Losing weight is a momentous achievement and ought to be celebrated for sure, but for some having to contend with loose skin as a result of losing a great deal of weight can be disappointing. You may feel like you’ve won in one area and lost in another, but this is not necessarily the case. In fact, there are some natural ways that you can increase your skin’s elasticity and tighten the areas in need over a matter of time. Your results, of course, will depend on how much weight you’ve actually lost, the length of time your skin was stretched out, and your age.
Here are some valuable tips on how you can tighten your skin after weight loss:
1. Monitor your weight loss.
It may be time to curb your weight loss just for a bit to allow your skin to get adjusted to the loss. As you maintain your weight, your skin has more of a tendency to shrink to your new size. If you continue to lose weight rapidly, your skin will continue to lose elasticity.
2. Increase your water intake.
Drinking a lot of water not only improves your overall health, it also will help your skin to become tighter, smoother, and look more radiant. Be sure to drink at least 6 glasses of water per day. If you can drink more than that, even better. Hydration is wonderful for your skin and certainly helps with the elasticity of such.
3. Participate in weight resistance training.
According to Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise, strength training strengthens muscles as it creates a layer of muscle underneath the skin. As a result, your skin will become tighter. It is recommended that you perform strength training three times per week every other day in order to really benefit your muscles and skin. Weight training is especially important if you have dropped your caloric intake significantly, as when you lose fat, you often lose muscle as well. Rebuilding your muscles will help tighten the skin.
4. Moisturize your skin.
Use a moisturizer that has vitamin E in it, so that your skin will stay moist, as this allows for new skin cells to grow. Moisturizing also helps with minimizing wrinkles. You can even use coconut oil on your skin. Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer and has antibacterial properties to soothe the skin. It is often used in commercial and DIY body lotions, but it can be used on its own as well.
5. Belly Toning Exercises.
Chances are your belly has some stretched skin if you’ve lost a lot of weight. Tightening the tummy area is much more possible if you take time a few times per week to exercise that area. Commit to belly toning exercises such as crunches, air bike, leg raises, sit ups, side bridges, and pelvic thrusts. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on these exercises either. Simply spending 15 to 20 minutes three to five days per week will help tighten your tummy area.
6. Get massages.
Who doesn’t love a massage? Head to your favorite masseuse to get weekly or biweekly massages, as they are known to help increase blood circulation that is helpful to your skin. As nice as they are, you don’t necessarily need a massage therapist to massage your skin, as you can do it yourself or have your partner do this for you. You can add to the massage your favorite essential oils diluted in a carrier oil and inhale them to reach new levels of calmness.
7. Limit your sun exposure.
Too much time in the sun will have a negative effect on your skin’s elasticity, so limit your time sun bathing. This goes for tanning beds as well, as the rays can dry out your skin and damage the skin cells at the same time. Also, limit your time swimming in chlorinated water, as the chlorine can dry out and damage skin cells. Spending a short amount of time sun bathing and swimming is alright; just be sure to shower afterwards and apply a natural moisturizer that has vitamins and aloe vera included.
8. Sea salt scrubs.
There are some researchers asserting that sea salt scrubs will help with blood flow to the skin and help tighten the skin over time. There are a number of sea salt and mineral scrubs available on the market to choose from. Simply use them in the shower each day as you wash and see how your skin looks and feels after a couple of weeks.
9. Visualize tight skin.
Visualization is a super interesting tool to use to get your desires to come true. No, it’s not like magic, but there is power in envisioning your desires manifesting. Even some professional athletes use visualization to help improve their games and performances. The way it works is that when you mentally see something, you tend to take more actions toward making your desires come true. When you see your skin tight, you’re more apt to do things like exercise, eat healthy, and follow through with other helpful tips. You have full permission to daydream and take some time each day and visualize yourself with tight skin.
10. Be patient.
When dealing with stretched, loose skin, it is important to be patient as your body adapts to your new size. Additionally, keep in mind that depending on how much weight you’ve lost, your skin may not be able to return to its original elasticity. Make a decision to accept this now just in case and affirm that you are pretty awesome even with some loose skin.
It is understandable to become frustrated when you’ve lost a lot of weight and now have to be concerned about loose skin. Fortunately, others that have gone before you have tried all sorts of methods to tighten their skin and happily pass that information on. Keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for you. You can try various ways to tighten your skin and see what is helpful for you.
Additionally, understand that elasticity reacts differently at different ages and stages in life. For the young mom who just gave birth and is contending with loose skin, it may only take a little bit of effort to tighten up the skin and keep it moving.
For the 50 year old who has just dropped 75 pounds in a short amount of time, it may take a bit longer for the skin to tighten and it may not get back to its original state due to age. It is important to realize this and accept it wholeheartedly. Reward yourself for losing the weight and accept your skin’s condition in the process of tightening it.
