Are you feeling irritated by your loose belly skin? Well, if you have spent time in the gym, you probably relate to this side effect. Sagging belly skin can leave you frustrated and even affect your self-esteem. For tips on how to tighten loose belly skin read on.
CAUSES OF LOOSE BELLY SKIN
The common causes of loose belly skin include ageing, pregnancy and weight loss.
HOW LOOSE BELLY SKIN OCCURS
The skin is the largest organ of your body and acts as a protective barrier to the inside organs.
The inner layer of your skin consists of collagen and elastin. Of these two, collagen is the abundant one with 80%. It is responsible for providing firmness and strength to your skin.
On the other hand, elastin as the name suggests is responsible for your skin’s elasticity.
During the above-mentioned causes of loose belly skin, (pregnancy and weight loss) your skin stretches out to create more room for the extra baby or fat.
This leads to the damage of some of your skin components. Collagen and elastin fibers may end up loosing some of their ability to retract after the extra weight is removed.
The more your weight loss is, the greater the loose skin effect will be.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE LOSS OF YOUR SKIN ELASTICITY
The following are the main factors that contribute to your loose skin after that successful weight loss journey.
DURATION OF BEING OVERWEIGHT
The time you took carrying the extra fats in your body will determine how loose your skin will be after weight loss. Generally, the more time you take being overweight, the more your skin expands and the looser it will be after the weight shed.
AMOUNT OF WEIGHT LOSS
If you were heavier, and suddenly loose a huge chunk of the fats, your skin will be left looser. This is because, you will have a larger space left.
AGE
Older skins have less collagen. Therefore, after a weight loss, an older person will have looser skin than a younger person, whose skin has a higher amount of collagen.
GENETICS
These may affect how your skin responds to weight loss and pregnancies. For others, their skin will go back to being tight even after being stretched for months of pregnancy.
EXPOSURE TO SUN
The longer you expose yourself on the sun the more you damage your collagen, reducing your skin elasticity.
OTHER LIFESTYLE CHOICES
Some lifestyle choices like smoking reduces the elasticity of one’s skin. This is the reason why some smokers have a lot of skin sagging from their flesh. It damages collagen in the skin.
DISADVANTAGES OF HAVING LOOOSE SKIN
Loose skin can cause you both emotional and physical challenges. These include:
PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT
Authentically, having a sagging skin will cause you a lot of physical discomfort. Judging from where you come from, your skin was previously tight due to your weight. A sagging belly skin can be a little annoying.
DECREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Well, you can’t have all those people stare at your loose skin while in the gym and ignore it. The flabs will make you shy away from physical activities as a strategy to avoid judging eyes.
BODY IMAGE AND MOOD
With most part of your skin hanging, you will find it difficult to fit into outfits and this will easily wreck your mood.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO TIGHTEN LOOSE SKIN?
Tentatively, it is possible to tighten loose skin. There are two main ways to do this:
Natural ways on how to tighten loose skin. This comprises of natural ways such as muscle building exercises.
Artificial ways on how to tighten loose skin. This includes processes such as skin tightening surgeries and supplements.
DO STOMACH SKIN TIGHTENING WRAPS WORK?
Body wraps have been considered to as effective ways on how to tighten loose belly skin. They will actually do this but temporarily. Your skin will go back to being loose after some time.
10 BEST TIPS ON HOW TO TIGHTEN LOOSE BELLY SKIN
1. CONSIDER RESISTANCE TRAINING
By engaging in regular resistance training, you will build muscle mass which will occupy the void left by the weight you cut. This will reduce or completely end your skin sag.
2. TAKE FOODS RICH IN COLLAGEN
Taking foods rich in collagen is among the most effective and almost immediate strategies on how to tighten loose belly fat. This is because, you will be increasing the level of collagen in your skin, hence restoring its elasticity.
Bone broth is a good source of collagen.
3. CONSUME SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS
Some nutrients come a long way when it comes to natural ways on how to tighten loose belly skin. They are usually important for the production of components of healthy skin.
Protein- This nutrient is handy in formation of collagen
Vitamin C- As you are already aware, it protects your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Additionally, it is also essential in the synthesis of collagen. This role of Vitamin C is also supported by a study review on Vitamin C’s biological role in keratinocytes.
Omega 3- fatty acids- A small amount of omega 3 fatty acids that can be found in fatty fish can go a long way in restoring your skin’s elasticity. This is according to a randomized study conducted on 24 healthy women aged 40- 60. The study aimed at determining the effect of eskimo skin care on skin elasticity.
4. STAY HYDRATED
Staying well hydrated is another natural remedy on how to tighten loose belly skin. According to an evidence- based article on Healthline, women who increased their daily water intake recorded healthier skin.
5. ALOE VERA GEL
This another home remedy for tightening loose skin on stomach without surgery. It contains a component, malic acid which is effective in improving skin elasticity.
6. EGG WHITE AND HONEY
Apart from the mixture being high in protein essential in the synthesis of collagen, it is also rich in albumin, a specific type of protein that improves your skin texture by rebuilding the ce7. damaged cellsTRY OIL MASSAGE
Try oil massaging your tummy with olive oil. This will not only tighten your sagging tummy skin but also make it smoother and clearer. It does so due to the Vitamin E and A present. It also comes with anti- aging benefits.
8. HIT THE SPA
Try visiting your spa for skin wraps. However, as mentioned earlier, this is only a temporary way to tighten saggy belly skin. You will find products such as sea salt or clay in a spa wrap.
9. TRY EATING BANANAS
The smiley fruits also have an added advantage when it comes to tightening your loose belly skin. They come with vitamins and minerals which are essential for skin tightening. These include, Vitamins A, B, C and D, Zinc, Potassium and Magnesium. The fruit also helps in hydrating the skin.
10. TOMATO JUICE
The antioxidant lycopene in tomato will help give your skin an even tone and make it tight.
CONCLUSION
The process of tightening loose skin may be stressful and therefore requires patience.
However, you should have in mind that their skin will eventually tighten r people who have lost a small amount of weight. Alternatively, you can try hasten this process with the natural remedies highlighted above.
Be sure to contact your doctor properly before going for the artificial or surgical methods of tightening your loose belly skin.
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