After succeeding in your weight-loss goals, it can be discouraging to discover that though the weight is gone, extra skin has been left behind. Your skin tends to lose elasticity as your size increases, and that elasticity doesn't always return automatically if your weight goes down. There are several natural ways to tighten up the skin after dramatic weight loss, with surgery as a last resort for more permanent results.
Step 1
Eat a healthy diet. Exercise and physiology expert Harry Pino, Ph.D., says eating a low-fat diet with lean proteins and drinking plenty of water will help tighten skin after weight loss.
Step 2
Slow down your weight loss. Plastic surgery professor Jason Spector, M.D., suggests losing weight more gradually over time as one way to combat the loose-skin problem. One to two pounds per week is the recommended rate.
Step 3
Build up your muscles. Some very low-calorie diets cause you to lose muscle along with fat, and rebuilding that muscle will tone your skin and give it more definition. Add weight training to your exercise routine; performance nutrition specialist Karen Sessions recommends four days of light weightlifting per week.
Step 4
Consider plastic surgery in extreme cases. Some loose skin folds may become infected, which makes surgery necessary. If you don't have an infection, you can still opt for this surgery. Keep in mind that this type of surgery may be expensive, requires extensive recovery time and may cause scarring.
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