Exercising and losing weight have many benefits including better cardiovascular health, stronger bones and a more flattering look in your clothes. Unfortunately, it can also mean loose, saggy skin on your face and other parts of your body such as your tummy or upper arms. Sagging skin on your face also means you will look older, which won't complement your fitter, more youthful body. However, there are options available to give your skin a lift.
Factors that Affect Skin Elasticity
Exercising itself doesn't cause your skin to sag; it's the weight loss that's to blame. Skin sags after you lose weight when it does not shrink back to its original size and shape. Not everyone who exercises and loses weight will develop saggy skin. Genetics play a role in developing this condition. Also, you're more at risk if you are older, spend too much time in the sun, smoke or repeatedly gain and lose weight.
Does Slow Weight Loss Make a Difference?
Losing weight slowly --- at a rate of about 1 or 2 lbs. per week --- can help to minimize sagginess. It gives your skin time to adjust to the loss of fat and for skin to reshape and shrink. However, if you've been overweight or obese for a long time, losing weight slowly may not be able to offset the loss of skin elasticity.
Cosmetic Fillers
Also known as dermal fillers, these skin-tightening products can be made from natural substances such as human or bovine collagen, hyaluronic acid or your own body fat, or chemicals such as polymers. A dermatologist injects them into sagging areas around your face such as your brow, jaw line or cheeks. Cosmetic fillers plump up areas on your face where fat and collagen have begun to diminish, which contributes to sagging. In some cases, a dermatologist may combine cosmetic filler procedures with laser or light therapy for better results.
Face-lift
If dermal fillers don't provide the results you want, another option is the face-lift, or rhytidectomy. This procedure has long been used for sagging facial skin to create a tauter, more youthful appearance. You can choose from a variety of face-lifts, based on the extent of sagging or where the sagging is occurring, for example, along your cheeks or jowls or above your brow. A face-lift involves repositioning skin, muscle and fat tissue. It can be minimally invasive, such as a brow or temporal lift, or quite aggressive, such as a subperiosteal lift, which targets the mid and upper face -- areas not typically helped by a traditional face-lift.
Caution
Each procedure for lifting sagging skin carries risks such as irritation, swelling, bruising, blood clots, pain and discomfort. It's best to try the least invasive procedure first -- dermal fillers -- before opting for a surgical face-lift. Choose a board-certified dermatologist, plastic surgeon or cosmetic surgeon to carry out any skin-lifting procedure on your face. Also, get as much information as possible about preparing for the procedure, the risks and post-procedure care.
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