natural remedies, there is a bit of research that supports the use of grapeseed oil. It’s known for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. There’s also a high amount of omega chain fatty acids and vitamin E in grapeseed oil, making it an extremely popular topical treatment for the skin. It has also been shown to protect against acne breakouts and can even out your skin tone.
Get plenty of exercise and build muscle mass
One of the most effective ways to tighten up your loose skin is through weight training. By building muscle mass and getting rid of fat in your skin, it can help reduce the appearance of loose skin.
This is especially effective against loose skin that occurs after weight loss. Excess fat can stretch the skin and if this happens for too long, your skin will lose its ability to shrink back and tighten. By replacing this fat with muscle, your skin will appear tighter and firmer.
If you’ve recently been through pregnancy then you may want to consider holding off on exercise for now until your doctor gives you the all-clear. There are certain exercises you can do after pregnancy to maintain a healthy weight such as walking, yoga and cycling. These are low-impact exercises that are generally safe for everyone, but again, you should always consult your doctor if you’ve just been through a pregnancy.
For certain areas of the body like the face, exercise can’t do much to tighten skin because it’s difficult to build muscles in those particular areas. Regardless, there are still facial exercises that you can perform that might have a little effect, but there’s no research to support that it can actually help. While some people believe that it helps to tighten up their appearance, others believe that it’s just a myth.
Source: Pexels.
Cosmetic procedures are the most effective way to deal with loose skin
At the end of the day, cosmetic procedures are the most effective way to deal with loose skin because it takes a direct approach. This can include chemical peels to remove outer layers of skin such as body-contouring surgeries, or it can include a facelift procedure with a cosmetic surgeon or neuromodulators such as Botox. These procedures can seem daunting at first, but they are safe when performed by an experienced surgeon.
Most of these procedures are minimally-invasive and there are nonsurgical techniques that are designed for quick and painless tightening of the skin. However, in some extreme situations, there are body-contouring surgeries that can help you get rid of a large mass of loose skin. This is generally only used during extreme weight loss and will require a hospital stay or a short period of recovery at home.
We would suggest surgery only if other techniques do not work, or if your loose skin has reached a point where you’re unable to effectively tighten your skin with regular exercise and firming creams. Unfortunately, there’s no magic pill or solution to solve loose skin and surgery is likely going to be the most effective and direct route.
Some final words
Loose skin can be a really frustrating problem to deal with, especially if it comes about naturally as an effect of your pregnancy or even weight loss. The last thing you want to face is another body image problem after losing a large amount of weight through exercise and hard work.
Unfortunately, this is just the nature of our skin. As the largest organ in our body, our skin works incredibly hard and takes a lot of love and care if you want to preserve it and make it look outstanding.
To conclude, there are plenty of practical ways to tighten loose skin. Between firming creams, plenty of exercise and cosmetic procedures, you have multiple ways to tighten your skin for a youthful appearance. By combining all three of these methods, you’re guaranteed to be able to deal with loose skin problems in an effective way.
