When you lose a significant amount of weight, your skin may not immediately tighten. This is because your skin is made of elastic fibers that work much like a rubber band --- when they are stretched, the fibers can loosen and may not snap back as quickly. If you have lost a significant amount of weight in the abdomen, yet experience loose skin, this can be problematic because the skin may hang over pants or rub together, causing irritation. Methods exist to combat this problem and to achieve as much skin tightening as possible.
Step 1
Aim for gradual weight loss. Healthy weight loss rate of 1 to 2 lbs. per week gives the skin time to bounce back and support the weight loss, according to the Daily Glow. Weight loss that is too rapid does not give the skin an adjustment period.
Step 2
Perform abdominal strengthening exercises, such as abdominal crunches and bicycles. These exercises help to strengthen the connective tissue that lies above your muscles, helping your skin to appear firmer, according to the Daily Glow. Exercise these muscles three times per week to achieve firmer skin.
Step 3
Drink plenty of water. As you engage in strengthening exercises, the body can lose water that dehydrates the skin, according to iFitandHealthy. When you drink enough water --- typically eight, 8-oz. glasses per day --- you are contributing to skin health and giving your body the water it needs to repair muscles after exercise.
Step 4
Moisturize the skin regularly with a skin lotion, according to iFitandHealthy.com. These moisturizers help to maintain skin elasticity and a healthy skin appearance. Applying twice daily can help your skin to retain some of its suppleness.
Step 5
Take a vitamin supplement, such as vitamin E and C, to help the skin repair itself, according to the Daily Glow. These nutrients are associated with maintaining healthy skin and encouraging healthy cell growth. These vitamins also are incorporated into topical creams that can be used to encourage skin firming.
Tips and Warnings
- If your loose skin does not respond to non-surgical treatments, surgery to remove excess skin may serve as an option, according to Go Ask Alice, a health resource from Columbia University. These surgical techniques can remove excess skin in the abdominal area and then tighten the skin. While it may take some time, your skin often will tighten over the course of several months. However, if the skin remains loose after a two-year period, your skin is likely in its permanent state, according to Go Ask Alice.
Things You'll Need
- Skin moisturizer
- Vitamin C and E supplements
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