You’ve worked hard to achieve your goal and lose weight, but now you have loose skin? Read these tips to find out what you can do to tighten your skin and quickly improve your appearance – and self-esteem!
Everyone keeps talking about the benefits of exercising and losing weight, but there is one particular side effect that is often overlooked. You guessed it, it is loose skin! After working hard on slimming down your figure, you want to be rewarded with a good-looking, lean body and not with sad-looking saggy patches around your arms, legs and belly.
Let’s get to the bottom of this problem and find the best solutions!
Why Does Your Skin Become Loose?
Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in the human body, and that it is very elastic? It stretches as we move, grow and gain weight, and it doesn’t always shrink back as fast as we want it to. If you have been dieting and exercising vigorously, you are probably experiencing some unwanted effects of your rigorous regime!
The truth is, rapid loss of weight is often followed by a side effect nobody told you about: loose, saggy skin that has failed to adapt to your new shape. But there is no need to panic, because there are many ways to tighten your skin. What can you do to make your skin snugger? From adjusting your diet and building muscle to fill in those gaps, to choosing the right cosmetic products or even surgery (if the issue is serious), here is how to deal with the problem!
Foods to Eat for Firmer Skin
The first step is to alter your diet. Eating more foods that are rich in protein will help you achieve plumper skin, because they contain components essential for the forming of collagen and elastin. Think ingredients such as milk and dairy products, legumes, soy, beans, eggs, fish, seafood, white meat, poultry and lean beef. Need ideas for a great protein-rich breakfast?
Try Greek yoghurt with cereals, omelette or boiled eggs, a smoothie with yoghurt, or a whole grain toast with peanut butter, cottage cheese or any other protein-rich topping. If you are looking for a protein boost on the go, just grab a protein bar or make a smoothie. Always monitor your calorie intake, because you don’t want to gain weight again – healthy foods have calories too!
The Best Skin Products to Use
You’ll get the best results if you change your whole skincare routine. It is essential that you do everything you can to hydrate your skin and boost the production of collagen and elastin in your body. Things to avoid? Sun exposure, tanning booths, harsh chemicals (contained in shampoos, soaps, washing liquids and many cosmetic products), chlorine (which you will find in swimming pools) or anything that can dehydrate your skin.
Keep your skin moisturised and try to use natural or organic products. You can also use skin products formulated with ingredients that have skin tightening properties, such as aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, soy protein, vitamins A, C and E or yeast extract. And occasionally soak in a hot bath with sea salts and minerals, as this can significantly improve your skin tone.
Build Your Muscles
Anyone who exercises to lose weight knows that cardio workouts should be accompanied by sets of toning exercises. If you are just starting your weight loss programme, you should combine these two workout routines together, as this will help you prevent saggy skin. But even if you are already struggling with this problem, it isn’t too late to start firming your body. Why do you need toning exercises? By building muscles, you will be able to fill in the gaps created by burning off excess fat. Start lifting weights right now and as you are working on your muscles, the look of your skin will start improving too! Overhead stretches are great for the arms, crunches are perfect for the abs and for the legs, make sure to target your inner tights as this is where excess skin tends to accumulate.
Take Supplements
Even though there isn’t a quick fix solution for loose skin after you have lost a lot of weight, some supplements can help you achieve the desired shape. Gelatine can improve your skin elasticity significantly and it is contained in some types of food such as chicken feet or oxtail.
It is a substance which can be extracted from the bones and tissues of animals by boiling them in water, but you can also consider purchasing a supplement instead. Another useful ingredient is fish oil, as it can improve skin elasticity. As you will need 2-3 grams of omega-fatty acids per day to achieve visible results, take supplements instead of relying on consuming this substance in food. And whenever buying supplements, make sure to choose quality over price!
Take on a Holistic Approach
You will get the best results if you take a holistic approach and change everything from your exercise regime and eating habits, to your daily beauty routine. Just eat healthily, include more proteins in your daily menus, exercise regularly to maintain your weight and build your muscles, but also use some skin-tightening body creams and try top quality supplements.
Since your skin is elastic, it just needs a boost to shrink and look smooth again. But if none of these methods work and you are still unhappy with the way your body looks, then you might want to consider a more radical approach.
Consider Surgery
If you have a lot of loose skin and are extremely unhappy with your appearance, there are some additional options to consider. For those suffering the extreme consequences of rapid weight loss, a cosmetic surgery may be the quickest solution! Surgery is reserved only for serious cases, but it is very rewarding as it will give you a body contour that is much more pleasing to the eye.
If you think surgery is the best solution for you, consult your doctor and find out what it involves, who is it for and what are the pros and cons. If the doctor says you can get rid of all the loose skin naturally, opt for the course that does not involve going under the knife – it will be much kinder both to your body and mind.
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