As i browsed through the forums i noticed a large amount of people either complaining or asking questions about loooose skin, and no that was not a typo lol. For us when we lose massive amounts of weight we are clearly and visibly aware of unwanted saggy skin which may be on our chin, neck, arms, legs, and stomach areas. Most us ask the questions, but never really find the answers you were looking for. Well here are 20 ways to tighten up your skin. Doing this pre-op as soon as possible, we will be able to limit the loose and saggy skin we dreadfully detest or will come to detest.

^{Here are 20 ways to tighten skin after weight loss}

1. Lose Weight Now!

As we age, our skin naturally loses elasticity. This means that the younger the age at which you lose weight, the better your skin will rebound. if you have a weight issue, lose weight now! The sooner you lose weight, the better the chances your skin will tighten on its own.

2. Don’t Yo-yo Diet

If it seems like you’re always gaining and losing weight, more than 25 pounds each time, that’s yo-yo dieting, and it’s terrible for your body, including your skin. The constant growing and shrinking puts stress on your skin, so stop the yo-yo dieting. Rather than gain and lose weight over and over again, talk to a pro about making a few PERMANENT key lifestyle changes. These healthy changes will help you lose weight, and keep it off, long term.

3. Don’t Lose Weight Too Quickly

Slow and steady wins the race, and helps tighten your skin after weight loss. Your skin tightens slowly, so help the natural tightening process by losing weight safely and slowly, too. Besides, losing weight permanently by making broad lifestyle changes takes time, but it also helps prevent yo-yo dieting, something else that can help tighten skin after weight loss. Bonus!

4. Scrub to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss!

Scientists think the reason using sea salt scrubs (or other scrubs) helps tighten skin after weight loss is that they encourage increased blood flow, which in turn encourages healthy, elastic skin. Whatever the exact reason, it does seem to work for many people… try using a good scrub in the shower twice a day, several times a week, and see if it helps you!

5. Use a Collagen Cream

Another way to tighten skin after weight loss is to keep it nourished with a collagen cream, one designed specifically to cope with loose, sagging skin. They can be pricey, but well worth the expense when they work. Note that collagen creams won’t work for everyone (nothing ever does), so ask family and friends for recommendations before you invest in a range of products that aren’t effective.

6. Try Massage Therapy

I have a particular friend who swears her weekly massage therapy helped her tighten skin after weight loss. She complain of sagging skin, particularly on her upper arms and upper thighs, and is delighted to show off her non-saggy parts now. Why not give it a go? At best, it will help tighten your skin… at worst, you get an invigorating massage.

7. Perhaps a Wrap?

Another friend tells me his skin was tightened when he got a seaweed wrap at a local spa, and now he goes every 6 to 8 weeks to enjoy its benefits. Online, I’ve found rave reviews on the local spa he frequents, and not a single negative review. Find a spa near you and do some digging… are their clients as happy as the clients at m local spa? If so, give them a try!

8. Add Weight Training

Chance are, you used weight training to help you get to your goal weight, but if not, it’s time to add them, to help tighten skin after weight loss! If you’re worried about looking overly buff and masculine, don’t be. Simply add weights to your workout three times a week, because building toned, lean muscle under your skin will help it look tighter.

1. Lunges are great for sagging skin on the upper thigh. In order to tighten loose skin by exercise, you need to pinpoint the right exercises that will target the area you wish to tighten the skin on. The upper thigh requires lunges, in which you tone the gluteus, upper thigh and hamstring, pulling the skin tighter to the thigh and creating a more attractive thigh area.
   
2. Squats also assist with your lower body sagging skin. Squats are a dream to tighten loose skin by exercise. They provide an ultimate lower body workout for the gluteus and thighs. With your feet shoulder length apart, you simply keep your back straight as you lower yourself into a sitting position as if you were sitting in a chair.
   
3. Bicep curls target that nasty underarm hang. The arm skin that hangs down has been called many things by its biggest haters. This problem seems to be one of the ladies’ biggest woes and can be targeted with bicep curls. It is important that when you tighten loose skin by exercise you perform exercises that are toning the muscle, and therefore the surrounding skin.
   
4. Planks work that stomach flab. With your hands under your shoulders, hold your arms out with your legs straight and toes holding your legs up. You get the most abdominal toning with this exercise the longer you hold the stance. The recommended time is 20 to 30 minutes.
   
5. Crunches are painful but highly effective. When you are seeking the ultimate way to tighten loose skin by exercise and targeting the stomach skin flap, crunches can be the most effective. Crunches provide complete toning for the abs if performed appropriately. The back should be straight with the chin level, and you will raise your torso to your knees, fighting the resistance. This will be one exercise you will feel later.
   

9. Drink Water to Help Tighten Skin after Weight Loss…

Healthy skin is hydrated skin, and despite the debate in the scientific community about whether or not drinking 64 ounces of water a day can help keep skin healthy and happy, I’ve seen the results myself. Perhaps it’s because, if you’re drinking that much water, you’re not drinking soda, loaded with unhealthy chemicals… or perhaps it’s because healthy, elastic skin really does need water. Either way, it works.

10. Practice Yoga

Yoga will help you relieve stress, be more flexible, lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and even help your skin rebound after weight loss. They key with yoga, and any other regimen for that matter, is to Start off slow, and within a few weeks, you’ll be surprised how much more flexible you, and your skin, can be.

11. Be Patient

I suppose I ought to mention that after a significant weight loss, your skin can take up to six months to tighten to the new, slender you. Be patient, then… if your skin doesn’t rebound immediately, keep in mind that it may take a little time. Just like setting realistic weight loss goals is important, setting realistic goals for your body to adjust is important, too.

12. Do Calisthenics

Calisthenics are great for building lean muscle, great for your heart, and they’re even great for tightening skin after weight loss! Add a round of calisthenics to your weekly routine, three or four times a week, and enjoy the jumping jacks, push-ups, windmills, and more… they can be fun, and they’re helping your skin readjust at the same time. Shaun T's Beachbody P90, P90X, Insanity are great suggestions.

13. Eat Plenty of Lean Protein

Adding lean protein to your diet will also help tighten skin after weight loss. How? First of all, it helps build lean muscle, which will make you appear more toned (well, you WILL be more toned!). But lean protein also contains the collagen and other nutrients your skin needs to stay elastic. Protip: consuming lean protein after a workout will help boost the muscle-building effect.

14. Avoid High-fat Foods

Foods that are high in fat are a dieter’s worst nightmare on two fronts. First, obviously, they can wreck your diet. Second, they do your skin no favors. If you’re trying to keep a healthy weight, or tighten skin after weight loss, avoid foods that are high in fat. Even the ones that taste really, really good. ESPECIALLY the ones that taste really, really good! Studies have shown that these high fat foods can even be addictive… so stay away!

15. Try for Five

The USDA recommends we eat five servings of fresh fruits and veggies every day, to give us nutrients we need, and to help us maintain healthy weights. But did you also know these five servings will help tighten skin after weight loss? That’s because most fruits and veggies have a high water content, which your skin needs to rebound. And again, they’re very good at helping ou maintain a healthy weight!

16. Avoid Sulfates to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss…

Sulfates are used in lots of body washes, soaps, and shampoos because they’re good, cheap cleansers and they make lush lather. But sulfates can also over-dry and irritate skin, stripping it of vital moisture and making it less elastic. If you’re trying to tighten skin after weight loss, shop around for sulfate-free products. L’Oreal offers a great line, for a very reasonable price.

17. Don’t Tan

The tanning process is horrible for your skin, especially when you’re using a tanning bed to boost your melanin. You might think it makes your skin look smoother and healthier, but it doesn’t. Wear sunblock when you’re outdoors, and don’t fake and bake. You’ll see your skin tighten more quickly, and you’ll also avoid a greater risk of skin cancer.

18. Rinse Away Chlorine

Excess chlorine from swimming pools and hot tubs can dry out your skin, making it less elastic, and less likely to rebound after weight loss. If you swim to keep fit, be sure to shower immediately after, and use cleaners designed to remove chlorine and moisturize your skin. Also, remember that you don’t need HOT water to rinse chlorine away, use warm water instead, which will also help keep your skin hydrated (hot water can strip away natural oils).

19. Dress The Part

Even the skinniest person can have a muffin top if their jeans are too tight. You may not have excess skin, or loose skin, after weight loss… you might just need to wear clothes that fit better. Give this some serious thought while clothes shopping.

20. Consider Surgery

If all of these tips fail to tighten your skin after weight loss, and you’ve waited six months since you dropped that last pound, you may want to consider surgery to remove the excess skin. As with any surgery, there are risks, but for some, those risks are outweighed by the benefits. Talk to your doctor.

You’ve already done the hard part — you’ve lost weight! Now follow these tips to tighten your skin after weight loss, and you’ll be bikini ready in no time… well, at least within 6 months! You can do it! Or… perhaps you already have? Which of these tips worked to tighten your skin after weight loss? Or do you have another skin care tip to share? Please do!

Credit goes out yo Meghan, for taking her time to write this...

I'm gonna weigh in here as a SOMEWHAT professional. And by professional I mean I studied skin in beauty school and worked for years doing said wraps and scrubs.

For the most part, time is your best bet with loose skin. It is what it is. Avoiding tanning will help with the appearance of aged skin (which is loose skin) in the years to come- that's just common sense.

The wraps/massages/scrubs all accomplish the same thing. They stimulate blood flow which in turn allows things to heal better/faster. And really- loose skin is sort of just skin that needs to heal. Some things heal better than others.

Remember all those skinned knees as a kid? How many scars do you have from it? How many faded away? Your skin healed OVER TIME!

These suggestions have worth. The one I think I disagree with the collagen lotions. A lotion may moisturize but it's temporary. Things that will really nourish and strengthen hair, skin, and nails are nutritious foods and lots of Water.

Thank you so much for this information, i will forward to my husband with the emphases on i need a spa day every week. lol, love it. so i will have to do more weight training and it will help thanks again

good to know!

I just got a body wrap today and I lost 31&1/2 inches total from my body. I can definitely tell the difference, especially in my pants. I wore tight pants just for the purpose of seeing if I could tell physically afterwards. I have gotten body wraps before and I have done really well with them, back when I was losing weight on my own prior to gaining it back. I plan to get body wraps at least monthly. I have a goal of losing 20 more pounds by the fourth of July for my vacation, and I want my body to reflect all of the pounds lost. Some of these tips really do work, but like the OP said, all things don't work for all people.

thank you for the suggestions. I read them to my husband to get him prepared for the many spa treatments I will be going to LOL!!!

Jimmy thanks a billion for the information. People like you are the reason that I have come to love this forum. My surgery is Tuesday, keep me in your prayers.....Btw, I got soul too....lol

One more:

Mama Mio Skin Tight and Mama Mio Boob Tube. Seriously -- it's been five days and there is definite improvement. Not perfection but I'm not even concerned about perfection. Just bearableness. Try it!

Thanks for posting these tips, I am working on toning now. My stomach, butt, thighs, and upper arms look pretty sad and droopy after losing all my excess weight. I guess that's what happens when I've been obese since I was 8

It sucks because I'm almost as tiny as my little sister (who's always been skinny and fit), but now I have a droopy stomach that hangs out lol. She wears a size 4-6, and I wear a size 6-8. Hopefully working out will be sufficient because I don't want to go through more surgery... I went into this knowing I won't come out looking like a supermodel, but at the very least I want to look normal!

Food for thought if you have stretch marks your skin is damaged they are little tears in the fibers, the elasticity is ripped apart,once this occurs there is no way to reverse this therefore unless you have skin removal you live with having A) saggy skin and 2) silver lines running the length of where ever you got them...( I have spoke to my dr about that) just saying ...tho the list is interesting I don't buy it either, just luck of the draw some skin will snap back some won't The wraps as attractive as that seems for lasting results you have to do them at least every week or so... so no there not a lasting solution either I don't have that luxury of spending 65+bucks a pop ( give or take depending where you live) SO I guess I will stick with spanx till I can afford to get "the proven effective skin removal"

Great info,I am doing good with my weight training,but I just started so I haven't seen much of a change with the lose skin at 4 months out,due to my rapid weight loss

Yoga is a great suggestion too and Pilates. Great info I will pin this!! I am sure it will help many folks on here.

Liliana, you are an inspiration to me: 80 pounds in 6 months lost. Your start weight and goal are about the same as mine. I've been under the impression that, the less you have to lose, the slower you lose weight, but you've made great progress. I would love to know what you are eating, how much you exercise, and whether you have loose skin issues.

And, just to keep this on topic, I think this is a great thread, and I forsee that I will have skin sagging issues. I am 48, and my skin is not as elastic as it used to be. When I lost 70 pounds on Phentermine in my 30's, I had no skin issues, but I am sure I will this time.

Vitamin E oil is supposed to be good as well for skin; although, I don't know if it will actually shrink sagging skin. Safflower oil is also good for skin according to Dr. Oz show, and I may try Coconut Oil and Argan Oil as well.

Thanks Jimmy & Meghan for the great information!

Most of our doubts about information come from fear, from conditioning after things tried and failed, for some it makes it hard to try something new or again. It hope this thread will give some, hope, as it has given me.

I have saved this information and will try as many of the suggestions I can afford. I'll report back any progress I make with them as I lose weight and allow enough time for a proper response. The great thing about our new life sleeve diet is that we will be focusing on daily high lean protein and nutritious fluid content already. I'll report back any progress I make with them as I lose weight and allow enough time for a proper response.

I really appreciate your in-depth report on options that may help us, help our bodies heal and tighten our skin. Thank you for keeping it real with the fact that we should not expect our ultimate skin tightening until 6 months after our final weight loss goal is met. It helps to have advice that includes realistic expectations.

I read this with interest as I reached goal eight weeks ago and now of course am hyper critical of the small areas I wish would be different ;-P

I have been lucky in that I have some pouchy skin at belly and midriff, and some bat wings, but not much else. Considering the 120 pounds lost I feel fortunate! I also have worked out, and continue to work out, a LOT. I think that has been a major factor in keeping the loose skin at bay. Certainly at my age, 59 next week, elasticity is supposed to be much worse.

The one thing i noted is that it is almost impossible to follow the suggestion to not lose too quickly as by nature WLS causes a much more rapid weight loss. I think that is why we are all particularly susceptible to this issue.

I will give a scrub a go just to see if it helps. I do know that as I have always gotten at least 64 ounces of Water in, and for the last few months 96-128, my skin is very soft and feels good for the most part. I get my Protein, work out a TON, and use sunscreen.

I have hopes that six months from now some of this will be better! I can't afford surgery.

I would love it if everyone was to weigh in with their results in trying some of these things...

The other thing of note is that I never thought I would be one to even care about a little loose skin as I have never been particularly vain in that way. But lo and behold, now that I look good and feel so good and wear a size 8 I do care in a new way. It makes me laugh at myself.

Thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks Jimmy!

Thank you...great information. How did it/this work for you?