good tips to help with lose skin

elizabethdaisy · April 2011

I have lost almost 80 lbs and I have so much lose skin everywhere. It is making me hate my body. any tips to help?

snowflakelaia · April 2011

Get a good mosturizing and a firming lotion. Mix them both. Apply in the morning, night and/or after showering (after each workout). You'll notice your skin soften and while you tone up with exercises the skin will go back to normal.

If you keep your skin mosturized it will keep its elasticity. Mixing a mosturizer/renewal lotion with a firming lotion will save you money, since you'll make a 2 in 1 product.

Don't forget that toning -some weight lifting will help A LOT with the loose skin.

Nysie5 · April 2011

i gotta know too!

Abells · April 2011

First of all congrats! But remember that some of that weight loss was definitely muscle. Now you need to focus on weight and resistance training. You need to bring back some of that lean muscle that will help to firm and tone your skin. Also follow the other post of using good moisturizers. My friend lost 180lbs and had that same problem of loose abdomen skin but with the right strength training regime he is slowly bringing it back to being tight. Don't be afraid to ask a trainer to help out!

rileamoyer · April 2011

bump

samantharae121205 · April 2011

How to Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss
Episode 10: July 2, 2010
Diet | Weight Loss
by Ben Greenfield

If you’ve lost a lot of weight recently, or you’ve been following the tips you’ve read from the Get-Fit Guy, such as Which Workout Burns The Most Fat? or How to Tone and Lose Fat in One Body Part , then you may have noticed that you have a bit of loose skin hanging around. From extra skin under the arms to a hanging pouch around the stomach, loose skin can pose an embarrassing problem, especially if weight loss has been achieved rapidly.

In this article you’ll learn why skin gets lose, how to tighten loose skin after fat loss, and you’ll also find out which creams, medical procedures, nutrition tactics and exercises will successfully tighten loose skin.

Why Skin Gets Loose After Weight Loss

Since it has to stretch as we move, grow, and--as in the case of weight loss-- shrink, skin is an incredibly elastic living organ. Yes, that’s right, skin is not just one big piece of rubber that covers the entire body, but is instead an organ, and just like all the other organs in your body, it is comprised of cells.

Different layers of your skin have different types of cells, and though the skin cells on the outer part of your skin (the epidermis) are constantly being lost and replaced with new cells, the skin cells under the epidermis are a bit more permanent. These layers of the skin, called the dermis and subdermis, are made up of elastic connective tissues, fibers, blood vessels and all sorts of components that can stretch or contract depending on how they’re treated.

What Happens to Your Skin When You Lose Weight?

When you lose weight, and especially when you lose weight very quickly, these elastic components of your skin not only lose the layers of fat that keep them stretched out over your body, but they also don’t have much time for their elasticity to adapt to your new shape.

In addition to weight loss, age, poor nutrition, dehydration, excessive sun exposure, and smoking can all affect the elasticity of the skin and give you that elephant-like appearance you probably don’t want.

How to Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss

As you lose fat and your loose skin begins to appear, the first rule is: don’t panic! Because it is a living organ, your skin will slowly return to a shape that fits your new body. But since that process can take up to two years, here are steps you can take to make your skin tighten more quickly:

Tip #1: Don’t Lose Weight Too Quickly
Crash diets and excessive amounts of time spent exercising can rapidly shed both muscle and fat, resulting in a double-whammy on your skin--the supportive underlying muscular structure that holds skin against your body is lost, as is the fat that keeps the skin stretched out. Quick and dirty tip for not losing weight too quickly: Aim for 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week, and make sure your weight loss program includes weight lifting so that you do not lose lean muscle. Check out more weight lifting and strength training tips here.

Tip #2: Stay Hydrated

Attend to your hydration needs. Water is a crucial component of maintaining skin elasticity. From both food and drink, you should be taking in at least two liters of water each day. A wonderful resource for learning more about proper hydration is this article from Nutrition Diva: How Much Water Should I Drink?

Tip #3: Eat Properly

Two necessary ingredients that keep skin plump and elastic are collagen and elastin. Protein-rich foods such as cottage cheese, milk, legumes, tofu, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish all contain collagen and elastin forming components, as well as oils to help maintain healthy skin. Quick and dirty protein tip: For optimum absorption, squeeze 100-200 calories of these protein sources in immediately after your workout. For more on what to eat when working out, see my article on what to eat before and after exercising.

Tip #4: Take Care of Your Skin

Nourish and care for your skin. Daily exfoliation can help to remove dead skin cells and increase skin circulation. A hot bath with sea salts and minerals can improve skin tone. Skin tightening creams with herbal formulas and ingredients such as aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, yeast extract, soy protein, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A can help to hydrate and increase collagen and elastin formation in skin.

Stay away from harsh detergents, such a sulfates in soaps, shampoos and dishwashing liquids, limit your sun exposure and stay away from tanning booths, and limit your exposure to hot and chlorinated water—all of these things will decrease skin elasticity. Quick and dirty tip: If you swim for fitness, use soap and shampoos that are specially designed to remove chlorine.

When to Consider Surgery for Loose Skin

Skin can only be stretched so far before it looses some of its ability to snap back. If you’ve had a 9-month pregnancy, then you’ll be able to tighten your loose skin. But if you’ve carried a hundred or more extra pounds for many years, you may be a candidate for plastic surgery to tighten and lift loose skin. This fix should only be used in extreme cases, and I should warn you: my clients who have undergone this operation have actually gained more fat afterwards while they were rehabilitating from surgery!

Bottom Line

As mentioned earlier, elasticity of your skin will naturally decrease with age. Though you can address issues such as not losing weight too quickly, staying properly hydrated, eating the right foods, and caring for your skin, you simply have no control over your age! Quick and dirty tip: Rather than letting age stress you out, you should focus on the things over which you have control—like exercising and eating right—and you’ll find that you always look good.

Whether you have a kangaroo pouch, an orangutan chin, or elephant legs, you can use the tips in this article to tighten loose skin or prevent loose skin in the first place.

http://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-weight-loss.aspx

bmontgomery87 · April 2011

I agree witk keeping it moisturized. And just give it time. It will eventually tighten up.

elizabethdaisy · April 2011

Thanks ladies. I usually either go to the gym. Lately I have been doing the 30 day shred dvd. I do love it! I have been using a firming lotion but never mixed any. What kind of exercises are good? I have lose skin everywhere, my stomach from having 4 kids, my thighs are so bad, my hips and butt and arms.

bentobee · April 2011

samantharae12120, thanks for posting that. Great info!

Heatherbelle_87 · April 2011

Moisturize & time. Before considering surgery you should maintain you current or "goal" weight for 1-2 years to allow maximum natural reduction.

For stretch marks and general moistures I love Bio Oil. For skin firming I love Jergens Skin Firming Lotion. I have very sensitive skin so I have to be REALLY picky. I have also used Nivea Anti-cellulite with decent results. And yes I change up my moisturizers ever 3-4 weeks as well as mix one in the morning and one at night. Usually my Bio Oil goes on post shower and skin firming at night

snowflakelaia · April 2011

I love planks, abs, ... and if you go for a walk or go running, tense/tighten your muscles and core, so you are burning more and already toning your skin.

elizabethdaisy · April 2011

Jillian on shred is always saying to suck your abs in on the video lol thanks guys,

abyssfully · April 2011

Building strength, drinking water, eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.

BflSaberfan · April 2011

Weight training definitely helps and of course the dreaded word TIME.

thedestar · April 2011

Awesome tips! Good to know :bigsmile:

perrytyra · April 2011

Thanks for the tips guys, I was worried about the same thing.

rileysowner · April 2011

Strength training either with weights or with body weight exercises will help. Time will help more I think. Be patient and don't hate your body because of this. As a man I would rather see my wife at a healthy weight and fit with loose skin that overweight and likely unfit with tight skin. I'm guessing most people are the same. Concentrate on losing the weight, use the tips that have been given here, and be patient.

SarahJaneDeschamp · April 2011

Bump !

saved for later ty x

1FITmamaofTWINS · April 2011

I'm in great shape but I have the twin skin overhang from my twin pregnancy.... I dont think it's ever gonna go away so I will just get my body to the best it can ever be and be happy with it

Momsarah5 · February 2012

bump

willsuregetthere · April 2012

am 44years, can my skin still snap back? I've been loosing weight back and forth for 5years with a total lose of 60lb. I've recently lost 14lbs in 8 weeks and have noticed my skin is not snapping back. the more i lose, the jigglier my skin gets. am so worried that i may no longer have any elasticity in my skin at this age and is thinking if i should stop monitoring food and exercising to keep the fat that will hold up my skin. at what age does one lose elasticity completely. my problem areas are my flabby arms and thighs

kazzsjourney · April 2012

Exercise, eat well, plenty of fluids. I have lost over 190 pounds n while yes I do have excess skin I think my excess helps me. I have done resistance work 2-3 times a week for over 3 years I also believe boxing classes where they overload the arms help too