Before we get into this article, I firstly want to congratulate you on losing weight. It’s not an easy thing to do and you should be extremely proud, incredible effort!
Loose stomach skin is an unwanted side effect of extreme weight loss. It almost seems cruel that those incredible enough to persevere through this gruelling journey are left with saggy skin.
Whilst anyone can be affected by loose skin it becomes more common with age and also as a side effect to massive amounts of weight loss. If you think that surgical skin tightening is your only option, we will help show you otherwise.
I will explain what you can do to tighten loose skin on your stomach without the unwanted commitment to elective surgery. There are 8 methods to do this ranging from non-invasive to very minimally invasive practices. All may be worth trialing before you opt for expensive elective surgery using cosmetic surgeons.
What Causes Loose Skin?
Rapid weight loss can cause sagging skin. This seems to be the most common way to acquire loose skin as 70% of Americans that have weight loss surgery are left with loosened skin.
The degradation of collagen and elastin in the dermis is another extremely common cause. This usually happens and progresses as we age.
Whilst saggy skin can be treated in the comfort of your home there are also surgical solutions as well. As we always recommend to you before reading our blogs is to seek professional medical advice before undertaking any of the suggestions contained in this article. This article does not constitute medical advice nor does it replace medical advise from a qualified practitioner.
Loose skin can be incredibly distressing for you and we understand that, that is why we are now going to assist you fix that loose skin and regain your confidence. Short of having plastic surgery (cosmetic surgery) you can always try the following 8 non-invasive tips.
8 Best Ways to Tighten Saggy Skin
Exercise and Build Muscle
It is easier for some and difficult for others to build significant muscle mass. Muscle building depends upon good nutrition and lifting weights. Whilst this might sound daunting for some people if you want to improve the appearance of sagging skin you can fill it with muscle.
By lifting weights several times per week, you may be able to build significant amounts of muscle mass which will fill your loose skin.
Muscle building can take several years of good quality nutrition, consistency and heavy lifting therefore it isn’t for everyone.
If attending a gymnasium frightens you, you can consider hiring a qualified personal trainer to strategically guide you through the process. It’s also worth bearing in mind that even a small amount of muscle building from 12 weeks in the gymnasium may be enough to reduce the amount of loose skin.
Laser Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing utilises lasers to penetrate deep into your body tissues to stimulate collagen growth. If building muscle isn’t for you then looking into laser resurfacing might be a more convenient substitute.
Laser resurfacing would be better for someone who is suffering from moderate to high levels of excess skin.
Laser resurfacing can be costly and involves going to a specialist clinic which can be inconvenient.
Compression Clothing
Compression clothing works by giving a skin-tight fit around your body which can provide a body contouring effect. This allows you to create the body shape you want when wearing clothes as it can conceal excess fat.
There are some drawbacks to this method of tightening skin and that is that it is temporary and can also be incredibly uncomfortable.
Compression clothes can be a fantastic temporary method for tightening excess skin whilst you work on more permanent fixes. However, its non-invasive and might be a better alternative than an invasive tummy tuck.
Collagen Supplements
Loose and saggy skin is an unwanted side effect of ageing. As you age your body’s natural ability to produce collagen deteriorates. Collagen gives your skin elasticity which gives you a youthful appearance.
As you age the reduction in collagen production may be the cause of loose skin around the chin, neck, arms and face.
Supplementing on collagen supplements may help significantly boost the amount of collagen in your dermis. With more collagen comes more fibroblast production which may lead to a tightening of the skin and improved skin tone.
Before embarking on any course of supplementation you should always check with your qualified medical physician in the first instance for approval.
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy is one of the best skin tightening treatments, without the need for complex elective surgery. Red light therapy works by stimulating ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production in the skin cells which in turn stimulates fibroblast production which leads to more collagen secretion.
Red light therapy can be administered in a home setting which makes it very convenient. People have reported fantastic anecdotal results from utilising red light therapy for skin tightening from as little as 20 minutes per day. Studies have also shown that red light therapy does work for loose skin, cellulite and stretch marks.
Light therapy is also considered very safe and non-invasive which has been reporting in academic studies.
Red light therapy is usually administered at home, at a gymnasium or in a wellness institution. It’s worthwhile noting that purchasing a red-light therapy device for home use will always be cheaper in the long run. The excellent thing about red light therapy is it can be utilised for lots of other conditions such as:
The best red light therapy panels will emit clinical grade irradiance and come in a variety of sizes. When choosing the most optimal red light therapy device you must ensure the red light panel is flicker free, low EMF and also powerful enough to help with loose skin.
Learning more about red light therapy can also be a good idea given its efficacy in helping with loose skin.
Radio-Frequency Treatment
This non-invasive procedure helps encourage collagen molecules to tighten specific areas. By heating water molecules in the tummy region of the body the collagen will move there to help tighten up the skin.
Radio frequency treatments are a good option for moderate to severe sagging but come with a high cost.
Laser Treatments
Laser treatments or low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can be used to stimulate collagen production.
Laser therapy can show immediate results by toning and smoothing the skin. However, this procedure can be very costly. You can also use focused ultrasound energy to improve skin firmness.
Topical Creams
Topical creams, lotions and serums can be a good place to start when looking for a treatment for your loose skin that doesn’t involved going in for surgery.
These topical applications can vary in efficacy and some can be a waste of money. It’s important to know that a topical cream may held very mild skin sagging but if you have moderate or high amounts of loose skin then treatments such as red light therapy may be a better option.
Final Thoughts
Improving the looseness of skin all comes down to improving collagen production and the best way to do this is utilising red light therapy. By using red light therapy devices at home for a minimum of 12 weeks and for just 20 minutes a day you could start to see some incredible results.
