After a period of hard work, with consistent diet and exercise, or through bariatric surgery, you may have reached your weight loss goal. Regardless of how your weight loss came to be, you may now be experiencing extreme skin laxity and be troubled by excess skin.
While skin can revert and become more tight with time, loose skin may persist in some situations. Learn what factors influence skin returning to normal and how a tummy tuck can help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
Why Does Skin Become Loose in the First Place?
Typically, the elastic materials of the skin, such as collagen and elastin, can keep up with the rate of fat loss. However, when fat loss happens rapidly, your skin cannot maintain proper elasticity. Aside from the rate of fat loss, the amount of weight lost can influence the looseness of the skin. The greater your weight loss, the greater the chance of skin looseness.
Your age can also determine skin laxity following weight loss. As you age, the collagen and elastin production rate decreases, meaning losing substantial amounts of fat later in life can contribute to sagging skin.
Does Skin Revert Back After Weight Loss?
The answer is that it depends. In some instances, depending on your age, the extent of your weight loss, and the health of your skin, sagging skin can resolve on its own. Given enough time, minimal excess skin can be addressed by the body, so long as your weight is maintained and you live a healthy lifestyle.
However, when weight loss is excessive, you may not see much improvement in your skin. Prolonged obesity has been shown to have an inflammatory effect that may impact the skin’s strength. This means that those who dealt with excessive weight for a long duration before losing that weight may have even more trouble returning their skin to a taut state without external help.
Have Your Tummy Tuck in Nashua, MA
A tummy tuck is the best way to deal with excess skin following weight loss. The abdomen area typically houses the majority of fat cells and, following fat loss, can be the site of most of the sagging skin–a tummy tuck can help.
The plastic surgery procedure can remove excess skin and provide a contouring effect. Despite the relative safety of the procedure, make sure to select a surgeon with both expert knowledge and ability.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. George P. Chatson has 17 years of experience and was voted Top Doctor in Plastic Surgery for six consecutive years by New Hampshire Magazine.
To learn more about tummy tucks and how they can help you, schedule an appointment online or call today at 603-294-4189 for the Nashua office or 978-528-1174 for the North Andover office.
