Losing weight is a significant achievement, but it can sometimes lead to a new concern: sagging skin. If you’ve worked hard to get healthier and shed pounds, you might be wondering what to do about skin that’s lost its elasticity. The good news is that there are several options available, depending on the area of the body and the degree of sagging.
The Face
When it comes to the face, losing weight can sometimes lead to a loss of facial fat. The good news is that restoring volume is often the best way to tighten the skin. This is one area where you want to have volume, unlike other parts of the body.
We often use fillers to restore volume and perform a procedure called a “magic lift” to give the face an uplifted appearance. If more is needed, we can use threads, which are inserted with a needle and syringe to physically lift the jowls and mid-face. These lifting threads are a great option for sagging skin in the mid-face, lower face, and neck.
For more pronounced sagging, Ultherapy is a non-surgical procedure that uses high-intensity focused ultrasound to create an injury in the area where a facelift would typically be performed, stimulating the skin to lift over time. We also have other options like the 4D laser facial and Thermage, which is particularly effective for the mid and lower face after weight loss.
Of course, for the most dramatic results, a surgical facelift may be the best option. But there are many non-surgical choices available depending on your individual needs and goals.
The Arms, Knees, and Crepey Skin
For areas like the arms or knees where the skin may be thin and crepey, we often focus on thickening the skin to tighten it. We use a process called biostimulation, where a bone paste or a substance called Radiesse (calcium hydroxyapatite) is injected under the skin in a hyperdiluted form. This stimulates the skin to thicken and tighten over time.
We may also combine this with Ultherapy, which uses high-intensity focused ultrasound to tighten the skin. This is effective for addressing crepey skin on the arms, knees, and other areas.
The Abdomen
The abdomen can be a challenging area, especially if you’ve lost a significant amount of weight and have loose, sagging skin. The gold standard for addressing this is a tummy tuck, which is a surgical procedure. While it produces the most dramatic results, we know that surgery isn’t right for everyone.
For those who don’t want to go the surgical route, there are energy-based procedures like Ultherapy, lasers, or radio frequency that can provide some tightening. However, the results tend to be less impressive in the abdomen, especially when the skin is very loose and hanging.
In some cases, we may be able to get decent results around the navel, where the skin tends to be crepey. But when the skin is very lax, surgery is often the best option.
Your Individualized Plan
The key is to have an evaluation with a medical provider to determine the best course of action for your unique needs. We can refer you to our surgical department for a procedure like a facelift or tummy tuck if that’s the best option. But many times, we can provide non-surgical solutions in our office, from fillers to restore volume, to energy-based devices to tighten the skin, to threads for a mechanical lift.
Don’t let sagging skin hold you back from enjoying the results of your hard work. There are many options available, and we can create a personalized plan to address your concerns and help you feel your best.
You can listen to Dr.Mok’s podcast episode on this here
