If you have lost a considerable amount of weight, you may be left with loose, hanging skin. After months of hard work and visions of a thin, toned body, this can be very crushing. The amount of sagging skin can depend on a variety of factors: your age, overall health, how much weight you lost and how fast you lost the weight. Theses factors will also contribute to how easy it will be to get your skin to snap back.
Step 1
Strengthen and tone muscles in the areas that you have sagging skin. For example, if you have bat arms (skin that hangs down under your upper arms), try push-ups and weight lifting to tone the upper arms. As you build the muscles underneath your skin, it can help fill out the area between your muscle and skin.
Step 2
Massage your skin to improve blood flow and stimulate skin cell regrowth. This will help the skin heal and rejuvenate itself faster because it will receive more oxygen and nutrients carried through the blood.
Step 3
Drink more water to increase elasticity of the skin. As with the entire body, a large percentage of the epidermis is water. Nourish the skin with water to plump it up and avoid sagging. Another way to hydrate the skin is through eating fruits and vegetables because they have a high water content. A bonus is the vitamins and nutrients provided in produce that can improve the overall condition of the skin.
Step 4
Give your skin time to snap back and regenerate. The epidermis is an amazing organ that can stretch to accommodate pregnancy and weight gain. It will also shrink back, but it won't happen over night. The faster you lost weight, the longer it will take your skin to catch up with the rest of your body. It can also be difficult for the skin to snap back if your are older because the skin cells don't regenerate as quickly or effectively.
Step 5
Consider surgery if your skin is not firming after using these techniques. Surgery may be the only way to eliminate loose, saggy skin, especially after a large amount of weight has been lost. Body contouring surgery, or a body lift, costs thousands of dollars, but it can effectively remove excess skin all over the body. Consult with a plastic surgeon to see if this is right for you.
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