“In general, it can take anywhere from weeks to months—even years,” says Dr. Chen. If after one to two years skin is still loose, it may not get any tighter, she says.
When you lose a lot of weight, such as 100 pounds or more, your skin may not be elastic enough to shrink back to its natural shape. This can cause the skin to sag and hang, especially around the upper face, arms, stomach, breasts, and buttocks. Some people don't like the way this skin looks.
For small to moderate amounts of weight loss, your skin will likely retract on its own. Natural home remedies may help too. However, more significant weight loss may need body-contouring surgery or other medical procedures to tighten or get rid of loose skin.
Coconut Water. Coconut water has been a traditional drink among Indians for a long time. Starting your day with a glass full of fresh coconut water helps to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. It helps in collagen production, maintains skin elasticity, and hydrates the skin naturally.
Lemon. “Vitamin C present in lemon boosts the production of collagen and helps to restore elasticity to the skin. It has astringent properties that work as a wrinkle-reducing and skin-tightening remedy,” says Dr Rana.
However, larger amounts of weight loss, such as 50 pounds and over, especially over a short period, can considerably increase your risk of loose skin. Your genetics and age will also play an important role in determining how much weight loss causes loose skin.
Exercises like cardio, yoga, and crunches may tone your muscles and strengthen your lower abs, but they won't “erase” fat deposits. The only way to lose fat on your lower stomach is to lose fat overall. A calorie deficit helps with this.
The loose skin is caused by losing a huge amount of weight – as in, 100 pounds or more – in a very short amount of time. It can happen when the weight is lost through diet and exercise, but it happens more often to weight-loss surgery patients.
“Your skin may not contract back to its smaller shape if weight is lost too quickly.” This inability for the skin to contract as well as it once would have, due to the weakening of the fibers over time, is what leads to excess or saggy skin during weight loss.
Excess skin can appear when you lose between 40 and 50 pounds. A dramatic weight loss of 100 plus pounds will almost certainly result in loose skin. If you drop 20 pounds or less, your skin will not produce excess, much less get so loose as to hang off your torso and limbs.
Some people also use ACV as a skin cleanser or toner. Apple cider vinegar can cause skin cells to shrink, tightening the skin. Some bacteria are necessary to keep the skin healthy. Using strong concentrations of ACV could strip away this good bacteria on the skin and cause irritation.
Vitamin E – This vitamin has antioxidants which have amazing effects on both skin and hair. Vitamin E oil and capsules are hugely popular all over the world to tighten up skin. Vitamin E protect the skin from anti-ageing effects caused by sun by absorbing harmful UV light from the sun when applied topically.
Gotu Kola: The skin tightening herb with uses and benefits that increase collagen production and firmness. Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) is an herb that's been traditionally used in Asia for its heal-all abilities.
Tighter Skin
Do you have sagging skin from weight loss or from aging? A great way to help tighten the skin around your jawline, stomach, arms, and legs is to drink more water. That's because water helps improve skin elasticity, making it bounce back from sagging.
Engaging in exercise such as resistance training can increase muscle mass. Building muscle through exercise can improve the appearance of sagging skin, especially in the legs and arms. Also, facial exercises may improve muscle tone around the jaw and neck. This may reduce sagging skin in these areas.
Loose skin can be tightened with collagen supplements, bariatric surgery, or radiofrequency treatments.
Collagen production starts to decline around 25 years of age, decreasing approximately 1-2% per year afterwards. Skin noticeably starts to lose its elasticity in your 30s to 40s and particularly in the first five years of menopause when women's skin loses around 30% of its collagen.