Ask Rocco: A Saggy Skin Solution
Question: My name is Tanya. I am 38 years old, married with one son. I have recently reached my goal weight after losing 40 pounds. I feel and look much healthier. After losing the weight though, it seems everything has become saggy. I need help. I feel very confident when wearing clothes but become my old self when it's time to disrobe. Please, please, please help me feel comfortable when I have to get naked.
Answer: Tanya I think one "please" is sufficient to get my attention but I have to tell you, I dont have any good news for you. Without knowing how long it took you to lose the weight and how much muscle you may have lost during the process I cant accurately answer your question.
What I do know is that as we get older, skin loses its elasticity and doesnt bounce back as fast as we would like it to. Skin is an organ that actually grows as we need it. The fatter we get, the more skin will grow to accommodate more mass the skin needs to protect. If you have extensive scarring (stretch marks), then I can tell you that the skin has stretched too far and will not come back. If there is no scarring, there is a good possibility that with regular exercise and good nutritional intake such as anti-oxidants like vitamin-C (which helps in making collagen, a substance that provides elasticity to the skin) your saggy skin will naturally tighten to near pre-fat gain.
There is no magic formula for saggy skin. Here are a few tips that I personally live by:
1) Dont stay in the sun for longer than 15-20 minutes
2) Moisturize with paraben free moisturizers everyday
3) Exfoliate
4) Keep exercising. Skin health is the secret to looking younger than you are. So take care of it.
