Surgery for obesity, such as gastric bypass or bariatric surgery, can help you shed a lot of pounds quickly.
The skin expands to cover a larger body. Immediate weight loss causes the skin to lose suppleness and shows loose, sagging skin following bariatric surgery. Many factors, many of which are beyond your control, will determine how much skin will hang over after weight loss.
Most people are self-conscious about their flabby arms or legs because of their appearance. Fortunately, several non-surgical methods can help tighten skin after gastric bypass.
This post will advise how to minimize loose skin after bariatric surgery to boost self-esteem. Below, we’ll also contrast surgical and non-surgical methods and offer recommendations for both.
Incorporate Protein Into Your Meal Plan
After having weight loss surgery, you can expect to make certain dietary adjustments. Getting this done is crucial if you want to shed pounds. However, protein should be the focus of every meal and snack. Why? Because it aids in the development of lean muscle mass.
The mass you lose may outpace the skin’s ability to adjust when you lose weight through fat loss. Muscle gain, on the other hand, can ease the stress on your body and let your skin respond more slowly. The shape of your muscles can also conceal any flabby areas.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
After surgical weight loss, this is mandatory, and it’s a good idea generally. Nevertheless, skin health depends on getting enough water. Maintaining moisture and suppleness aids elasticity, making the skin return to its pre-weight-loss state more quickly. If you’ve had bariatric surgery, you know how important it is to monitor your fluid intake.
Mix Up Your Cardio With Strength Training
In the same line as the recommendation that you focus on getting enough protein, this is all about getting your muscles in shape. After bariatric surgery, it is tempting to perform cardio because it is well-known that this exercise will considerably facilitate weight loss. Strength exercise, on the other hand, not only boosts the metabolism but also better fills out the skin, which helps to prevent the look of drooping.
Take Skin-Firming Vitamins
Because specific vitamins contribute to the promotion of skin elasticity, taking them can reduce the likelihood that you will have skin that has become significantly slack due to weight reduction surgery. If you want them to be effective, you should take them many months before your surgery and continue taking them through your journey of losing weight.
Daily Skin Care
The skin requires the same level of care as every other organ in the body. Include products in your skincare routine that stimulate the body’s natural collagen production. Collagen supplements may help with skin issues, according to studies.
It is sometimes advised that a soft bristle brush be used on the skin after surgical procedures. This can boost the skin’s blood flow, which in turn helps the body produce more collagen and elastin. Moisturizers and sunscreens are two essential components of any good skincare routine. Creams for the skin might help you retain more moisture and achieve a tighter skin texture.
Health Care and Medical Spa Services
Sometimes, more than changing one’s diet, getting more exercise, and taking dietary supplements are required. Treatment options available in these situations include medical and medical spa services. Skin tightening following weight reduction surgery can be accomplished through surgical body lifts or specific medical spa treatments.
Both of these options are available to patients. Feel free to book a consultation to learn about the various alternatives available to you if you have tried everything possible to improve the appearance of your skin but are still experiencing dissatisfaction.
Additional Lifestyle Advice
Have Patience
Give your body enough time to heal. To lose weight in the proper places, you should notice loose skin. It would be best if you waited about a year following cosmetic surgery before making significant changes to your outward appearance. It is possible that your skin can tighten without any intervention from a plastic surgeon.
Exfoliate With Salt
Brushing with a soft bristle brush or using a salt scrub could help your skin retain flexibility. The effect will be better skin circulation—tighter skin results from increased circulation, which carries collagen and elastin to the surface.
Take Up Yoga
Yoga enhances your core and boosts your flexibility, which can improve the appearance of your skin. Stress relief and mindfulness training are two additional benefits of yoga that can help boost self-acceptance and esteem.
Surgical Vs. Non-Surgical Skin Tightening: What’s The Difference?
Skin tightening techniques that do not entail surgery focus on making the skin more firm. The previous section highlighted some of the most popular alternatives to surgical skin tightening. Those techniques aim to stimulate collagen and elastin production since the skin’s firmness is enhanced by collagen, and its elasticity is improved by elastin.
Excess skin is surgically removed during a skin tightening procedure. Those who have weight loss surgery but are still unhappy about their bodies may seek this service from a plastic surgeon.
The primary distinctions between surgery and non-surgical skin tightening are summarized below:
Surgical
- A few weeks are needed for recovery.
- Scarring is possible to see following surgery.
- Unfortunately, not everyone is a surgical fit.
- Six months of weight stability are required before surgery.
Non-Surgical
- Very little or no time is needed for recovery
- It left no markings or scars.
- There is no danger from the surgery.
- Abolishing the need to monitor your weight constantly
Note: Talk to your doctor about your choices in this situation. Taking into consideration your health and physical condition, they will help you choose the best course of action.
Conclusion
Truth be told, some sagging skin following weight loss surgery is unavoidable. Some people can do nothing and not have any sagging, while others can take every precaution and still have drooping skin. You can take steps to lessen the impact, though.
Having too much skin can have a negative psychological impact on those who have it. Having a negative self-perception and low self-esteem are both possible outcomes. However, several options exist that do not require surgical consultation. It’s best to research and consult with medical professionals before deciding what to do about any complications after bariatric surgery.
