Let’s face it: there are a lot of people in this country who would love to lose weight once and for all and keep it off for good. Losing excess weight, whether it’s due to obesity or pregnancy, is a great, admirable goal that will not only make you happier with yourself, but will make you healthier as well.
Unfortunately, many times after people lose weight, they are left with sagging skin and stretch marks, especially when the weight loss was extreme. While they may feel great about losing the weight, the resulting skin problems could bring on a whole new set of self-esteem problems that need to be dealt with in order to be happy. If you or someone you know plans on losing a large amount of weight — or already has — there are a few things to know that can save the skin from unsightly sagging and marks.
The Causes of Skin Problems
You may be wondering why, after such hard work and dedication to losing the weight, that your skin hangs in places and has stretch marks in others. This is because of the basic properties of the human skin.
The skin has certain cells that give it an elastic property. Much like a rubber band, the skin can stretch to accommodate the extra weight put on by diet and lifestyle or during a pregnancy as the baby grows. This is a natural property that allows humans to grow without ripping or tearing their skin.
Also like a rubber band, however, if it is stretched too tight for too long, the skin loses its ability to “snap back” to its original form. As you can probably already tell, this is a problem during the nine months of pregnancy or an extended time of being overweight The skin will have stretched to a new normal, and as you lose weight, it is unable to snap back into place.
Nourish Your Skin
The absolute best thing you can do to prevent saggy skin and stretch marks is to give your skin the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
This means that not only should you find some lotions and other body products that add vitamins and nutrients to your skin, you need to make sure that you have a well-balanced diet that aids your skin from within as well. And it also means that you should start taking care of your skin before you lose the weight to give it a fighting chance against marks and sags.
Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and watch out for sugar. Not only will this help you lose the weight you want, it will give your skin a head start. Also, don’t forget to drink a lot of water. Hydrated skin will be more elastic than dehydrated skin.
Look Into Cosmetic Surgery
Unfortunately, there are times when no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get rid of your skin problems after losing weight. If that’s the case, there are cosmetic surgeries available that can help you.
Cosmetic surgeons can perform operations that get rid of excess skin, making your frame look tighter. There are also skin procedures that can get rid of stretch marks. If you are in overall good health, you may be a candidate for cosmetic surgery, especially if you have no prior problems. If you have had problems in the past, you should consult several surgeons and get their opinion.
If your skin has lost its elasticity, surgery won’t bring it back, but it can get rid of the excess skin.
To find out more, shop around online and check out services from ROXY Plastic Surgery and see if it’s right for you.
Exercise
Besides being a great way to lose weight, exercise will also help increase the circulation throughout your body, including your skin. This will allow your skin cells to get more oxygen and nutrients and may help fight stretch marks.
Continue to do the exercise routines that you did to lose the weight in the first place. This will keep the blood flowing to your skin on a regular basis and will help prevent you from putting those shedded pounds back on. If you have certain trouble areas — under the arms or in the mid section — you can try targeting exercises that focus on them. This will help build the muscles around the sagging skin and may help to give it more support, reducing the sagging and stretch marks.
Riley Henderson uses her personal experience with weight gain, weight loss and cosmetic surgery to write her articles. She wants to empower women to do what is right for them, no peer-pressure involved.
