What to Do About Loose Skin Below the Abdomen

Excess skin around the lower abdomen is common for those women that have recently given birth or those men and women that have just experienced rapid weight or muscle loss. There are several methods of reducing this flabby area through surgery, exercise or changes in diet that allow the skin to recover. The choice is different for each person, with each unique option offering risks as well as benefits.

Methods for Removing Excess Skin

• Commonly referred to as the tummy tuck, abdominal wall surgery is an elective route in removing loose skin around the abdomen. The procedure can range from a simple mini tuck to a more complex operation where the abdominal wall itself is to blame for the excess skin and must be tightened surgically. A panniculectomy is a procedure similar to the tummy tuck but only removes access skin and fat from the lower abdominal region and back. Surgery is expensive and not without risk. “The more skin and fat removed, the longer the surgical time requirement, and the higher the cost,” says The Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery. “The procedure often requires may hours in surgery…overnight stays are typically the most expensive.”

  Surgery is not the only way out. Yoga exercises present a healthy alternative to the body sculpting methods of medical procedures. One such position, the cobra abdominal exercise position works to tighten loose skin around the lower abdomen by encouraging the body to adjust to its new shape. To achieve the cobra position lie facing the ground, chin to the floor. Palms should be placed beneath the shoulders, on the floor. Fully extend the arms lifting the head, chest and upper body off of the floor. Arch the back stopping short of causing any pain and hold breath for roughly 20 seconds. “Besides strengthening your core muscles, this pose also aligns the spine, opens the chest for better posture, plus invigorates the kidneys and nervous system,” writes best-abs-exercises.com, a body sculpting database of techniques and workout routines for those seeking to tighten ab muscle and tighten skin.

  Ron Brown, author of The Body Fat Guide, believes the majority of excess skin cases across the country are from crash diets and the inability to maintain a healthy exercise regimen. “To eliminate and prevent the droopy appearance of the remnants of excess body fat…you must change your body composition,” says Brown writing for The Body Fat Review, “not just lose body weight. That means paying particular attention to the ratio of your body fat to muscle, or lean body mass. Preventing loss of lean body mass while dieting to lose body fat will dramatically improve your appearance.” Maintain a healthy and balanced diet first, allow the skin to adjust, reshape itself before turning to more permanent and expensive solutions like cosmetic surgery.