How to Avoid Loose Skin After Weight Loss

by Burst Health June 19, 2025

Losing weight can be a powerful and positive transformation, often improving energy, mobility, and long-term health. But alongside the many benefits, it’s common to worry about how your body will adjust, particularly when it comes to loose or sagging skin.

Loose skin after weight loss is a normal and often unavoidable part of the process, especially after significant or rapid changes in body composition. However, certain lifestyle habits and choices may help minimise the risk or improve your skin’s natural elasticity over time.

While each body is different, the following evidence-informed strategies can help you better understand and support your skin through your weight loss journey.

What Causes Loose Skin After Weight Loss?

Your skin is incredibly adaptable, but it also has its limits. When the body expands over time, regardless of whether it’s due to weight gain, pregnancy, or muscle growth, the skin stretches to accommodate. When weight is lost, especially quickly or in large amounts, the skin doesn’t always have the ability to contract at the same rate. This can result in loose, saggy areas, often around the abdomen, arms, thighs, or chest.

Several factors influence how your skin responds to weight loss:

Age: As we age, the skin naturally loses collagen and elastin—two proteins responsible for firmness and flexibility.
Genetics: Some people are simply predisposed to more elastic skin than others.
Length of time overweight: The longer your skin has been stretched, the harder it can be for it to return to its original shape.
Rate of weight loss: Rapid weight loss gives the skin less time to adapt.
Lifestyle habits: Dehydration, smoking, poor nutrition, and lack of physical activity all negatively impact skin quality.

By understanding these causes, you can take steps to better support your skin’s resilience.

Can You Avoid Loose Skin Entirely?

It’s important to set realistic expectations. There’s no guaranteed way to completely prevent loose skin, particularly when it involves major or rapid weight loss. Your skin’s response is deeply personal and influenced by factors beyond your control, like age and genetics.

At the same time, gradual weight loss, good hydration, and consistent skin care may help reduce the severity of sagging skin. Supporting your body throughout the process, both physically and mentally, can make a big difference in how you feel and how your skin adapts.

Healthy Ways to Improve Skin Elasticity

While there’s no quick fix, there are practical, evidence-supported ways to care for your skin and promote elasticity as you lose weight.

Lose Weight Gradually

Losing weight too quickly can increase the risk of developing excess or sagging skin. When weight drops rapidly, the skin has less time to shrink along with the body.

Aiming for slow, steady weight loss—typically 0.5 to 1kg per week—gives your skin more opportunity to adjust naturally. It’s also a safer approach for maintaining weight loss in the long term.

Stay Hydrated

Skin cells, like all cells in the body, need water to function properly. Dehydration can make skin appear dull and less elastic, while proper hydration helps support a plumper, more resilient appearance.

Aim to drink at least 2–2.5 litres of water daily, adjusting for your size, activity level, and environment.

Eat a Nutrient-Rich Diet

Nourishing your body from the inside out plays a vital role in supporting skin health. Certain nutrients contribute to collagen production and overall skin elasticity:

Vitamin C – found in citrus fruits, capsicum, berries, and leafy greens
Vitamin E – found in nuts, seeds, spinach, and avocado
Zinc – found in legumes, shellfish, eggs, and whole grains
Protein – found in lean meat, tofu, legumes, dairy, and eggs

A varied, whole-food diet gives your body the building blocks it needs to regenerate and maintain skin structure.

Exercise Regularly

A combination of cardiovascular activity and strength training not only aids in weight loss but helps preserve and build lean muscle mass, which can improve the overall shape and tone of your body.

Resistance training, in particular, may help reduce the appearance of loose skin by providing underlying muscle structure to fill in deflated areas.

Try incorporating:

2–3 days of strength training per week
Regular walking, swimming, or cycling for cardiovascular health

Take Care of Your Skin

External care can complement your internal efforts. Maintaining a regular skincare routine may improve the appearance and texture of your skin.

Moisturise daily to help maintain hydration and flexibility
Use gentle exfoliants to remove dead skin cells and support regeneration
Apply SPF to protect skin from sun damage, which breaks down collagen

If you're unsure what products are best for your skin type, consider consulting with a pharmacist or skincare professional.

When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough

For some individuals, particularly those who have lost a large amount of weight, loose skin may remain, even with the best care. This is completely normal and not a reflection of your health or efforts.

If excess skin is causing physical discomfort or affecting your confidence, there are medical options to explore:

Non-surgical treatments: These include ultrasound, radiofrequency, or laser therapies designed to stimulate collagen and mildly tighten skin. Results vary and typically require multiple sessions.
Surgical solutions: Procedures like abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), body lift, or arm/thigh lift are designed to remove excess skin. These are elective surgeries and carry risks, recovery time, and costs.

It's essential to speak with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions. These options are typically only recommended after your weight has stabilised for 6–12 months.

Body Image & Mental Health

Even with positive lifestyle changes, adjusting to your new body can be emotionally complex. It’s completely valid to feel disappointed or frustrated about loose skin, especially after working so hard to lose weight.

Try to shift the focus toward how you feel and what your body can do, not just how it looks. Celebrating your health milestones, strength, and energy can help boost body confidence.

If negative body image is affecting your wellbeing, consider seeking support from a mental health professional. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical progress.

Take Charge of Your Weight Loss Journey with Burst Health

Navigating weight loss, alongside the inevitable changes that come with it, can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. At Burst Health, we offer evidence-based medical support and treatment options tailored to your needs, from initial consultation to ongoing care.

Whether you're looking for weight loss treatments or advice about managing skin health, our licensed Australian practitioners are here to help.

Start your consultation with Burst Health today and take the next step toward your goals—safely, confidently, and at your own pace.