loose skin
How many of you have wondered about sagging skin? How many have wondered how to get rid of it? Well, today I’m here to help you a little. I work for a cosmetic and reconstructive surgery doctor’s office in New Jersey and I get this question in emails all the time. People want to lose weight but worry about loose skin. First, let me tell you that I am not in a position to give advice to anyone, I am not a dietitian, nor am I a plastic surgeon, but I do work for many surgeons and all my information comes directly from them. The first thing they will tell you is not to worry about your loose skin. Being healthy and wanting to be healthy is your number one job. Being healthy leads you to be happy, a happy you leads you to a healthy and happy life. I will explain further why this is so.
What happens to our skin?
Loose skin occurs when you lose a certain amount of weight faster than your skin has time to regress, so pregnant women after giving birth will have some loose skin, people going through mild weight loss to severe they will also have loose skin. Loose skin occurs because once your body is stretched from weight gain or pregnancy; your skin loses its elasticity. To better understand what happens to our skin when we lose weight, we first need to take a quick look at how we burn fat. When we lose mass by burning fat, the fat not only disappears as we would like it to, but our fat changes shape. When we eat, glucose and sugar take advantage of the carbohydrates we consume; this becomes our body’s first source of fuel and is stored as glycogen to be released into the bloodstream as needed. Once our bodies run out of this energy, fat takes over during a process called ketosis. During ketosis, our hormones activate an enzyme in fatty tissue that turns on to release triglycerides that are then broken down into three glycerol components and three fatty acid chains in a process called lipolysis. The glycerol is then absorbed by the liver for energy, and the fatty acids move to the muscles for energy. Because adipose tissue is stripped of some of its components, it shrinks and so does the skin, but as said before, only up to a point. The skin stretches because rapid weight gain or growth (for example, pregnancy) overwhelms the production of collagen in the skin, causing areas to become overstretched. Just as plastic breaks when stretched too far, so will your skin in terms of stretch marks. In cases of massive weight loss, where people lose 100 lbs. and on top of that, folds of extra skin remain because the skin has been stretched so far that it hangs off the thinner body like a rubber band that has lost its elasticity. In cases of moderate weight loss, the skin can certainly shrink to fit the new body size due to its elasticity. However, collagen fibers weaken with age and some other factors that result in wrinkles. The factors that determine the elasticity of your skin depend on the individual and include whether the individual smokes, their race, sun damage, genetics, and even how often their weight has fluctuated greatly.
So, in a sense, the actual amount of loose skin you might have is unknown, as it depends on so many other factors, and also why worrying about loose skin shouldn’t be a factor in your hopes of losing weight. The desire and effort to be healthy will do your body and your life a million more favors than worrying about loose skin. Being healthy and taking the necessary actions to be healthy will increase your motivation in life, your self-confidence, your work ethic, you name it.
Mild to moderate weight loss
In cases of mild to moderate weight loss, surgery is not required and loose skin can be prevented. As mentioned above, a protein in the skin called elastin allows the skin to shrink back to a normal size. However, when going through weight loss, losing 20-30 pounds is very different from losing 80 pounds. or more. In cases of moderate weight loss, there are ways to reduce the amount of excess skin that results through exercise, muscle building, proper nutrition, staying hydrated, and slow weight loss. Exercise that includes increasing muscle tone can tighten connective tissue and help stretch the skin, as it essentially acts as a filler for the skin instead of fatty tissue. By consuming the proper amount of food and water each day, you will ensure that your skin absorbs the necessary nutrients. Water is a crucial component in maintaining skin elasticity and you should drink at least 2 liters per day. The two ingredients that keep skin supple and elastic are elastin and collagen, the protein-rich foods that help form them are found in cottage cheese, legumes, tofu, milk, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish. For optimal absorption, try consuming these protein calories immediately after your workout. Crash diets and excessive amounts of exercise can rapidly shed muscle and fat, resulting in a great loss of support for the skin as the underlying muscular structure that holds the skin against the body is lost. It’s important to aim for a pound or two of fat loss per week and be sure to include weight lifting to keep your muscles strong and capable. Loose skin can occur and that’s okay, it’s natural and will shrink to some extent over time. When this occurs, it is important to nourish and care for the skin through daily exfoliation to remove dead cells and increase circulation. Skin firming creams with ingredients like aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, yeast extract, vitamin E, C, A can help moisturize and increase collagen and elastin formation. Be sure to stay away from harsh soaps and shampoos while limiting the amount of sun exposure. Tanning booths and chlorinated water will decrease the elasticity of the skin.
severe weight loss
As mentioned above, in cases of severe massive weight loss of 100 lbs. and more through traditional weight loss or weight loss surgery, there are some serious health problems. First, weight loss surgery is not a quick fix, surgeons recommend having a regular diet and exercise plan even after surgery to keep your weight stable and ensure the efforts of surgery are maintained. Weight loss surgery over 100 pounds. it will result in loose skin and although the surgeons will remove the weight, the excess skin is not removed. This is something that not all patients know in advance, causing patients to have a poor body image as it was not what they expected, sometimes causing emotional stress. Excess skin that results from weight-loss surgery and severe weight loss (over 100 pounds) can cause health defects just because there is so much loose skin that the skin becomes a health problem in itself. The folds of skin from massive weight loss can cause psychological and physical problems. The physical problems that result from loose, apron-like skin is intertrigo, a bacterial, fungal, or viral infection that often occurs due to difficulty keeping these folds of excess skin clean and dry. The skin can also cause back pain and ulcerations. Psychological problems occur when body image expectations are not met; a person can lose over 100 pounds and not realize the effects of loose skin. So your incredible effort to lose weight results in having folds of skin like aprons. There are a few treatment options for these severe cases of massive weight loss and most are resolved with plastic surgery. Post-bariatric surgery and body lifts involve many areas of the body, as patients have loose skin not only on the abdomen but also on the face, neck, thighs, buttocks, arms, and breasts. The surgery will leave small and large visible scars, although most patients find these acceptable and enjoy greater self-confidence when wearing a bathing suit. Depending on the patient, procedures can be selectively chosen by focusing on the most problematic areas. For example, a patient who has lost a moderate amount of weight but has a slight amount of loose skin may have a tummy tuck to remove the remaining fat and skin in the abdomen area. Men who have gone through massive weight loss sometimes result in sagging or large breasts, also known as gynecomastia. Here liposuction alone may be satisfactory, however this is not typical and breast augmentation or reduction may be necessary. Every individual is different, so it’s crucial to first speak with or have a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Your surgeon will be able to identify if you are a good candidate for surgery and guide you through different procedures that will ultimately give you the satisfying body you would like to achieve. There are insurance options for severe cases such as those mentioned above; This is because excess skin can cause serious medical problems and is not just cosmetic. Again, it is best to speak with a surgeon to create a comprehensive plan that is best for you.