If you’ve recently lost a significant amount of weight, you may have noticed extra skin hanging around your body. This excess skin can be uncomfortable and make finding clothes that fit properly more difficult. It may also be a source of embarrassment as it can affect how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you. But what causes extra skin after weight loss, and what can you do to prevent it?
A few factors that may cause extra skin after weight loss include:
Rapid Weight Loss
The leading cause of extra skin after weight loss is how rapidly you shed the weight. When you lose weight quickly, your skin doesn’t have enough time to adapt to your new body shape. As a result, you may have loose, sagging skin that doesn’t fit your frame. This is especially true if you’ve lost significant weight in a relatively short time.
Age
Age can also be a factor in the development of loose skin after weight loss. As you age, your skin loses its elasticity and ability to snap back into place after weight loss. This means that even if you lose weight slowly and steadily, you may still have extra, sagging skin.
Genetics
Genetics can also play a role in developing extra skin after you lose a lot of weight. If your family tends to have looser skin, you may be more likely to experience it after weight loss. You may also be genetically predisposed to having less elastic skin, making it more difficult for your skin to bounce back after weight loss.
Diet
Diet is another contributing factor. If a person loses weight quickly, it may be more likely that they will have extra skin. Crash diets and rapid weight loss plans can cause the body to lose muscle, fat, and water weight quickly, leaving more skin than if the weight was lost gradually.
Lifestyle Habits
Finally, smoking can cause your skin to become less elastic, leading to extra skin after weight loss. Smoking has been linked to premature aging and wrinkles, both of which can make it more difficult for your skin to snap back into place.
Minimizing Extra Skin After Weight Loss
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to minimize the amount of extra skin you have after weight loss. The most important thing is to lose weight slowly and steadily. Pacing weight loss will give your skin more time to adapt to your changing shape. You should also ensure you’re eating enough protein, as a well-balanced diet can help your skin retain its elasticity. Finally, you should avoid smoking, which can make your skin less elastic and more prone to sagging.
Look and Feel Your Best With Hess & Sandeen
At Hess & Sandeen, we strive to help our clients feel like the best version of themselves. Our experienced and board-certified plastic surgeons are here to help you feel proud of your weight loss accomplishment. If you are unsatisfied with extra skin after weight loss, our body contouring procedure can help improve the shape and tone of your body by removing excess skin and fat.
