How to Tighten Loose Skin

Loose skin is a difficult area to treat. There are a number of factors that can lead to having loose skin issues. The majority of loose skin problems can be attributed to weight loss. This can be very depressing, especially if you've spent a huge amount of effort, time and will-power to lose weight, only to discover that one of the side effects of your efforts have resulted in loose skin.

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Just how loose your skin becomes after losing weight is dependent on multiple factors. Some of these issues include:

• Age - as you get older, your skin tends to lose elasticity, has less elasticity when bouncing back with your weight loss.
• Yoyo dieting - If you've been battling your weight all your life, the constant weight gain and loss can take a toll on your skin's ability to tighten after a significant weight loss.
• Speed - If you have lost a significant amount of weight, the speed at which it was done can be a major factor in whether you end up with a lot of loose skin. Losing weight quickly is much more likely to result in loose skin. To avoid loose skin try losing weight at a slower rate, giving the skin more time to spring back to normal.

How to Tighten Loose Skin

There are lots of options for treating loose skin. What you choose will depend on how bad it is, and what lengths you are prepared to go to to get rid of it.

1) Exercise

Although there are no specific exercises to tighten loose skin, there are a number of exercises that can help with the problem. By building muscle, you can help to tone the body under the skin, and this will help to pull your skin back into shape. The best way to do this is with an exercise regime that includes three days of cardio and three days of weight training per week.

Following the exercise program will also help with any extra deposits of fat that remain after losing significant amounts of weight. These can contribute to the flabby look around the stomach that excess loose skin has.

2) Vitamins and supplements

Vitamins and supplements can be used to combat loose skin in two different ways. A supplement of vitamin C is essential in the promotion of collagen. Collagen in turn is essential for the maintenance and repair to skin elasticity. Not only can you take it orally, but vitamin C can also be applied to the skin topically to create a two pronged approach to reduce skin looseness.

3) Clothing

Compression garments, though traditionally used post-surgery, can also be used as a general measure to help keep a larger stomach from stretching skin as much as it would normally.

4) Stop smoking

If you're a smoker, now is the time to quit. Smoking ages your skin and destroys the natural elasticity.

5) Diet

Your diet is very important when considering a loose skin issue. Making sure you drink enough water, eat plenty of protein and fresh fruit and vegetables can make a difference in the elasticity and protein rich foods, antioxidants and monosaturated fats are particularly important.

Finally if you have a considerable problem with loose skin after loosening weight, and you can't learn to live with it, you may wish to consider cosmetic surgery such as a tummy tuck, arm lift surgery or a full body lift to get rid of the excess skin. This can be an expensive and painful undertaking, but depending on your circumstances, worth it. This is not an instant process and requires around six to eight weeks before returning back to normal work duties.

Regardless of your decision to live with the loose skin or to get rid of it, don't let it discourage you, or detract from your achievements on your weight loss journey.