Stretch Marks & Loose Skin

Lets face it, the bigger you are and the more weight you stand to lose, the greater chance you have of incurring at least ONE of these problems. Having lost 90lbs originally with the intention of losing 50 more, I was deeply worried about the possibility of loose skin. I took to the internet and did what I always do to prevent loose skin from happening and to diminish the appearance of my stretch marks. 

Stretchmarks

At 290lbs, I don't believe there was a way I could avoid having stretch marks. Maybe if I knew to take precaution before they appeared but I didn't so here I am. While researching what could be done to reduce the appearance of stretchmarks (there is no way to get rid of them completely unless the skin is cut and removed) I found a nifty little product called a "Derma Roller"

 I purchased one fairly cheap on ebay (I forgot how much) and watched a youtube video on how the process was done. WARNING: If you are NOT a big fan of needles, this may be a hard regimen for you to stick to. I have slacked off entirely myself but as I am losing more weight, I will definitely be getting back on track with this. After I complete the dermaroll process, I clean my skin with a wet washcloth. Depending on how hard you press the needles into your skin, you may or may not see blood. My stretchmarks aren't very deep so thankfully I have never seen blood. Since this process is semi-invasive, I recommend cleaning the skin with alcohol prior to starting the process. Once the skin is wiped clean, I apply a stretch mark cream. The dermaroller is great for helping the cream to penetrate the skin to reach the problem area more effectively. This allows the cream to help increase collagen in the skin to fill in the gaps where the skin has torn.

Loose Skin

Unfortunately I've noticed the presence of loose skin on my thighs *deep sigh* but I won't accept that there is nothing that can be done about it. I still have a ways to go so hopefully all is not lost. While researching ways to prevent loose skin, I came across the process of dry skin brushing. It's a fairly simple process that isn't very time consuming. A simple 5 minutes before your daily shower is all it takes. You could even add in a session before bed. To prevent this post from being extremely too long, you can see how to do the process HERE. 

I purchased a natural bristle brush with a detachable head (just like this one) from my local pharmacy for under $10. It is important that it is a natural bristle brush as anything else will be too hard on the skin. 

Dry brushing helps remove dead skin cells faster so that new ones could be formed thus strengthening skins elasticity and tightens it. Another benefit is the reduction of cellulite. 

 Another extremely beneficial addition for the prevention of loose skin is MSM supplements. MSM comes in many different forms which makes it easy to incorporate into your regimen. You could take it in pill form (I do). You could use the soap or topical lotion or even the cream (I do). They even have a powder. I don't use that one so I'm not sure what you do with it...maybe add it to shakes?  MSM detoxifies the body and increases blood circulation. The sulfur in MSM is responsible for the flexibility and elasticity of skin. An added benefit is that it aids in healthy hair, skin and nails!