Weight loss is a journey toward achieving certain health, lifestyle, and aesthetic goals. There are no significant downsides to losing excessive weight. However, loose skin after massive weight loss is common and can be distressing to some people. Some people choose to eventually have loose skin removal after their transformation. Let’s delve into why this happens.
Causes of Loose Skin From Weight Loss
Rapid Weight Loss
The amount of weight loss doesn’t have to be extreme for loose skin to develop. Weight loss happens when your fat is burned as an energy source, and the fat underneath your skin shrinks. Your skin will naturally adjust to this new shape over time. However, rapid weight loss won’t give your skin enough time to adjust to its new shape and leads to loose skin. This is common if someone loses weight rapidly from weight loss surgery, illness, or starvation.
Collagen and Elastin Damage
Collagen and elastin are essential fibers of your skin that keep your skin tight and flexible. This keeps your skin looking young and also helps your skin adjust to its new shape after massive weight loss. However, your skin’s collagen and elastin can become damaged if you’ve been overweight for a long time. Weight gain can damage collagen and elastin and make them not function properly. This is why even slow weight loss can result in loose skin.
Age
Your age has a large impact on if you’ll have loose skin after losing weight. As we age, our skin naturally becomes damaged and loses a significant amount of collagen and elastin. As mentioned earlier, collagen and elastin are essential for preventing loose skin. The older you are, the higher risk you are of developing loose skin. This is why teenagers and young adults can often lose larger amounts of weight without loose skin.
Seeking Loose Skin Removal
Most of these factors that cause loose skin are completely outside your control. That’s why Dr. York Yates provides loose skin removal after massive weight loss. No one should feel discouraged to lose weight because they are worried about loose skin. That’s why Dr. Yates will work with you and develop a treatment plan so you can proudly show off the hard work you put in. If you’re ready to not just drop the fat but also drop the loose skin, then contact Dr. Yates’ team at 801-525-8741 today.