Everybody's skin has an inherent amount of elasticity. As you expand, your body literally makes more skin by producing more skin cells. Once you get too big, the amount of elasticity in your skin decreases. If you drop weight very quickly, such as after pregnancy or obesity, you may experience loose skin on your belly. Loose, sagging skin can be tightened by performing a few steps, but you should keep realistic expectations and realize that all of the loose skin may not disappear.
Diet and Exercise
Step 1
Use a website such as the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to calculate your body fat. The more body fat you have, the more loose skin you will need to tighten.
Step 2
Eat a healthy diet high in antioxidants and fatty acids in order to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin and tighten your skin. Consume low-fat foods and lean proteins to minimize extra skin cells being produced.
Step 3
Drink plenty of water -- eight cups per day -- in order to flush toxins out of your body and keep your skin healthy and elastic.
Step 4
Perform Yoga exercises that target your abdominal area to tighten loose skin and tone the muscles of your stomach.
Step 5
Engage in full-body weight training to add muscle mass and tighten skin, as well as cardio activity to melt abdominal fat, including jogging, running or swimming.
Treatments
Step 1
Research Body by Thermage to see if it is right for you. Body by Thermage is an FDA-approved alternative to tummy tuck that tightens loose belly skin by using captive radiofrequency technology to stimulate collagen production.
Step 2
Another option to investigate is laser therapy. This type of treatment involves using a high-intensity light to penetrate beneath the external layer of skin and tighten loose abdominal skin.
Step 3
Make an appointment with a doctor to discuss laser surgery. Laser surgery involves actually cutting off the excess skin.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep realistic expectations and don't expect results overnight. If you are still losing weight, give your skin time to shrink before having any drastic surgeries.
- Use laser surgery as a last resort.
Things You'll Need
- Water
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