Loose skin help?

lemanuelthelazy
lemanuelthelazy Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Part of breaking my plateau and losing my last 15 pounds or so is that my skin is still loose, especially around breasts, arms, and stomach. I am 24 years old, but I lost the first 40 pounds in under 6 months so it was pretty quick. I also didn't do much as far as muscle toning until now. Exercise for me now is mostly yoga and dancing, and a small amount of light weightlifting.

Can I expect my skin to bounce back on its own eventually? If not, should I be changing my exercise/eating habits? I have little faith in creams or toners. What has worked for you?

Replies

  • ParisKennedy
    ParisKennedy Posts: 38 Member
    I read once that it takes up to six months for skin to tighten up. If you add muscle via weight training and working out (dance, etc) it will tighten the skin more (a personal trainer) told me once). If all else fails, then there are skin tightening laser available now. It is called Elixis. You can get it at about any spa where a plastic surgeon is on staff. The cost is around $400 per treatment and it takes three treatments (I believe) over a 3 month period. This process will melt fat in a specific area and tighten the skin. It is painless (feels like a warming sensation - reminds me of a tanning bed warmth). Once the treatments are finished, your skin will continue to tighten over time and you will be growing additional collagen (skin tightening agent we naturally have in our bodies). I know it's a bit expensive, but seems worth the money. There is a ton of before and after pics and articles on this if you Google. I am going to have this on my tummy and thighs (gets rid of cellulite too) once I lose all of my weight. I am much older than you though (46 yrs) so I will have a harder time with having my skin snap back than you will. I can tell you though that I had a baby at age 29 and gained 62 lbs and once it all was lost, the skin all went back. My tummy which was stretched hugely from a gigantic baby (ppl thought I was having twins) shrunk perfectly and I had a better tummy after the baby (through diet and exercise). So you're young enough, that I bet you'll be fine.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    A friend told me that weightlifting helps - that extra muscle will fill some of your skin space and thus make it appear tighter. I think it depends on how loose the skin is though.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Are you sure it is skin and not fat? People get confused between the two.

    Losing 40lb in 6 months is not that aggressive and you are young so I doubt it is lose skin. Also, it is hard to tell as you still have some weight to lose.

    Continue losing the fat, strength train, give it some time and then re-assess when you get down to a lower BF%.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    Are you sure it is skin and not fat? People get confused between the two.

    Losing 40lb in 6 months is not that aggressive and you are young so I doubt it is lose skin. Also, it is hard to tell as you still have some weight to lose.

    Continue losing the fat, strength train, give it some time and then re-assess when you get down to a lower BF%.

    This. Also loose skin is paper thin and wrinkly. It sticks together when pinched. If that is not your problem then its excess bf. If it is loose skin can take 6 months to 1 year to tighten up depending on age, how much weight you lost and how long you were overweight for.
  • lemanuelthelazy
    lemanuelthelazy Posts: 28 Member
    Thanks guys! It probably is a little loose fat around my stomach and arms that can be toned up, but it's definitely just extra skin around my breasts. I'll try more toning exercises in that area but it's tough! Haha.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    Thanks guys! It probably is a little loose fat around my stomach and arms that can be toned up, but it's definitely just extra skin around my breasts. I'll try more toning exercises in that area but it's tough! Haha.

    At 59 I'm a lot older than you and my breasts definitely sag after a 58lb loss. They've been through a lot, the poor girls, but the thin, delicate skin in the "side boob" area has tightened up to normal in the 15+ months I've been maintaining. Didn't expect that. I thought I'd have to shop for non deflated side boob bunching bras for the rest of my life.

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