Excess skin that accumulates around certain areas of the body can be devastating and affect your quality of life. Though there are many causes for skin stretch, typically the end goal is to get rid of it, or at the least obtain a firm, toned appearance that will boost your self-esteem.
Loose skin tends to collect around body parts that register more fat ie: the stomach, thighs, upper arms, face, buttocks, and the legs. The higher the fat amount, the more your skin becomes flaccid. So, we have 9 Ways to Deal with Saggy Arms and Loose Skin. The secret lies in restoring damaged skin elasticity (collagen) and making healthy lifestyle decisions. Without a backup of nutritious diets and exercise, it is nearly pointless to work so hard in obtaining a youthful appearance, because you just might end up back in the same hole.
This article aims to equip you with effective tips and practical guidelines that will help address all your droopy skin concerns; right from how to eat right, best workouts, and complementary medical procedures. We all know the best way to resolve an issue is by identifying its root cause. So first let’s begin by shedding light on some of the reasons behind loss of skin elasticity.
What Causes Loose Skin
Poor skin rigidity manifests in varying degrees. It could be subtle, moderate, or extreme. Consequently, the above-mentioned levels equally depend on genetic factors, medical conditions, and even age. Take a look at the following common examples;
- Drastic weight loss – dropping a huge number of pounds is quite fulfilling but it could give birth to a whole new problem. It is not uncommon to have a residue of stubborn fat just below the skin that will not go away, or a ton of unnecessary skin hanging from your body. By default, subcutaneous fat layers result in the outer skin growing further without form.
- Old age – the older you advance age-wise, the more your skin begins to shrivel with evidence of lines and wrinkles. Jowls are almost inevitable with old age. This is characterized by a sag in the facial features particularly the cheeks and chin, sometimes the neck too. The truth is, such occurrences are naturally bound to happen, but that doesn’t mean that it’s okay to have extreme jiggle. If you have too much skin rolls then that should tell you that you haven’t been as diligent in taking good care of your skin.
- Pregnancy – moms carrying multiples, especially, are familiar with this all-too-common side effect. Normally, pregnancy tends to leave behind an unforgettable signature mark but this is amplified for moms who gave birth to twins, triplets; as opposed to moms with one child. Your lower abdomen becomes exceedingly flabby after delivery and of course the couple of pounds you gained while on that journey stay with you for some time.
- Medical conditions – illnesses such as diabetes often come with traits such as obesity. An overweight person automatically compromises the functionality of his / her internal vital organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, and pancreas. Without immediate intervention, you basically end up worsening both your internal biological operations and external outlook. In other cases, loss of skin firmness may not be self-imposed. Rare chronic diseases that affect the body cells could also leave you with slack skin, one that hardly responds well to treatment. Additionally, life-saving surgeries may have a hand at saggy skin. An example of this would be bariatric surgery which is ordained for severe diabetic patients. It serves as a weight-loss tool, and could ultimately evoke partial remission. However, it does not exclude the awful skin baggage.
- Chronic UV exposure – harsh sunlight exposure has been known to have a close association with degrading the skin’s collagen production and elastic fibers hence contributing to weak firmness.
Remedies for Saggy arms and loose skin
You should know that age, prior amounts of body fat, along with the time in which you were actually overweight directly determine your skin’s ability to bounce back. This means the younger you are, the less body fat you had, and the shorter your obese phase was results into higher chances of your skin resuming to its original size and stretch. If you spent perhaps over and year being overweight, your results may be noticeable but not as sharp.
In modern times, health experts have come up with several skin-tightening techniques specific to your skin concerns. It is best to work closely with your doctor for expert advice on what works best for you and what doesn’t. Take a look at the following approaches;
1. Home Remedies
This often gives you minute improvements that are good enough for persons with not as much skin bulk. Simply purchase moisturizing creams, body lotions, or face masks with a firming ingredient known as retinol. You can also take collagen supplements. The skin needs enough collagen to maintain elasticity and retinol affords this by working against collagen reduction. In turn, you register less skin damage and a more youthful image.
Conversely, this tactic only provides temporary results. The effects can be seen almost immediately, but they are never long-lasting You may need to keep up with daily skin moisturizing if you hope to downplay the wrinkles. Even so, there still exists a possibility that the products may fail to work for you at all. Moreover, areas such as the underarms may not properly be addressed with an over-the-counter product.
2. Workout
Exercising helps to trade the leftover skin with ample muscle. With the help of a professional trainer and a tad of commitment, you will begin to notice a replacement of bothersome flesh with taut skin. Target weight lifts and resistance training which help to develop lean muscle mass. A healthy amount of Yoga contributes to strengthening of the core muscles and good overall flexibility.
Some rope work too will certainly cut back on those flabby underarms. Workout sessions shouldn’t end once you obtain your desired goal, (a common mistake most people make) instead, it should be progressive. Have a weight management plan in place and strive to adhere to the ground rules. For starters, here are some effective movements that you should aim for.
3, Lose Some More Weight
If prior weight loss is what you got you in this mess in the first place, maintain the same workout routine or, alternatively, intensify your sessions. What this does is slowly burn the remainder fat while tightening your muscles, to curb the flaccidity. Work hand in hand with a gym trainer who should be able to advise on what training will offer the best possible results or what better options you should consider.
4. Eat Healthy
The adage “you are what you eat” holds significant weight in this scenario. The first lead to a poor image begins with wrong eating habits. A little bit of sugar, pastry products, cheese, and dairy; before you know it, you are all hooked up to a vicious pattern. Natural fruit sugars are okay, but refined sugar is an enemy of progress. Worse yet, if all you do is sit around at home doing nothing. Come up with a healthy diet that prioritizes the required quantities and nutrients your body needs to shape up.
5. Master a Ketogenic Lifestyle
This applies to dieting. Ketosis works off clean fat food ingestion with little to almost no carbs. The science behind its functionality is that, with time, your body begins to burn unwanted fat to produce energy and hopefully even reduce hunger in the process. High-quality fats such as avocadoes, olives, equally rid your body system of toxic substances leaving you revitalized. For this to work, you have to keep your proteins and whole fibers proportional; and your carbohydrates even lower.
6. Get rid of Dangerous Lifestyles
Research studies have proven that too much alcohol consumption and smoking are antagonistic to healthy-looking skin. You might also want to keep away from tanning as that too is counter-productive. Using harsh chemicals on your skin only deprives it of its natural glow and optimum performance. If possible, always wear a sunscreen when summertime arrives or during unusually hot days.
7. Try Intermittent Fasting
As the word suggests, it is a fasting technique that only allows you to eat in between certain hours. Intermittent fasting achieves excellent results when coupled with a ketogenic diet. It may not physically tone down the slackening of skin, but it does reduce excess body fat, which is exactly what you are going for. Remember, the lesser the amount, the easier it is to shrink skin bulge as you workout. Set apart about 8 hours of the day where you can freely eat and have the remaining 16 hours dedicated to a deliberate starve.
8. Drink Lots of Water
As miniature as it may sound, staying hydrated has been proven to have strong links with ageless skin, especially for women. It partially degrades wrinkles and ugly lines that are unappealing. Complement hydration with Vitamin C and Omega 3 nutrients for even an even better outcome.
9. Cosmetic procedures
They are subdivided into 2 main categories; non- invasive treatments and body- sculpturing surgeries. The former will leave your skin intact, free of raw incisions and scarring, while the latter will require you to go under the blade. Deciding between the two is a matter of preference and exactly what kind of results you would like to achieve.
A body- sculpturing procedure will afford maximum skin-tightening but of course, it comes with its fair share of side effects. If you would rather avoid a dramatic medical intervention, then a non-surgical approach is fairly just as good with barely any after marks and an advantage of less recovery time.
Here are some of the options available for a non to minimally- invasive approach;
- Ultrasound
- Laser procedures
- Radiofrequency
These treatment protocols are based on collagen synthesis through the use of heat. These waves permeate deep into the layers of the skin thus encouraging regeneration of tissue elasticity. Most procedures are performable by a certified dermatologist and usually only induce bearable amounts of pain or discomfort.
As for the laser procedures, some processes will require more recovery time than others. For instance, a laser peel could injure the upper dermis thus necessitating a few more healing days than a basic laser operation. None the less, it is no match for intense surgeries. About 6 months or so into therapy in conjunction with multiple treatments will generate drastic body changes.
Onto body -sculpturing treatments, these are some of the choices you can opt for;
- A tummy tuck which removes skin from those love handles and abdomen region.
- An upper body lift- removal of skin from the back and chest.
- A lower body lift for the belly, buttocks, hips, or thighs.
- A medial thigh lift which takes care of the inner and outer thighs.
- An arm lift, medically referred to as” Brachioplasty” for droopy arms.
Related questions
1. How do you keep your skin tight when losing weight? Consider extra workout gear such as a waist trimmer. It not only holds in your skin but also speeds up the fat-burning process. A waist belt is good for shrinking excess skin around the tummy, only that it is limited to this area and not many other body parts. Equipments such as dumbbells, however, can work as a substitute rather than solely relying on body weight while training.
2. When is it safe to start working out after pregnancy? Hopping right back into the gym especially when you are fresh out of the delivery ward is not advisable. The postpartum weight with most likely shed off as you nurse, but it is important to allow your body to heal before engaging in anything vigorous. It normally takes about 6-8 weeks to recuperate however only proceed after your doctor has given you the go-ahead.
3. Does it take longer for skin under the upper arm to snap back? Without intentional arm exercise, it is possible to retain saggy skin because this area is relatively hidden. So pay attention to a holistic routine that also factors the smaller details. Be specific with the shoulder movements and maximize on building arm muscle as well. If your case is dire, it is probably best to look out for surgical options.
