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How To Tighten Loose Skin On Arms Naturally: 12 Options To Try

Tightening arm skin is a dream for many people. Fat comes and goes, and having stretchy skin just hang there can become a reason for insecurities. While it’s OK to have such a condition and bullying is totally unacceptable, I can see why people want to get rid of the issue. But does loose skin go away? With surgery, for sure! It’s a quick and potentially painful, but very effective way to get rid of excess skin on any part of your body. Plastic surgery has come a long way! It’s clear, though, that not all people want to go under the knife. It’s normal to fear since invasive procedures are no fun. That said, how can you tighten the skin on your arms naturally? There are at least 15 approaches you can try that involve physical activity, diet, supplements, and more peculiar procedures. In this article, I’ll review them, as well as the reasons why skin may stretch so much it just hangs off the arm.

4 Reasons For Loose Skin On Your Arms And Body

It’s easy to get loose skin due to the following reasons. Besides, not only can you develop insecurities because of your looks, the condition may cause rashes, infections, and even back pain. It is very difficult to get rid of, but it is possible!

Here’s why you may have such a problem:

  • Weight Loss

When you carry lots of excess fat and water for a long time, your skin stretches and the fibers of collagen and elastin can break, which means it’s difficult for it to get back to its previous state.

Gradual weight loss may give your body enough time to get used to the new forms, so the sagging may not be dramatic. However, when weight loss is rapid like after bariatric surgery, which is a surgical obesity treatment for people with BMI greater than 40 (2), the sagging may become a very serious issue.

  • Aging

The loss of skin elasticity due to aging leads to skin sagging (3) not only on your arms but also on your face, stomach, back, legs, etc. Also, prolonged sun exposure contributes to the aging process, especially on Caucasian skin, which makes loose skin appear even worse (4).

  • Illness

Some illnesses have loose skin as one of the symptoms. One such condition is a type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. This is cancer starting in the lymphocytes; it’s also the most common type of blood cancer.

  • EDS – Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

EDS is a rare hereditary connective tissue disorder. People with this disorder have defects in the production of collagen. As a result, patients experience skin sagging, especially on their faces.

Other factors include:

  • Genetics
  • Smoking
  • Amount of weight lost
  • Age, etc.

Read More: Medicine Ball Workouts For Arms: 15 Exercises To Try

Why Doesn’t Your Skin Come Back To Its Natural State By Itself?

While illnesses and syndromes are rare, the most common reasons for loose arm skin are weight loss and aging due to natural causes or extended sun exposure. It’s either broken collagen fibers or the lack of collagen production intensity.

In the case of weight loss, the dramatism also depends on how long you’ve had the excess weight. The longer you experience the issue, the more stretched your skin gets. And if you’re over 35 years old, aging side effects may kick in as well, making the situation more difficult.

Let’s say you’ve been overweight for 10-20 years and now you’re 40. Collagen production is already slower, and the only condition your skin remembers is the one you had for one or two decades. Then, you quickly lose weight due to surgery or a fad diet (which is not recommended at any age), and your skin acts like a balloon.

If you had an inflated balloon for ages and then it deflates, it will be flabby and saggy. So, you need to put in more effort to help it improve. It won’t come back to its initial state due to age, but there are things you can do to improve its condition dramatically.

9 Ways To Skin Tightening: A Natural Complex

How do we tighten loose skin on arms naturally? We have 9 options for you to try. Keep in mind that these mostly work for minor sagging. If you’ve lost 100+ pounds, for example, it’s much better to consult a specialist and consider body contouring where they remove excess fat and skin surgically.

However, the following ways can help you maintain the good condition of your skin for years, slowing down aging processes, and becoming healthier in general.

Skin Tightening Approaches For Minor Sagging

Minor loose skin after weight loss or due to aging can be treated by:

  • Exercise – there are no unique arm exercises for flabby skin, but you can try resistance training and pilates. As a result, you build high-quality muscle, which compensates for the skin sagging. Plus, sports improve your overall health, along with a balanced diet, which improves how you look.
  • Healthy Eating – maybe your arms look a bit flabby because there’s excess fat and water under the skin. Promote healthy nutrition, balance the amounts of proteins, fats, and carbs in your diet, and you’ll see the benefits pretty soon. Along with physical activity, you’ll change your body composition, reduce swelling, and enjoy a fit body.
  • Supplementsresearch says that supplements with collagen and vitamins can improve skin hydration and elasticity. Use collagen and hyaluronic acid to make your skin less dry and prone to sagging. This method can be especially effective if loose skin on your arms is connected to aging.
  • Topical Treatments – Creams, lotions, and serums containing components such as retinol can help you improve skin elasticity. However, before trying them out, consult a dermatologist. They will choose the most suitable concentration for you, as well as additional treatments.
  • Lifestyle Changes – small changes such as drinking more water, using sunscreen, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol intake should help you avoid skin deterioration in the future and aid skin condition restoration.
  • Massages – these can work as an addition to a healthy lifestyle and supplement intake. A good massage will reduce muscle strain and improve blood flow in the skin.

Whether you’re looking to simply pep up your fitness routine, jazz up your diet with mouth-watering low-calorie recipes or want to get your act together and significantly drop that number on your scale – BetterMe app has got you covered! Improve your body and revamp your life with us!

Skin Tightening For Moderate Sagging

There are more complex treatments involving cosmetic procedures. These are usually non-invasive or minimally-invasive, but much lighter in terms of stress than a surgery:

  • Laser therapy or resurfacing – laser therapy may boost collagen production and help you tighten skin on arms and stomach. Laser resurfacing is more invasive as it removes the upper skin layer and heats up the deeper ones.
  • MFU – microfocused ultrasound – another way to boost collagen production by heating the deeper layers of the skin. Ultrasound will help you achieve visible results in a couple of months, so you’ll need patience. Besides, the results are temporary and last for up to 1 year.
  • Radiofrequency or IPL/RF treatments – radiofrequency treatment is also used to heat skin layers to trigger collagen production, but it’s focused primarily on the outer layers. IRL (intense pulsed light) and RF can be used in a combination. While RF works on the outer layer, IRL goes deeper.
  • Neuromodulators – more well-known as Botox, they can help relax muscles and make the skin appear less saggy. It’s more invasive since the toxins are injected into your skin and the effect is temporary, but it’s an option.

You can also try DIY remedies such as aloe vera masks, honey masks, etc., but research is needed to prove their efficacy. These are very optional since there’s no proof any of these work 100%. However, some of them may improve your skin quality, which can help you if you want to try a complex combating saggy arm skin.

So, can loose skin on arms be tightened? Yes. But it involves a lot of work and dedication.

And in case of severe skin sagging, the best option is invasive therapy. But again, it should only be considered after you consult a professional. Also, if you have any allergies or other pre-existing conditions, or you’re taking medication, make absolutely sure to talk to your doctor as well.

Read More: Biceps Exercises For Women: 15 Moves To Grow Stronger, More Defined Arms

Summary

Loose skin on your arms is definitely a problem after you lose weight or as you get older. Or maybe you have it from a combination of factors.

“How can I tighten the skin on my arms fast?”

If you want quick results, it’s only consultation with specialists and surgery. It will remove excess skin and even fat stored there. However, you’ll need to stay at the hospital for some time and recover at home later. 

This is the most effortless way to get rid of saggy arm skin, but it may be costly. Besides, you’ll have to maintain a balanced lifestyle afterward to keep the results. So, either way, you can’t improve the condition of your skin without a balanced diet and physical activity.

Other ways include cosmetic procedures and lifestyle changes. It’s best to try several options and use them in combination to achieve the best results.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.

BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.

You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.

SOURCES:

  1. A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study (2019, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  2. Treatment of Obesity: Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery (2017, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  3. Age-related mechanical properties of human skin: an in vivo study (1989, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  4. Effect of the sun on visible clinical signs of aging in Caucasian skin (2013, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  5. What is T-cell lymphoma? (n.d., healthline.com)
  6. Classic Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (2007, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  7. [Skin ageing-General features of facial ageing and therapeutic choices] (2019, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  8. Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments (2019, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
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