Your skin has a natural elasticity that allows it to stretch and compress. As you grow up, your weight fluctuates, and/or you become pregnant, your skin adjusts to your new form. But, the older you get, the less elastic your skin becomes. This can prevent your skin from snapping back to the natural shape of your body. While you typically won’t notice this decrease in elasticity, it can be especially noticeable if you’ve suddenly lost significant weight — such as after having a baby. Sagging skin can make you feel self-conscious. But fortunately, there are ways to tighten loose skin.
Causes of Skin Sagging
Loose skin can happen almost anywhere on the body. It’s caused when the skin loses its natural ability to snap back into shape — or loses its elasticity. This can be due to age, weight loss, pregnancy, illness such as T-cell lymphoma, and other rare diseases like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). The most common areas you may experience skin sagging include:
- Eyelids
- Jowls
- Chin
- Throat
- Upper arms
- Stomach
6 Ways to Tighten Loose Skin
1. Exercise
In some cases, your loose skin may be fairly minor. Maybe you’ve lost a bit of weight recently or had a baby. Exercises that focus on building or tightening muscle can sometimes help. Try incorporating these exercises into your routine:
- Weight lifting or resistance training
- Pilates
- Facial exercises
2. Lifestyle Changes
It’s possible that your lifestyle habits are contributing to a loss of elasticity. Toxic habits such as smoking can be bad for your skin, so working on quitting can help tighten up sagging skin. Staying hydrated and wearing sunscreen can also promote healthy skin and tightening.
3. Laser and Radiofrequency Therapy
Laser and Radiofrequency technology have become a game-changer for promoting collagen production. These therapies can help reduce wrinkles, tighten the skin, and minimize cellulite to help you look and feel your best. There are multiple minimally-invasive procedures available, including:
4. Thermage Treatments
Thermage treatments use deep heating tips and vibrations to help tighten loose skin. It uses radiofrequency energy to deliver the deepest collagen remodeling available today. Unlike other procedures, Thermage treatments work with your body to stimulate and promote collagen growth.
The energy targets the water that hugs the collagen fibers. Once this water is heated above 40 Celsius, the collagen (protein-based) contracts. This gives an immediate result in tightening that studies show is visible more than 85% of the time. The contracted collagen kick starts the body’s own rebuilding system and grows new, thicker, more elastic collagen in place. The new collagen then contracts and furthers the skin tightening process.
5. Tummy Tucks & Other Cosmetic Procedures
If you’ve recently lost a drastic amount of weight, your best option may be a tummy tuck or other cosmetic procedure to tighten up the appearance of your skin. Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck is one of the most common cosmetic procedures. It focuses on reducing loose skin around the abdominal/stomach area. An Awake Tummy Tuck can be a great option for many patients who would not normally consider a traditional abdominoplasty. As opposed to the traditional tummy tuck, an Awake Tummy Tuck uses local anesthesia, and recovery time is quicker.
6. Stem Cell Therapy
In recent years, stem cell therapy using fat cells is gaining traction in becoming the most effective therapy for a variety of lifestyle needs — from anti-aging to the treatment of nerve damage. By using the stem cells from your own fat, you can promote your body’s natural healing by replacing damaged cells with stem cells. Stem cells are able to replicate muscles, tissues, and different cells all at once. This helps to tighten your skin and boosts collagen production. While stem cell therapy may not help those with significant skin sagging, it can help with minor to moderate tightening.
If You Need to Tighten Loose Skin, Contact Innovations Medical
If you’re looking to reshape your body and boost your self-confidence, Innovations Medical is here for you. We’ll answer your questions and resolve any concerns you have about skin-tightening procedures. We’ve been helping our patients look their best since 2005, and even our most advanced procedures are often minimally invasive.
To explore cosmetic options and learn how Innovations Medical can bounce back your body, call us at (214) 643-8665 or schedule an appointment.