Working Out to Tighten Loose Skin – Fact or Fiction?

One of the most common cosmetic concerns that San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Dennis Bucko hears from patients at Belladerma Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Care Center is loose skin. He has encountered numerous men and women that have stretched-out, saggy skin as the result of losing excess weight or simply because of the effects of the aging process with loss of skin elasticity. For many of them, the loose skin is just as embarrassing as being overweight.

Some people have been told a lie: that if they exercise enough and build muscle, the loose skin will shrink. The truth is that no lifestyle change — exercise or otherwise — can improve the elasticity of the skin and help it return to its pre-stretched state. Especially in cases of massive weight loss, the skin cannot retract over a significantly smaller body shape — either naturally or with the right amount of exercise and muscle.

If Exercise & Non-surgical Skin Tightening Don’t Work, What Does?

Non-surgical lasers, ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and infra-red devices do not do much to tighten skin or to restore elasticity. Dr. Bucko offers several types of surgical solutions to tighten loose skin and restore a beautiful body contour. Treatment options require surgical skin removal and include the following:

• Arm Lift (brachioplasty): One of the areas that can accumulate loose, stretched-out skin is the upper arms. The skin can become so lax that it sags off the arms, resembling what some kindly refer to as “batwings.” Upper arm lift, or brachioplasty, is designed to remove this loose skin, tighten underlying lax tissues and eliminate any small deposits of unwanted fat. The result is a slimmer and smoother arm contour. Arm lift can also eliminate embarrassment when wearing sleeveless shirts or difficultly wearing sleeved shirts.
• Thigh Lift (thighplasty): Thigh lift is intended to create a smoother leg contour and more proportional lower body. Excess skin is removed and small amounts of fat can be treated using liposuction techniques. In some cases, thigh lift improves the appearance of saddlebags and cellulite.
• Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty): Tummy tuck treats loose skin that hangs off the lower abdomen and can contribute to a “pooch” or protrusion. During the procedure, excess skin and small fat deposits are removed, the abdominal muscles are repaired and skin is tightened.
• Breast Lift (mastopexy): Breast lift eliminates loose, stretched-out skin that causes the breasts to sag low on the chest. By reducing the loose skin and tightening the underlying tissues, breast lift restores the breasts to their previously perky and youthful-looking position.

For more information about treating loose skin on the arms, thighs, abdomen, breasts or elsewhere, please contact Dr. Bucko and request a consultation. Call (858) 453-8484 or email Belladerma Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Care Center today.