Does skin shrink after losing weight?

Excess skin after weight loss - what to do about it

• Does skin contract after weight loss?

• Young skin, naturally firm skin and skin that has not been stretched much by fat, can shrink back naturally

• Older skin, naturally loose skin or skin that has been stretched a lot by weight gain, will need some extra help

• What to do if you suffer from post-weight loss skin laxity

• A real case of different skin tightening options after weight loss - from the reasonable to the absurd

Does skin contract after weight loss?

After weight loss most people experience skin laxity, as the increased skin length that used to accommodate for the fat volume becomes “excess skin” and looks loose and saggy.

So it’s no wonder that many people ask if skin can naturally contract on its own.

Young skin, naturally firm skin and skin that has not been stretched much by fat, can shrink back naturally

The answer to this question is quite simple:

• if excess skin is little

• or if you are young (20s or 30s)

• or if you have good strong skin

…yes, skin will shrink after weight loss.

Maybe not 100%, but up to 80-90%, which for most people is satisfactory, as well as visually indistinguishable for perfectly tight skin.

In fact, few people have perfectly tight skin, so your 80-90% skin firmness a few months/years after weight loss can actually be better than someone else’s skin which did not stretch due to weight gain.

Older skin, naturally loose skin or skin that has been stretched a lot by weight gain, will need some extra help

On the other hand, if:

• if your skin is naturally on the loose sight, irrespective of weight gain/loss

• or if you are a bit older (50s+)

• or if you have a lot of excess skin

…then skin will not retract naturally to a satisfactory level.

In that case, if you want to restore your skin to something close to it previous skin firmness, you must have a skin tightening treatment or surgery.

For extreme skin laxity the only solution is surgery: tummy tuck, thigh lift, face lift etc.

For mild to moderate skin looseness the best treatment is deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, which will offer good results in 6-12 sessions, for most cases, and up to 24 sessions for more serious skin laxity.

If skin looseness is such that more than 24 deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency are required, then surgery is a better and even more economical option.

Don’t be fooled with promises of instant and spectacular results in 1-2 sessions with very expensive, very painful, very unsafe and still largely ineffective treatments (such as extreme intensity RF, extreme intensity HIFU or microneedling RF), as such claims are based on hype rather than clinical reality.

For the body to change it needs both repeated, regular, safe stimulation and time. Nothing happens overnight with 1-2 “miracle” treatments.

What to do if you suffer from post-weight loss skin laxity

As there are different options to be considered by non-experts and as many aesthetic therapists are doctors just want your business, and not necessarily put your benefit first, the best thing to do is visit 3-4 clinics, have an expert assessment at all 3-4 clinics, discuss with them your options - and their attitude too - and make an informed decision.

A real case of different skin tightening options after weight loss - from the reasonable to the absurd

A very bad example of “business first, screw the patient/client” is that of a very fit, young client I saw a few weeks ago, who had just a little of stomach skin looseness, on top of his “six pack”, after weight loss.

This young man visited a a Harley Street doctor for advice and he was recommended abdominoplasty. A tummy tuck for a guy with visible six pack and minor skin laxity (it’s crazy, I know).

Luckily the client did not go for that surgery. But if he did, performing a tummy tuck on a 26-year old with a tiny bit of skin looseness would actually be criminal. And if the client sued after the attempted butchering I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t get at least one million pounds of compensation for living for 60-70 years with a huge scar on his body for a little skin looseness.

After the Harley Street surgeon, the client visited another Harley Street clinic, which recommended coolsculpting for just 1-2 millimetres of fat (it’s ridiculous, I know).

And this was despite the manufacturer of coolsculpting clearly stating that their technology does not effect skin tightening.

Our industry can sometimes be THAT disgusting.

His last port of call was our clinic, where we performed 12 safe, pain-free deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency sessions. Skin firmness on his stomach significantly improved and the client got what he needed at a fraction of the cost and with zero suffering, and we got a happy, satisfied client who was actually grateful that we were not like the previous two clinics.

So the moral of this story is, before making any decisions, visit 3-4 clinics, and use your God-given common sense, no science needed, to figure out who has your interests in mind as well as the skills to offer you the best results.