Loose Skin

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felicia2686
felicia2686 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone. I was just curious what any of ya'll do to help keep your skin from getting saggy while gradually losing weight. I have very slowly, lost 25 pounds, and I have been using a combination of Organic Raw Shea butter and Organic Unrefined Coconut oil to keep my skin hydrated in hopes of keeping its firmness, and maybe help with some stretch marks I have developed over the years.

Have any of ya'll had any luck with what you are using? Or, have any advice to give?

Thanks in advance!

Felicia

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Genetics and age. It will happen or it won't. Lotions don't go deep enough to matter. All you can do is see what happens when you lose the weight.
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Slow loss, doing it when I'm young, and regular moisturization with a chemical exfoliant lotion has helped my skin, but sag will still happen. No lotion will stop your skin from being loose, but good moisturization and possibly exfoliation can help improve its appearance and increase cell turnover. If you tend to have dry skin in general, they could be a very helpful part of your routine.

    I use an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) lotion called Silk Wrap by Alpha Hydrox (I get it at Ulta) which helps loosen the bonds between dead skin cells, so the skin on my stomach looks a bit smoother and is better moisturized. This stuff is also a godsend for my arms and legs that used to have red, rough bumps from keratosis pilaris - for the first time in over a decade, I don't have any of these embarassing, itchy bumps. I originally bought it for my KP and later started using it on my stomach.

    The last tip is to be sure you've really lost the fat in an area before getting too concerned about loose skin. We tend to carry fat right under our skin for quite a while, and if you're pinching extra skin and it's anything more than a couple mms, you've still got fat to lose. Losing that fat will help relieve the sag of any of your extra skin due to gravity.

    Also RE: stretch marks - they'll fade with time, but don't go to great lengths to get rid of them. They'll always be around, just hopefully be less noticeable over time.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    The stuff you put on top of your skin doesn't help because it cannot help. If there were any tiny chance it could, I'd do it.

    I do moisturize in the winter, just because it looks and feels better. It didn't stop the loose skin from getting worse.

    Lifting weights won't help your skin. People say it, but it's not true. If you do so much lifting that you build your muscles up, they'll take up more space, so there will be less loose skin. Personally, my muscles couldn't get big enough to fill those areas unless I lifted all day long and took lots of steroids, lol. But muscle can fill a bit Nd that's enough for some people.

    I have some very, very ugly loose, hanging skin. It just gets worse all the time, so I can't get over it just yet. When I'm done losing and can see it look hideous, but not get worse, maybe then I'll come to some kind of peace about it. :)

    I hate it, but it still will not be wasting money on scam creams.
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
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    i found a derma roller helped a lot with stretch marks.

    lose skin takes time to shrink. my baby belly took months but the skin did shrink back a lot.
  • Rinkey78
    Rinkey78 Posts: 20 Member
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    Unfortunately, there is no magic cream for this issue. I have lost 25lbs. and have some lose skin on my tummy but it's from two pregnancies. All the lotion in the world won't get rid of it, and neither have all the ab exercises. I just learn to deal with it, but mine isn't a whole lot. I will take lose skin over fat any day :smile:
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    felicia2686 wrote: »
    I was just curious what any of ya'll do to help keep your skin from getting saggy while gradually losing weight. I have very slowly, lost 25 pounds

    Lose the weight relatively quickly since skin elasticity declines with age. Plus new skin cells are created the longer that skin is stretched, and those don't go away without surgery.
    Follow a good strength training program to minimize muscle loss.

  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    Stay hydrated inside and out. The skin loses elasticity as we age. Some of us in mid life realize it's part of aging and it's okay, we just stay healthy and a big smile, a sparkle in the eye, and a spring in your step matter more than loose skin and wrinkles!

    But back to the subject of loose skin. Stay hydrated, fill in with muscle with constant lifting routines (it is the fountain of youth!), eat a healthy balanced diet that includes healthy fats like coconut oil and fish oil.

    Get to your weight range goal, allow the skin some time to adjust. Then if you are really unhappy go see a doctor, there are some things that can be done. But make sure you can maintain for at least a year first and that you are happy with where you decide to stay with your shape.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    PS coconut oil and vitamin E oil for the external use on the skin. You can buy vitamin E capsules instead of the expensive creams - cut a tip in the capsule and apply to skin, it's especially good for the face and around your eyes.
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 688 Member
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    It really depends on how much weight you are losing, how long you were overweight, and genetics. Other smaller things can help but if you're losing a lot of weight, some loose skin is inevitable. It doesn't not make losing weight worthwhile though!

    I ended up having surgery to remove extra skin on my stomach and arms and it was totally worth it for me, but it didn't and wouldn't have hindered my life if I hadn't. Like others said, just focus on losing weight and see what happens. Hydrating, strength training, and generally living a healthy life are good for a million reasons and could also help with skin, but ultimately I wouldn't focus on that because it's mostly beyond your control.
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
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    Since I can't edit my earlier post now, please be sure you use broad-spectrum sunscreen if you use any AHA lotions. The AHA exfoliation makes your skin more sensitive to UVA/UVB rays.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    It's partially genetics and age, but not losing weight too fast, strength training or bodyweight routines while you lose weight, and eating adequate protein should help.

    http://vitals.lifehacker.com/how-to-minimize-loose-skin-during-weight-loss-1696145766
  • jenniferplatter
    jenniferplatter Posts: 21 Member
    edited July 2015
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    There is no magic cream to tighten everything up, but, yes, there are things you can do to help the appearance of skin.
    It might be impossible to do all, but here goes:

    -Drink plenty of water.
    -Don't smoke or tan. Both destroy collagen fast.
    -Try to limit alcohol and avoid alot of junky, processed foods. Skin is our largest organ.
    -Don't lose weight super fast...skin needs time to recover and repair.
    -Lift weights.
    -Dry brush the skin or at least use a puff or loofah at least 3-4 times a week. Use very mild body wash, or even none every day on your body. Don't rely on any "firming" washes, if it doesn't stay on the skin, it doesn't have much effect.
    -Retinols are amazing anti-agers. Percentage is key...try to get a prescription. I also like Puristica serum on Amazon. Retinol can be mixed in the body moisturizer.
    -Use high quality body moisturizers. Not necessarily expensive, just quality. Most stuff at drugstores...Vaseline, Jergens...is junk. Palmers is good (and cruelty free) at a good price. Nivea is OK. Lamactin (?) is good and the Alpha Hydrox line. Wear sunscreen if you use any acid type moisturizers. You can even use cocoa butter or coconut oil. Keep the skin moisturized! Sally Beauty Supply has decent fair priced stuff too.
    -If you belong to Planet Fitness, use the Angel Beauty booth. It is infrared light. Healing. You can even join Planet Fitness for $20 a month to have access to the booth. One treatment at a spa can be $40+.
    -Look into a derma roller. They are cheap on Amazon. Use caution.

    Skin can go through plateaus and weird stages as it adjusts to weight loss.
    I have worked in the skincare industry for 15 years. Not trying to sound like a know-it-all, but I have seen alot of crazy stuff and the tried-and-true in this time.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    Genetics and age. It will happen or it won't. Lotions don't go deep enough to matter. All you can do is see what happens when you lose the weight.
    +1
  • jenniferplatter
    jenniferplatter Posts: 21 Member
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    And age and genetics are a factor. And whether you have yo-yo ed with weight.
  • whosaiditwaseasy
    whosaiditwaseasy Posts: 19 Member
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    Age and genetics...creams and lotion can help the appearance of skin but nothing will make it tighter or firmer. I lost 150lbs over three years, slowly and lifting all the while but at the end of the day I was left with a hanging stomach, both in the lower and upper stomach area. I ended up having a fleur de lis tummy tuck where i had 8lbs of skin removed, not fat but just skin. There was nothing else I could do. Not everyone has an extreme case as mine but like I said age and genetics play a huge roll.
  • sunnyazgirl
    sunnyazgirl Posts: 271 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I am 62 years old, have lost almost 100 pounds over the past year and am beginning to have a bad problem with sagging skin, especially in the upper arm area, where I tended to carry a disproportionate amount of my weight. Due to arthritic knees my workout have to be limited to my upper body, but I know that lifting and stretching won't be the full answer. I still have about 60 pounds to go so I am not going to worry too much about it yet. However, my arms are getting so bad that I have well-meaning people commenting on it already and asking me what I plan to do about it. My daughter says I am probably closer to goal than I think due to the weight of the extra skin.

    A co-worker who had gastric bypass surgery told me that some burn centers around the country will do free skin removals for the donation. Does anyone know anythng about these programs? I know my insurance would not pay for it. Otherwise, long sleeve shirts are probably all I will be wearing in the future.

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