In some cases, loose skin may tighten up on its own over time, especially if you lose weight slowly and maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine. However, in many cases, loose skin may not tighten up completely, even with a healthy lifestyle.

Factors that can affect skin elasticity include age, genetics, sun damage, smoking, and the amount of weight loss. Older individuals and those who have lost a significant amount of weight are more likely to experience loose skin. Additionally, individuals who lose weight rapidly or who have a history of yo-yo dieting may be more prone to loose skin.

There are some options for treating loose skin after weight loss, such as surgery, and strength training to build muscle mass. Although significant muscle mass can be built in some young males, so they can fill out their arms, this is more challenging in females, who generally do not desire arms that are large enough to fill in the skin.  For those patients, the best treatment is removal of extra skin.  These procedures are performed as  same day surgery, and most patients can return to office work in a few days. We find our patients to be very happy with the results.