How to Tighten Up the Abdomen and Loose Skin From Weight Loss

Body skin shrinks slowly during weight loss. As the skin is naturally elastic, it can accommodate a small decrease in body size and still remain tight. Skin will also slowly shrink in size in response to weight loss. This is not due to elasticity but rather a decrease in the amount of skin. However, when weight loss is rapid, shrinking skin cannot keep up with the rapidly disappearing fat tissues. Rapid weight loss can then result in distressing excess or loose skin on the abdomen, arms and chin. However, there are methods you can employ to speed up the process of skin tightening. Some of these methods can be performed cheaply every day; others are more expensive but offer fast, noticeable results.

Things You'll Need

• Loofah
• Body brush
• Coco butter moisturizer
• AHA acid moisturizer
• Shape underwear
• Pilates DVD

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Instructions

• 1

  Scrub skin daily with a loofah or body brush to boost circulation and promote skin renewal. You don't need to scrub hard.

• 2

  Moisturize after a shower using a rich cocoa butter body moisturizer every day. Cocoa butter promotes skin renewal and diminishes marks.

• 3

  Moisturize before going to bed using a formula that includes alpha hydroxy acids (AHA). These acids work in two ways, according to Susan Shimomaye, MD. First, they weaken the bonds between dead skin cells and healthy skin, making dead skin shear off faster. Second, it is proposed that they result in increased levels of collagen and elastin. Wear pajamas at night to stop the moisturizer from coming off onto the bed sheets.

• 4

  Exercise daily to pull in the skin and build muscle mass. Skin is attached to muscles via fibers that tighten with increased muscular exercise, pulling skin in tighter to the muscle. Increased muscle mass will fill the space left by weight loss. Pilates is especially effective on tightening stomach muscles and skin even when performed at very low intensity. The quality, not the quantity of the movement is important. Low-intensity DVDs are effective without being difficult. High intensity Pilates workouts will be effective faster only if you stick to them.

• 5

  Buy shapewear. Special shape underwear such as high back waist cinchers have dual benefits. They instantly tighten the skin and slim the figure under your clothes, adding to your confidence.

• 6

  Research skin-tightening procedures. If results are not happening as quickly as desired, then you may want to consider specialist treatments. According to David J. Goldberg, MD, JD, FAAD, clinical professor of dermatology and director of laser research at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, the number of noninvasive skin tightening procedures technologies and techniques have exploded in the past five years. He describes how Infrared or radio frequency technologies can tighten the skin drastically without down time. Infrared treatment can deliver deep heat to the middle layer of the skin to increase collagen production. The website of The American Board of Plastic Surgery is a good place to obtain more information on procedures and practitioners in your area.