Months of hard work and steady dieting have finally paid off for you as far as reducing body fat and you most likely want to enjoy your new healthier and thinner self.
But when it comes to major weight loss, few of us anticipate the loose skin we end up with.
Dr Garry Cussell from Rejuvenation Clinics of Australia has been an expert in skin tightening for over 23 years. “For some people, it may be possible for the skin to tighten again without any intervention,” he explains, “however, there are some natural remedies and minimally invasive treatments that can help in the process.”
Read below to discover Dr Cussell’s 8 top tips to tighten your skin after weight loss:
1. Indiscipline
Having already achieved weight loss, you surely know the meaning of discipline. The next step is allowing your body to rest. That means take it easy; keep your diet and exercise in maintenance mode. This gives your body the chance to adapt to your new shape.
Dr Cussell believes that staying in this maintenance mode can help the skin rejuvenate and shrink to your new size. “Many patients feel that the loose skin will adapt faster if they continue to exercise and lose weight. The opposite is true; by being patient and maintaining consistent weight, your skin may continue to gain elasticity and adapt.”
2. Monitor your water intake
Speaking of skin elasticity, try increasing your daily water consumption. This will not only keep your skin elastic, but it is also important in cleansing and maintaining the vitality of essential organs such as heart and lungs.
During busy days, we tend to focus on external factors, while our health takes a backseat. Dr Cussell advises we should always carry water bottles and snacks like fruit and vegetables rich in water, so we don’t let our bodies go without their essential nutrients. “Whether it’s long meetings, errands to run or trips to the gym, staying hydrated keeps your skin and organs healthy.”
3. Use moisturising serums
Moisturising and cell strengthening serums can do wonders for reducing wrinkles and helping the skin look younger. When deciding which serum to go for, always choose the one that is richest in vitamin A and collagen peptides. These ingredients help your skin produce collagen and maintain youthful strength. Moisturisers with Hyaluronic Acid can help your skin stay hydrated and promote growth of skin cells.
If you massage your serums and moisturisers into the skin for a few minutes, it may also help because this will increase blood flow to the area. A little massage is also a good stress reliever.
4. Switch to a weight resistance training regime
The need for weight resistance training comes from the way our bodies react to weight loss. Dr Cussell clarifies: “When you lose a lot of weight, you lose some muscle as well. For anyone going for the a ‘tight’ look, try weight training – it grows muscles and tones the whole body.”
…the downside of natural remedies
Natural ways to tighten your loose skin can be somewhat effective over a long period of time, but they don’t always work, depending on such factors as your age and the amount of laxity in your skin.
Since natural tightening methods are based on the body’s ability to regenerate all on its own, it’s not an easy fix. It takes a lot of commitment and patience.
Fortunately, there are quite a few proven non-surgical treatments that can give you a helping hand, particularly if you’re hoping to achieve some result in time for an upcoming event or a holiday.
Alternative treatments – longer-lasting and faster results
There are a few proven non-invasive treatments that use advanced technologies to strengthen and tone the skin structure for a refreshed look.
Whether you are looking to firm your face, neck loose tummy, knees or saggy upper arms, each treatment is designed specifically for you and involves no recovery time.
5. Ultrasound therapy
Ultrasound Skin Tightening is one of the most popular long-lasting treatments available for targeting specific areas such as the face, as well as larger parts of the body. It uses ultrasound energy to reach specific depths of skin, causing contraction, strengthening, tightening and lifting.
As opposed to natural remedies that require ongoing commitment and patience to see results, the Ultrasound Skin Tightening has some initial result which improves slowly over the following few months.
You can help maximise your Ultrasound Skin Tightening Results by complementing treatment with some of the natural remedies discussed above.
Dr Cussell advises on the frequency of these treatments: “The Ultrasound therapy is heavily reliant on your skin condition, age, lifestyle, genetic background and health. We therefore recommend all patients take advantage of our complimentary one-on-one consultation with one of our specialised clinicians, to achieve best results.”
6. Radio frequency waves therapy
At Rejuvenation Clinics of Australia, we also provide Thermage, a skin tightening treatment that also has long-lasting skin tightening effects. It works by using radiofrequency energy to activate deeper skin layers to promote contraction and lifting of the skin. This also helps make your skin more resistant; with repeated sessions, it can give a younger look. Thermage often requires numbing prior to treatment.
7. RF Needling therapy
As opposed to the other skin tightening treatments, the RF Needling therapy focuses on both the surface of damaged skin, as well as the deeper skin layers to lift and strengthen the tissue.
Dr Cussell describes the treatment as best suited for someone who has experienced severe skin trauma, like scars, stretch marks, hyperpigmentation and skin sagging. “We designed this treatment with a focus on the skin surface and how aging or weight loss can affect texture.”
The treatment is based on radio frequency and percutaneous needling to stimulate collagen production and improve the skin texture. Effects may be seen within three hours – however, we strongly recommend to first consult with our experts who will make sure the treatment is tailored to your specific needs. We also offer ongoing aftercare, to ensure you are happy with the results.
8. Laser skin tightening & fat reduction
Another treatment option is called TightSculpt and it’s a good option for someone who has some stubborn fat as well as loose skin, particularly for the abdomen, arms or thighs.
TightSculpt is a two-step process. First, the laser targets heat into the subcutaneous layer of fat (just beneath your skin) to eradicate fat cells. Then a different wavelength of laser stimulates collagen throughout your skin to produce a tightening and strengthening effect in your skin.
Summing it all up…
We are all used to opting for safer and more natural ways to maintain our health and our bodies; but since medicine and technology have come together, we have seen extremely safe and personalised solutions delivering outstanding results.
Whether you choose between a natural skin tightening method, or one of our non-invasive or non-surgical therapies, always consider the implications and long-term effects of each solution and make the best decision for yourself in consultation with one of our highly trained specialist clinicians.
To find the best treatment or combination of treatments for you, we strongly recommend you opt for our free one-on-one consultation with one of our specialists.
