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
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts
Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound
Does skin contract after weight loss?
After weight loss most people experience skin laxity, as the increased skin length that used to accommodate the excess 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 back after weight loss, maybe not 100%, but up to 80-90%.
For most people this 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 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 on its own 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 sessions of 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, strong-but-safe safe stimulation and time. Nothing happens overnight or 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 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 “make money first, screw the patient/client” is that of a very fit, young client I saw a few weeks ago (at the time of first writing this article).
After ~20kg of weight loss, with a combination of healthy eating and LOTS of exercise, this 27-year old client was left with some stomach skin looseness, on top an actual six pack that he managed to build during weight loss. All in all, a minor problem.
However, when this young man visited a a Harley Street doctor for advice, he was recommended abdominoplasty. Yes, abdominoplasty! A tummy tuck for a guy with visible six pack and minor skin laxity. Some surgeons are that unscrupulous.
Luckily he did not go for that surgery. But if he did, performing a tummy tuck on a 26-year old with a little bit of skin looseness would actually be criminal. And if the client sued after the attempted butchering, I would be surprised if he didn’t get at least one million pounds of compensation for living for 60+ 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. Yes, coolsculpting for almost not fat! Some clinics are that unscrupulous.
(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 and 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 - not just money - as well as the skills to offer you the best results.
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts
At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.
This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.
As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.
Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.
We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.
Learn more or check prices and book an expert cellulite / skin tightening treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)
Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy and LED light therapy) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 240mW/cm2), for best results and for the treatment of large body areas.
We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.
Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.
On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.
Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)
Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound
Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening?
Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day professional consultancy / one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.
Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.