If you’ve recently lost weight, or are in the process, congratulations! You are doing amazing things for your health and future. However, you are probably noticing the unwanted side effect of loose skin. This is not an issue for those losing small amounts of weight. But if the weight loss exceeds 30 pounds then you will likely begin to experience loss of skin elasticity. Do not fret; there is a tremendous amount you can do to restore elasticity and prevent further loss. Read on to find out what can be done.
1. Pace Your Weight Loss
This is incredibly important to how your skin handles weight loss. Lose weight fast and your skin does not have ample time or resources to catch up. But if you lose weight at a gradual pace your skin will do a fine job at shrinking at the same pace as the fat loss. That is because the damage to skin is minimized and skin has enough capacity to repair itself. The ideal pace is 1 pound a week. Anyone on a diet is in a rush to see results and maybe even has a deadline such as before a big event, wedding, date, or otherwise. But you must think long-term. Short-term diets just do not produce lasting results.
2. Consume Antioxidants
If you have already lost weight at a rapid pace then you have a lot of repairing to do! Start by feeding your skin the foods that will nourish your skin. Some foods to prioritize eating daily during and after dieting are berries and pomegranates. Most types of berries have a significant amount of antioxidants to fight free radicals and other toxins skin will come in contact with. Make sure to include in your daily diet either blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, or pomegranates. There are many types of tea that are also high in antioxidants.
3. Use Collagen Powder
Ah, collagen powder. Collagen is definitely a buzz word in modern skin care advertising. Nearly every skin care product coming out today promises to increase collagen. The reality is collagen is too large of a molecule to be ingested by the skin topically. The only way to increase collagen intake is to consume it orally. Thankfully many companies have followed the findings of modern science and created powders made with bone marrow, bones, and tissues of Grade A meats. Several studies have shown that taking collagen powder increased skin elasticity noticeably, starting at 4 weeks of daily use. All it takes is a scoop of powder into your daily tea or coffee (or any hot beverage). To maximize results, combine your collagen drink with a Vitamin C supplement.
4. Perfect Your Skincare Routine
Having a robust skincare regimen daily will keep facial skin tight while losing weight or tighten it after its been lost. Working out can help tighten up your body somewhat but what about the face? This is where a good AM and PM skincare routine will be effective. Washing daily and nightly with a cleanser, moisturizing, and using potent actives that increase collagen production are all crucial. The active ingredients you should include if you want to tighten skin are Vitamin C, Niacinamide (also known as Vitamin B), and the infamous Retinol (Vitamin A). This is why these products are dubbed as the ABC’s of skincare. When used in conjunction with each other, the results are powerful.
5. Lift Weights
Above all workout routines stands weight lifting. Excersize of any form is a good thing but if youre wanting the best results, opt to lift weights daily. This is because lifting heavy objects is a resistance-based workout that builds muscle quickly, improves metabolism, and much more. Specifically related to skin it gives a lifting effect when done consistently. Yes, lifting weights literally helps to lift the skin. Start at your own pace and see how much you can safely lift without straining yourself. Consistency is key!
6. Drink Green Tea Daily
Have a daily cup of green tea – or better yet, Matcha. Matcha green tea has so many wonderful benefits. It is derived from the same plant as regular green tea but is protected from sunlight for 20-30 days before harvest while green tea is not. This protection keeps the amino acids in the leaves alive and the caffeine locked in. Caffeine is an important item for keeping eyes looking brighter. It serves to reduce eye bags and dark circles directly as opposed to most of the eye creams in today’s market which do not deliver results. Amino acids also repair the skin and help tremendously to prevent premature aging, such as the kind a diet brings on. So toss back a green or matcha green tea every day for beautiful skin.
7. Sleep well
This might seem too cliche but sleep is incredibly important to repairing skin damage. While we sleep our body recovers. We need to be sleeping a minimum of 6 hours every night to preserve our skin’s elasticity over time. If you have the time to sleep longer, then by all means take the opportunity. The term beauty sleep was coined for good reason. Having the healthiest, bounciest, and most elastic skin is not possible without good consistent sleep. Moreover with dieting you should try to increase sleep time to make up for a calorie deficit.
8. Wear Sunscreen
It can never be overstated that sunscreen is important. The sun accounts for 80% of premature aging but it does not need to destroy your appearance. Especially following a diet you should be sensitive to further damage to your skin. Wear broad spectrum mineral sunscreen daily with a minimum of SPF 30. Also wear protective clothing and avoid tanning if possible. This is an effective way to restore some elasticity that was lost.
9. Up your Fruit and Vitamin Intake
Increase the amount of fruits you consume daily. Fruits are essential to health and the aging process. Eat a wide variety of fruits regularly for supple skin. The key is to eat fruits that come in all different colors so that you ensure a good balance of essential vitamins and minerals. You can also try eating dark chocolate or other cacao-based chocolates. A few studies have shown that dark chocolate increases skin’s moisture levels and is a wrinkle-fighting food.
10. Avoid hot water
Hot water is damaging to skin. So is excessively cold water. Only interact with room temperature water in order to keep skin in good quality. We all love long hot steamy showers but our skin does not. Heat damages skin in a major way. The more heat that is applied, the weaker skin becomes over time. Avoid bad habits of using excessively hot water and keep temperature lukewarm. Also to be avoided are saunas and steam rooms. Milder temperature water will aid your skin in bouncing back eventually.
Do What You Can
If you can incorporate some or all of these tips into your daily life your skin will definitely reap the rewards. Your skin is a living organ, with the ability to shrink and tighten into a new figure over time. No matter your age, your skin will bounce back at least partially. Age, health, and a host of other factors will determine exactly how much it can snap back. These tips will help the process along. After all, they are backed by science to have skin-restoring effects. Let us know which ones you try and what results you see!