8 Ways to Tighten Loose Skin after Pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with a lot of changes, that’s a fact. Sometimes, these changes may even affect your skin in obvious ways. Although most of these changes disappear after childbirth, you may still notice that there’s some loose skin left behind.

In this article, you’d get all the tips you need to effectively tighten loose skin after pregnancy.

Read on to find out!

What Causes Loose Skin After Pregnancy?

Your skin is made of collagen and elastin, which are elastic proteins that expand with weight gain. During pregnancy, the size of your growing baby causes you to gain a considerable amount of weight. In most cases, this weight gain also causes your skin to stretch and become loose.

Yes, we understand that loose skin can be really frustrating for most women who want their bodies to return to its pre-pregnancy state. However, it is important to remember that the process may take time.

To help you on this journey, we’ve compiled the following tips to help you tighten loose skin after pregnancy.

How to Tighten Loose Skin On Stomach after Pregnancy

1. Drink Water

As usual, water works.

As you begin this journey of recovery, always remember to drink enough water. Water would hydrate your skin, make it more elastic, and even prevent you from having itchy skin.

Furthermore, your body works well with water; it helps you burn excess fat faster and reduce the possibility of water retention.

2. Cardio Works

Studies show that regular exercise boosts proper hormone production and minimizes the occurrence of loose skin after childbirth.

To achieve this, you can develop a cardio-based routine.

Cardio-based exercises would help burn excess fat and tone your muscles. For this, you can try regular walks, jogging, or swimming.

Here’s the best part: You don’t have to leave your baby behind.

With the right jogging stroller, you can take your little one with you on your cardio exercises.

However, it is important to check in with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine after childbirth. Furthermore, it is always advisable to start slowly and build intensity as you progress.

3. Eat Healthy

Your diet is really important as a new mom.

In addition to ensuring that your baby gets all he/she needs for a healthy life, the right diet can also build your muscles and tighten loose skin. In fact, the protein in your food can also contain collagen which strengthens your skin during and after pregnancy.

As you recover, opt for a diet that contains a lot of:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Healthy Fat
• Protein

The vitamins and minerals in a healthy and balanced diet would improve the flexibility of your skin and help it recover faster even after delivery.

4. Exfoliate Your Skin

This is a natural way to tighten loose skin after pregnancy.

Exfoliating removes dead cells from the surface of your skin. It boosts new skin growth which is naturally tighter than old surface skin.

Furthermore, exfoliating improves blood flow in your skin which also spurs growth, improves elasticity, and maintains healthy skin features.

As you recover, you can include exfoliation as a part of your daily skincare routine. You can do this in the shower by using a bath brush to scrub your belly and thighs. In addition, another option is to dry-brush any loose skin when your skin is dry and firmer. However, it is important to be gentle to avoid damaging the skin you’re trying so hard to heal.

5. Get an Oil Massage

Oil is a very important component of your skin. Thankfully, some plant-based oils like coconut oil may also improve your skin healing process and tighten loose skin after pregnancy.

Studies show that these natural oils can perform this function due to their strong antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties. You can try out some methods of exfoliating stretch marks. In fact, some oil options like Almond Oil may even help clear out stretch marks.

To help your skin recover faster, you can get an oil-based massage on every part of your body that has loose skin. You may even add plant-based oils like coconut oil to your skincare routine.

6. Use A Skin-Firming Product

Thankfully, skin-firming products like the Mustela’s Body-Firming Gel or Bust Firming Serum can improve your skin collagen and elastin levels. Most times, these products contain ingredients like collagen, Vitamin C, and retinoids which would help your skin regain its firmness.

However, it is really important to look through every label before purchase. This would ensure that whatever product you choose does not contain harmful ingredients or things you’re allergic to.

We recommend applying the product (gel or serum) on your stomach, hips, thighs, and breasts twice a day for about one month.

If you stick to the routine, you’d definitely rejuvenate and tighten loose skin after childbirth.

7. Try Strength Training Exercise

Here’s the fact: the firmness of your skin largely depends on the state of the underlying muscle.

Muscles provide support and pull your skin tight. This is why it is important to exercise regularly. To tighten loose skin after pregnancy, you can add strength-training exercises to your workout routine. This would shape and tone your muscles and provide a positive effect on loose skin.

For this, you can try sit-ups, push-ups, or yoga.

These exercises improve your muscle tone and tightens loose skin by working on core, hip, and butt muscles.

8. Rest Well

Here’s the all-important tip.

After delivery, your body expends a lot of its natural resources and energy to repair itself and get things back to the pre-pregnancy state.

That’s your body playing its part.

Now, your part: make sure your body gets all the rest it needs to bring you back to your pre-pregnancy form and shape. To do this, you need to get plenty of rest.

Sadly, we understand that this is easier said than done. Especially since you need to feed and care for your little one effectively and see to other needs as well.

However, here are some tips on how to rest better while caring for your baby:

• Don’t take coffee after lunch
• Regulate the light that gets into your room
• Keep your room cool
• Eat well

Does Surgery Tighten Loose Skin After Pregnancy?

Yes.

A tummy tuck surgery, or abdominoplasty, is another way to tighten your muscles and remove loose or excess skin after childbirth. However, it is not an alternative to healthy weight loss or a good exercise routine.

During this surgery, the doctors would cut into the abdomen to remove loose or excess skin. Then the remaining skin would be stitched together to improve firmness.

If you’re considering surgery, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommends finding a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area who is willing to answer every question you have about your skin and the procedure.

A Final Note From Edie and Amy

Pregnancy comes with its unique skin changes. As your belly (and baby) grows, your skin needs to expand. This is what causes loose skin after pregnancy.

The tips mentioned above would improve the healing process and help your body recover faster. If you’re concerned or feeling self-conscious about loose skin after pregnancy, you can speak with your healthcare provider.

We are always here to help you.