Well, at least how to hide loose skin.
Look, I know there are thousands of people out there looking to find out how to tighten loose skin. I receive at least half a dozen e-mails a day from folks looking for a fix, any kind of fix, for their loose skin.
Here’s one I got yesterday from Joyce in Maryland:
I know I’ve read in your blog that you were going to start playing sports. I just started softball. While I am a slow runner as it is, I’m also inhibited by the jostling around of my skin and smooshy fat on my stomach (i’m down about 200 lbs so far). Have you encountered this same problem? I’ve tried a spandex like shirt, but even that doesn’t hold me in so well, and now that summer is here, it makes things so hot.
Do you have any advice?
I do. It involves hiding the loose skin though, not necessarily tightening it. Other than surgery, you can’t do anything to tighten loose skin. It’s as simple as that. Creams, potions, lotions… none of them work.
What works for tightening loose skin that doesn’t involve surgery?
- Time
- Replacing fat with muscle
Those are your options, regardless what advertisement you saw telling you otherwise. And while loose skin will tighten over time and you can “fill in” your skin with muscle, depending on your age and amount of weight loss you may not be able to completely tighten your loose skin.
That leaves us with hiding it.
It’s interesting that Joyce mentioned softball and loose skin — I had the same problem until I found something called a compression heatgear t-shirt:
It’s a tight shirt that you can wear underneath your normal clothes. It’s not suffocating, doesn’t itch, and is barely noticeable. It “holds” your loose skin against your body. I bought one of these (white) after my wife had mentioned during one of my first softball practices that my loose skin “jiggles.” I only use to wear loose t-shirts to the gym before I bought this, but now this is always on underneath before I hit the treadmill.
I highly recommend it.
Another big plus, and the reason I’d assume it’s called “heatgear,” is that these shirts keep you extremely cool. I don’t know how the fabric works (it’s a mix between cotton and spandex, it’s feels groovy), but it can be 90-degrees and when I wear this shirt my skin is cool and free of sweat.
So, there’s the good news and the bad. The bad news is that there is no secret product or advice out there that is going to help you tighten your loose skin.
The good news is that you can hide it for the time being.
More posts you might like:● Loose Skin FAQ
● Gaining Loose Skin is Worth it to Lose Weight
● Stop Looking for Ways to Remove Loose Skin
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Under Armour rocks on so many different levels. Works fantastically for cold weather as well.
The loose skin is unfortunately a poor side effect to massive weight loss, but it’s still much better to have cut the weight and have the loose skin, than to remain large and unhealthy.
Thanks!!!!
I use Under Armour Heat Gear for my jogging, tennis, and anything in between. I love the stuff! I even have the socks! I’m shooting for 299 this week as my goal, and if I hit it, it will mean I’ve lost 71 pounds so far! My ultimate goal is 170, and I really think I’m going to have the surgery for my loose skin when I get there.
Do you have to buy it one size smaller for the shrink wrap effect? or size it as usual?
Buy your normal size. If you wear a large, buy a large.
I wore a large in 8th grade…LOL
Great post. I have this problem. I lost 100 pounds and the stretch marks and loose skin are the reason I will never wear a bikini–even though I lost all that weight. It sucks. Someday I’ll have surgery. But in the meantime, I’m working on lifting weights and I used cocoa butter to hopefully lighten the stretch marks.
I think some people who lose weight are lucky to not have any loose skin. Others? Not so lucky. But like you said, there are at least ways to hide/deal with it. And in the end losing weight is way better than some loose skin. :)
The guy posting on the forum who did the p90x was very fat and was able to slim down to a trim stomach, no surgery. I’m wondering if this is just luck of the draw genetics or whether it’s something that really can be replicated by anyone willing to put in the time and effort. Have you noticed any skin disappearing yet or do you feel like you have every square inch you started with?
That was probably me with the p90x stuff and yes I have the loose skin also. Just got my shorts hiked up a bit to hide it. It seems like it is SLOWLY getting better but I really don’t have much hope of it being gone forever. So for now I am rocking a five pack – 4 abs and a skin sack. :) I have no loose skin on my arms or legs – I think that mostly got replaced with muscle. To be honest I am trying to look at it as a badge of honor for all the struggles I went through.
And Tyler – I would love to see your weight lifting schedule – and how you are adjusting your diet as you need more protein to get the muscles growing!
SWEET theres a 3x =P
Just discovered Under Armour Loose for Women. In the heat of FL a cotton tee just chafed when I walked. LOVE these and wrap a neoprene belt around my torso for extra help
I am one of those that has emailed with this question a while back. Thanks so much for addressing it here in your blog for us!!!
Can always count on you for up front honest answers!
How about a pic next Wednesday of you in one of the shirts?
Absolutely.
Love your blog! I’m a 47 year old woman who has lost about 146 pounds in the last three years, but in addition to exercise and calorie counting, I had gastric bypass. I have not quite reached my goal, but I have very little loose skin. I attribute it to a daily regimen of scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush and using a homemade olive oil and sea salt scrub, followed by Nivea Q-10 firming lotion ($5 at Walmart). Or I could have good genes and just be wasting my time and money!
I, too, had Gastric Bypass 3 years ago and have kept my weight off. I have lots of loose skin and even after consulting with a plastic surgeon, I am going to just learn to live with it. Going to continue exercising so that I get more muscle, but I am not going to put myself through the pain of those surgeries that are all elective. And for anyone who is against having surgical intervention for weight loss, and thinks its a cheater’s way to go, I challenge you to live one day of my life with my food program, supplements, etc and you will see it isn’t easy at all. Its a constant with all of us to be aware of everything that goes in our mouth and we have built in consequences should we think its ok to pig out “just this once”. Tyler you are a real inspiration to all!