The impact of your pregnancy on your skin is very much noticeable when you have shed the baby. The extra weight and lax skin you developed in pregnancy that was being masked by the protruding belly begins to manifest itself. The postpartum body come in different shapes and sizes all subject to the different events and weight gains of the pregnancy and so also does the worry for each woman vary.

it is especially more pronounced in relation to your postpartum loose skin because the skin is always attention grabbing.

If you have just delivered and are worried about your sagging and loose skin, you really are not alone.

Postpartum loose skin is the loss of elasticity, tone and skin texture in the belly, arms, hips, shoulders and other parts of the body as a result of the gain in weight and stretching of the skin to accommodate the pregnancy.

How we lose skin turgor in pregnancy

Our skin is made of mainly collagen and elastin and during pregnancy there is an unprecedented need to increase the weight and expand the skin to accommodate the growing baby. This desire for accommodation affects all parts of the body from the face down to the feet but is more marked in several locations like the tummy, the breasts, the buttocks, the arms and the shoulders. This unprecedented stretching is liable to destroy the natural collagen and elastin complexes and structure that provides elasticity to the skin

The increase in weight and the distorted collagen and elastin response of the skin will need to be reversed following delivery to return the skin elasticity to normal or near normal as these distortions are the cause of the loose skin observed following delivery.

How to prevent development of loose skin

1 Healthy diet to improve skin elasticity

The importance of a healthy well-balanced diet to a pregnant woman is limitless. One of the less obvious benefits is the nourishment that the skin receives with a well-balanced diet. The skin is the least organ of the body to be supplied nutrients hence the need to continuously engage in healthy well-balanced diet throughout the pregnancy so that it gets its due.

Your diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables, Vitamins, minerals and lean protein and essential fatty acids

Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of collagen and gives skin its firmness,

Vitamin A help retain moisture in the skin keeping it supple.

Essential fats and oils obtainable from healthy fats like almond contain vitamin E which is an antioxidant removing free radicals and toxins from the body

Lean protein contain vitamin D giving the skin strength and also confers ability to stretch to the skin especially in collaboration with the underlying muscles.

2 Appropriate pregnancy weight gain

Weight gain in pregnancy is a major determinant of the amount of tension and stress the skin is exposed to during pregnancy so an appropriate weight gain in pregnancy is essential to prevent loose skin postpartum. When you know the normal BMI and you make sure you are within the recommended weight gain in pregnancy, there is less tendency for the skin to be under undue pressure from excessive stretching which shows up early as stretch marks.

3 Stay hydrated

A skin that is well hydrated maintains its elasticity and staying continuously hydrated is the key to your skin looking supple and fresh and hydration is necessary for the proper delivery of nutrients to the end point, in this case, the skin. Staying hydrated requires that you drink at least 3 to 4 liters of water per day

4 Remove factors that lead to stretch marks in pregnancy

Stretch marks are the first signs that the skin is losing its elasticity and is breaking up. Following guidelines that will limit the appearance of stretch marks and using products that prevent the appearance of stretch marks in pregnancy will help in protecting the skin as the improved elasticity allows the skin to expand without tearing or stretching.

5 Exercise

Exercise is healthy for the muscles and is necessary for the toning of the muscles and it in addition enhances the tone of the skin over the muscles and improve their elasticity. Regular exercise is good for the skin as it helps to rid the shin of toxins and weight loss also helps to remove excess fat in the subcutaneous layer which has been implicated in the very quick loss of elasticity and development of stretch marks and ultimately loose skin.

The exercise routine may involve cardio exercises for the abdominal muscles and strength building exercise to tone the muscles and of course the skin.

6 Gain weight slowly

Rapid and sudden gain in weight even outside pregnancy is associated with a rapid development of stretch marks as the skin is not given enough time to accommodate the rapid expansion and as a result it stretches.

A gradual increase in weight in pregnancy even within the expected weight gain of pregnancy is ideal to prevent loose skin. Even in the very clear situations where you gain more than the expected weight for your BMI in pregnancy, if the gain is gradual it gives the skin enough time to tolerate the additional weight without stretching hence preventing stretch marks, the first sign of development of postpartum loose skin.

Rapid weight gain in pregnancy should also alert you to the possible development of serious ailment in pregnancy and you should consult your doctor if you notice you are gaining more weight than expected on your weekly antenatal visits to rule out conditions like diabetes mellitus and thyroid disorders.

7 Supplements

Supplements are an essential part of any antenatal pregnancy management schedule and the addition of collagen containing supplements to this schedule is essential as collagen is an essential component in the maintenance of skin elasticity and since the skin is usually supplied last, collagen supplementation will improve the supply rate and help maintain elasticity throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period

Start adding the collagen supplement and any other supplement necessary for skin rejuvenation like carotene rich supplements in small doses and then work up to the recommended daily requirement. Please consult your doctor before using these supplements especially in pregnancy.

8 Breathing pattern

The development of a proper breathing pattern helps in prevention of development of loose skin and helps to tighten the abdominal muscle and skin. Before engaging in any exercise routine you should develop the habit of breathing properly by taking a deep breath through the nostrils to fill up the lungs and then exhale slowly through the mouth to completely empty the lungs. This routine will help in tightening the skin.

9 Avoid some harmful local practices like hot water compresses on the abdomen

If you are in the habit of applying hot water on the abdomen following delivery in the belief that it will help in involuting the womb and expelling ‘bad blood’ of delivery, kindly desist from such practices as it destroys your skin by destroying the fat cells and impacts negatively on the collagen and elasticity of the skin making the abdomen puckered with resistance to improvement using exercise routine.

10 Rest well

There is no substitute to rest in helping to revitalize the body system especially during pregnancy and the stresses and trauma following childbirth. Though hard to accomplish in the postpartum period, you should find time off your busy schedule to rest in the postpartum period as it helps your skin to glow and revitalize and therefore contributes to prevention of development of loose skin. Sleep helps to keep the stress hormones under control.

How to tighten loose skin

1 Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is a panacea for maintaining the skin in a supple and elastic state as it helps improve skin respiration, delivery of nutrients to the skin and proper blood flow through the skin with the effect of helping to clear toxins from the skin at a rapid rate before it becomes toxic to the skin.

By improving all these parameters the skin receives the proper nourishment necessary to start repairing the damages wrought by pregnancy and that includes tightening of loose skin.

2 Lose weight slowly

Just like gaining weight rapidly is detrimental to your skin health, losing weight rapidly is also associated with development of flabby loose skin. You are encouraged to lose the weight gain of pregnancy slowly so it gives the skin enough room to readjust the collagen and elastin complexes to maintain a skin that is tight and supple.

3 Take care of your stretch marks

Pregnancy is associated with the development of stretch marks and those stretch marks, mark the beginning of the development of loose skin. The efforts you put in during pregnancy to minimize stretch marks will become invaluable in the postpartum.

After pregnancy, leveraging on your efforts during pregnancy and improving on your ability to eliminate the stretch marks will be a very good sign of you maintaining a supple and elastic skin that eliminates loose skin.

You can take care of your stretch marks by exercising properly, massage, eating properly, or using stretch marks enhancing creams and lotions.

4 Exercise

Any form of exercise you can adopt or engage in to improve the connective tissue resilience will help in improving the tone and elasticity of the skin. Engaging in mild to moderate cardio and strength building exercises are the key to tightening your skin and improving the tone and elasticity of the skin and underlying muscles.

Excessive exercise especially postpartum is counterproductive as it sheds the underlying fat fast making the skin loose as it hangs over the underling muscles.

5 Diet and nutrition

The foremost thing you must never do with your diet postpartum is to crash diet – This is making an abrupt change to your eating routine in order to lose weight. This is:

• Unsustainable as you gain the weight back once you stop

• Destroys your metabolism

• Leads to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia

• Abolishes your happiness

To tighten loose skin you should indulge in food with nutrients that promote skin elasticity. The real deal is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Though some varieties of fruits and veggies are exceedingly rich in the required nutrients for skin nourishment like vitamins A, C, D and E, as a general rule, you should consume plenty of leafy vegetables and fruits, take healthy fats and consume lean protein. Some rich sources of nutrients are as follows:

• Strawberries, spinach and broccoli contain vitamins A and C

• Sunflower seeds and almonds contain vitamin E and healthy fats

• Protein rich food like egg, chicken help in building lean protein.

6 Breastfeed your baby

Breastfeeding helps you to lose a modest amount of weight, helps you remain hydrated as you drink well to maintain lactation and is a highly demanding body activity so your skin benefits from these multiple impact of breastfeeding on your postpartum loose skin and also it has a beneficial effect on your baby.

7 Soaking and exfoliating your skin

You should try to soak yourself for about 10 minutes in a bath made up of Epsom salt and essential oils about twice a week. This helps your body to restores mineral balance and it also helps your skin in exfoliating dead skin as exfoliation promotes new skin growth which is healthier and has more tensile strength and more elastin than old skin.

8 A healthy mind makes for a healthy body

Losing weight and returning to your prepregnancy state is not an easy project so if you are trying and its not working out please do not fret as it is a gradual process and it takes time to achieve this. A healthy mindset is very essential for achieving this goal.

Here are some tips to help you achieve this

• Meditate

• Listen to your favorite music when you are feeling down

• Engage in outdoor activities

• Play with your baby

• Deep breathing exercises when you feel frustrated

• Take a nap as your baby sleeps as enough rest is found to aid in weight loss

9 Skin wraps

Engaging in skin wraps at the spa will help in tightening your skin even though it is temporary so if you need a temporary fix a skin wrap spa treatment is awesome. It helps to detoxify the skin, reduce stress and help you relax. It contains the following ingredients

• Powdered kelp

• Clay

• Sea salt

• Minerals

• Algae

• Essential oils

10 Supplements

The use of supplements is as the word connotes – supplements. You supplement with collagen and vitamins to help in improving skin elasticity and nourishment and helps to detoxify the skin.

Supplements should always be secondary to a healthy well-balanced diet in improving loose skin.

Always do your research before commencing on any supplement therapy as most are not FDA supervised and your doctors advice will be crucial here.

Hang in tight

Tightening loose skin is a process that takes time and concerted effort. Do not be demoralized if you are not seeing the effect immediately as it will surely come. By implementing the strategies we have outlined in both preventive and skin tightening measures you will surely get there.

Be proud of your skin no matter the outcome of your efforts to tighten your loose skin postpartum. You may never achieve that prepregnancy tone but the effort is worth the trial and always love your body for what it has achieved.

Dr Mawa

To your postnatal health and freedom

mypostnatalmanagement.com

Please if you have any comments, questions, suggestion or feedback on postpartum loose skin or any experience you want to share with us kindly use the comment box below