Loose Skin After Weight Loss: What Actually Helps

Skin can look loose after weight loss because it depends on two proteins, collagen and elastin, and rapid weight loss lowers the levels of both. What helps is losing weight gradually, building muscle with strength training and enough protein, and treatments that support skin tightening. Where there is a large amount of excess skin, surgery is the option that removes it. (Sources: Cleveland Clinic (opens in a new tab); Hany et al. (opens in a new tab); NHS (opens in a new tab))

Why skin loosens after weight loss

Two proteins decide how your skin behaves. According to Cleveland Clinic (opens in a new tab), collagen gives the skin structure and support, while elastin lets it stretch and spring back into place. Skin with plenty of elastin returns quickly when you pinch it; skin with less takes several seconds. As you age, the elastin in your skin decreases.

Weight loss affects both. Cleveland Clinic explains that rapid weight loss lowers the levels of these two proteins (opens in a new tab) in the skin, and that weight loss can cause sagging skin on the stomach and arms as well as in the face. A study in Obesity Surgery (opens in a new tab) that examined skin samples after massive weight loss found a reduced collagen content in the skin, whether the weight had come off after bariatric surgery or without it.

How your skin responds depends on factors such as how quickly the weight comes off and your age.

What actually helps

Lose weight gradually

Cleveland Clinic notes that the faster you lose weight, the more likely these skin changes become, and advises aiming for slower weight loss of about one to two pounds per week (opens in a new tab), which is roughly 0.5–1 kg.

Build muscle with strength training

Dieting alone can cost you muscle as well as fat. A review of randomised trials in older adults with obesity, published in Nutrients (opens in a new tab), found that adding resistance training to a calorie-reduced diet prevented most of the lean mass loss that dieting alone caused, while fat loss was similar. The trials in that review used strength training three times a week. Your doctor or a qualified trainer can help you plan what suits you.

Eat enough protein

Cleveland Clinic recommends eating enough protein, which helps you build muscle as you lose fat. Good sources include eggs, fish, chicken, tofu, beans and Greek yoghurt.

Treatments that support skin tightening

SLIM Body supports skin tightening and activates your muscles in the same session as it works on fat, so it suits loose areas such as the belly, waist, thighs and arms.

Surgery for a large amount of excess skin

When there is a lot of excess skin, exercise and treatments cannot remove it. The NHS (opens in a new tab) describes a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) as cosmetic surgery that removes excess loose skin and fat from the tummy, for example after pregnancy or after losing a lot of weight. It is usually done under general anaesthetic, most people stay in hospital for a few nights, you need about 4 to 6 weeks off work and exercise, and it leaves a scar across the lower tummy. The NHS also notes that it is usually only recommended for people with a healthy BMI.

Liposuction is not the answer for loose skin: Cleveland Clinic (opens in a new tab) states that it is not effective for loose, sagging skin.

Where SLIM fits

If you have lost weight and your belly, waist, thighs or arms still look softer than you would like, SLIM Body works on exactly those areas. In one 45-minute session your fat cells open and shrink, your muscles are activated, and SLIM Body supports skin tightening, with zero downtime. Please tell us before booking if you take regular medication, including medication for weight loss. Your trial starts with a BIA body analysis and measurements at 2–3 areas, and we measure again before you leave. Lose 2–8 cm total in your SLIM Body trial — or your money back.

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