Loose skin explained....

SiltyPigeon
SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
I came across this article today and found it VERY interesting and informative. It talks about the causes, prevention, and fix for loose skin.

http://www.bodyfatguide.com/LooseSkin.htm

P.S. The article DOES try to sell you a book, but I ignored that and just really enjoyed the information in the article.

Replies

  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    *like*
  • kezzieh
    kezzieh Posts: 25
    Oh interesting! I have just had a baby....dont feel like my belly will ever go back!
  • mldoiron1
    mldoiron1 Posts: 16
    This definitely gives me some hope! Loose skin is definitely something that has been worrying me, and this calmed me down about it!
  • Blakemore1229
    Blakemore1229 Posts: 61
    very good read, having to little girlsi know that some day i will get my tummy how i want and not only that it is getting tighter with the weight loss and also the water i drink these days
  • Nysie5
    Nysie5 Posts: 215 Member
    bump!!
  • Life0nMars86
    Life0nMars86 Posts: 155 Member
    *bump
  • punkrawkcutie
    punkrawkcutie Posts: 439 Member
    bump
  • WifeMomDVM
    WifeMomDVM Posts: 1,025 Member
    This article was interesting, but I'm a skeptic. While I personally don't have issues with excess loose skin, I did learn about the body's largest organ (your skin) in my many science classes to becoming a veterinarian.

    Based on what this guy is saying - that you can reduce your body fat, and replace with lean muscle mass and your loose skin will improve, does not make sense to me. Here's why:

    1) Using his own example in the article, if fat takes up more volume than muscle and you replace those last 15-20 lbs of fat with 15-20 lbs of muscle instead, the muscle will take up less volume under the skin, which in my logic, would mean after "toning up" you would have even MORE loose skin.

    2) Skin has little fibers in it - called elastin - you can actually see these in a cross section of skin under a microscope. Elastin can stretch and go back to it's original state to some extent, but let me assure you - if you stretch elastin too much - you will lose some of that elasticity. You can sometimes get scarring in it's place (stretch marks). The amount of fat or muscle beneath your skin, is not going to change how damaged your elastin is (isn't).

    3) Skin has the ability to grow - when you increase your volume (gain alot of weight) - your body has the ability to create new skin to protect your expanding size. The body has a harder time "de-creating" this extra skin so to speak. So if there's an abundant excess left over - yes - it's going to sag due to effects of gravity.

    So, not to burst anyone's bubble... but if loose skin is a concern for you - why not talk to a dermatologist about how skin is made up so you can better understand it (I'm NOT an expert) or at least have a consultation with a plastic surgeon to see what he/she says?

    While this article was interesting, I'm not buying it with my science background, but I always do appreciate a good, thought-provoking read. So thanks!

    As to why some people have issues with loose skin and other's don't? I believe that is a case of good ol' fashion genetics. Some people are genetically going to have stronger elastin than others.

    My 0.02 cents, thanks for taking the time to read my point of view.
  • kell_riley
    kell_riley Posts: 312
    bump
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    That's GREAT, but isn't going to help my literally paper-like, almost transparent skin on my stomach from pregnancy stretch marks. And I have seen pictures of people with very very low body fat who still have excess skin.
  • melusinagr
    melusinagr Posts: 205 Member
    Some of it certainly makes sense, and on some I am skeptical. I have a lot of "loose" skin issues, but right now there is still quite obviously fat underneath (like my upper arms, ugh), so I know at least some of it will change if I lose that fat. I have read, in the past, that you can *mostly* reverse these effects by a constant stream of eating healthy and exercise, especially targeting the specific areas you want to tone. But not in a month or two...over years. My husband is a doctor and he believes this is possible. Of course not many of us have the patience to go so long for such a goal when surgery is a quick (if expensive) option.

    For now, I'm going to wait it out - keep working my arms and losing weight, and we'll see. I'm patient. =)
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
    Great article, thanks for sharing.

    I totally see the point that losing a lot of weight quickly will result in muscle loss as well as fat. Also I can see unbalanced dieters and people that dont exercise being more susceptible to loose skin.

    I think you can drastically reduce the risk by a sensbile diet and maintaining muscle mass.

    Wether or not this would be true for everyone, I doubt. But I've seen as many pictures of 300/400lb people who lose weight and have loose skin as I have of people who have lost that amount of weight who are toned and in bikini's!

    I do think we underestimate the value of muscle mass in our attempt to just weigh less. We are all guilty of it, as long as that scales moves down we dont really care if its fat or muscle or water or what! I think we should all learn to change our focus to gaining muscle.........

    :flowerforyou:
  • Slinkybaz
    Slinkybaz Posts: 312 Member
    Interesting read but I am concerned it wouldn't be thr truth as per the Veterinarian on here, and if it isn't it is just going to make people lose way too much weight trying to reduce their body fat.

    I'm hoping I won't have horrible excess skin when I lose all the weight - fingers crossed!
  • shanna0413
    shanna0413 Posts: 600 Member
    ive read this one before. its an awesome article. an a lot of people i ave talk to have lost a lot of weight at a slow pace with muscle building and have had no excess skin problems. that has been a ig worry of mine. but after listening to people im not so worried about it
  • Yocum1219
    Yocum1219 Posts: 400 Member
    bump

    at the very least, slow life change is always seen as better than a fad diet, more permanent. and since lean muscle burns more calories, would be worth working on regardless. i'm sure if i look hard enough, there's a way to calculate body mass/muscle/etc without buying the book, so testing the theory would be fairly simple...once i get to that point. i know loose skin is a worry for me. after 2 c-sections, i know there's NO muscle left in my abdomen, where most of my weight is sitting, so if this is a possible (healthier?/cheaper) alternative to surgery (which is part of my muscle problem in the first place) then i'm willing to try it, even if it does take longer.
  • Jonicha26
    Jonicha26 Posts: 107 Member
    Bump
  • alsnipes
    alsnipes Posts: 34 Member
    This sucks, but rapid weight loss plus skin = extra folds. Each organ has a regeneration cycle. The skin is included in this. If you've ever watched the biggest loser, you see the excess skin on some but not all of the people, and the scale reflects this reason. Slow and steady weightloss gives your skin the chance to reconstruct. Age and genetics do play into this but aren't huge factors. As embarassing as it is, that excess skin is your been there done that war wound/tatoo. True, none of us want to take flight by waving goodbye, but when you see yourself in the mirror, it's an instant reminder of why you changed your life and what you will never go back to.
    As for the post baby bump skin, it will go away sooner than later... look all those power women who have babies, then strut the red carpet.
  • SiltyPigeon
    SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
    Wow! I have found the comments and replies to this article just as interesting and informative as the article its self. The biggest thing I've taken is that there IS hope that we can all lose weight the healthy way and come out the other end looking fit and healthy! Thanks everyone!
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