. Sometimes in cases of massive weight loss, people have folds of extra skin left over from their heavier days.
Having excess loose skin is common after losing a lot of weight. You may choose to seek treatment if the loose skin is bothersome. For small to moderate amounts of weight loss, your skin will likely retract on its own.
Loose skin resulting from weight loss can be reduced through exercise directed at toning the muscles under the skin.
You are not alone as loose or saggy skin is a common problem after losing a large amount of weight (more than about 50 to 100 pounds) in a short period of time. In time, you may see improvements in your skin’s elasticity, but some people may require surgery to remove excess skin.
Will loose skin ever go away on its own? It might, but that can take a long time. “In general, it can take anywhere from weeks to months—even years,” says Dr. Chen. If after one to two years skin is still loose, it may not get any tighter, she says.
Why does my skin get loose after weight loss?
Several factors contribute to loose skin following weight loss: Length of time overweight: In general, the longer someone has been overweight or obese, the looser their skin will be after weight loss due to elastin and collagen loss.
). Genetics: Genes may affect how your skin responds to weight gain and loss. Sun exposure: Chronic sun exposure has been shown to reduce skin’s collagen and elastin production, which may contribute to loose skin ( 6.
Alternative Medical Procedures. Although body-contouring surgery is by far the most common procedure to remove loose skin, there are also less invasive options with a lower risk of complications: VelaShape: This system uses a combination of infrared light, radiofrequency and massage to reduce loose skin.
As a result, they lose some of their ability to retract ( 1. Trusted Source. ). Consequently, when someone loses a lot of weight, excess skin hangs from the body. In general, the greater the weight loss, the more pronounced the loose skin effect.
Skin expansion during pregnancy occurs over a few months’ time, and the expanded skin typically retracts within several months of the baby’s birth. By contrast, most overweight and obese people carry extra weight for years, often beginning as early as childhood or adolescence.
Smoking: Smoking leads to a reduction in collagen production and damage to existing collagen, resulting in loose, sagging skin ( 8. Trusted Source. ). Bottom Line: Several factors affect loss of skin elasticity during weight changes, including age, genetics and the length of time someone has carried excess weight.
However, people who achieve major weight loss are often left with a lot of loose skin, which may negatively affect appearance and quality of life. This article takes a look at what causes loose skin after weight loss.
Why does my skin get loose after weight loss?
Why does loose skin after major weight loss happen? The maybe-a -little-downer (but real talk) truth: If you were in a larger body previously, excess fat likely stretched out your skin. Couple that with the fact that collagen and elastin (an elastic protein) in the skin naturally decrease as you age, and you’ve got a recipe for excess skin, explains Manish Shah, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon in Denver.
Dr. Shah says that if you have small amounts of loose skin, then devices like Bodytite and Renuvion, both of which are minimally invasive body-contouring technologies, may help. “The best results come from surgery by far,” he says.
Body-contouring surgery often involves a “tummy tuck” with arm, breast, face, lower body, or thigh lifts , per the American Society of Plastic Surgery.
Other factors, like genetics, smoking (which degrades collagen and elastin), and sun exposure also play a role in your skin’s springiness. It’s also normal to assume that losing weight quickly could cause sagging skin, but that’s not necessarily the case, either.
It might, but that can take a long time. “In general, it can take anywhere from weeks to months —even years,” says Dr. Chen. If after one to two years skin is still loose, it may not get any tighter, she says.
Indeed, you’ll likely need two to four weeks to recover, with full recovery taking as long as six months after surgery, says Dr. Shah.
Sadly, probably not. “ Nonsurgical methods that help tighten the skin will generally not be effective enough to tighten the amount of loose skin that occurs with massive weight loss,” says Dr. Chen.
Why doesn’t my skin snap back?
Why Skin Doesn’t Snap Back. The elasticity of your skin depends on how long you were obese. It doesn’t matter if you dropped pounds quickly or slowly. The longer it was stretched out, the less likely it is to bounce back. “It’s like a balloon,” says Marie Jhin, MD, a dermatologist in San Francisco.
A surgeon will only remove extra skin if you keep the weight off for 6 months.
A big reason for that is the expense. A total body lift can cost $30,000 .
Bothers and Burdens. Saggy skin can not only be an embarrassment, it can lead to rashes and yeast infections in the folds. “Perspiration gets trapped, and you can get a rash,” Jhin says. “I recommend powder or cornstarch. It will help absorb [the moisture].”. Some people, she says, even put a little fabric underneath.
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