Bothered by Loose Skin After Pregnancy? What are Your Options?

If you find that you’re having difficulty accepting your loose skin after pregnancy, you do have non-surgical options.

Posted on

21 May 2017

| Last updated on 1 October 2019

Bothered by Loose Skin After Pregnancy? What are Your Options?

If you’ve had a baby recently, congratulations! Your skin probably went through some dramatic changes while you were pregnant, not the least of which was stretching enough to accommodate a growing fetus.

Regardless of how fit you were before your pregnancy, you may notice that you have loose skin afterwards. This is largely dictated by your skin’s elasticity and the degree to which it stretched while you were pregnant.

If you do notice loose skin, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone! Most new mothers experience this to some extent. If you’re able to embrace the changes in your body as mementos of the incredible work it has just done, bravo! If you find that you’re having difficulty accepting some of these changes, you do have non-surgical options:

Keep yourself well hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Water will improve the elasticity of your skin and reduce water retention in your belly.
Lose postpartum weight slowly and gradually, because this allows your skin more time to regain its elasticity. Make it your target to lose no more than 1 kg per week.
Exercise when your doctor says that you’re ready to do so. If you’re working with a personal trainer, make sure to tell them when you had a baby.
Make sure your diet includes healthy proteins. Protein contains nutrients such as collagen that are beneficial to your skin. Your ideal protein intake depends on the amount of exercise you do, your height and weight, and whether you’re breastfeeding.
Talk to a dermatologist about possible treatments and therapies.
Exfoliate to improve circulation and generate more elastic skin.
Try a reputable brand of post-natal care products designed to restore your body to its natural firmness. To improve blood flow, massage the lotion in once or twice a day.

If you like the sound of this last option, look for ingredients that will firm and tone while improving your skin's elasticity.

Cocoa butter and shea butter are rich natural moisturisers that will leave your skin soft and radiant. A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin E will make you look more toned by reducing the appearance of scars, stretch marks and other skin imperfections. The proteins collagen and elastin help to improve skin elasticity and firmness. Ginseng nourishes and rejuvenates, while antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 smoothes and revitalises your skin.

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If you’re concerned about loose or sagging skin on your bust, know that it’s normal for breasts to grow while you’re pregnant and to shrink after weaning, (or after your body realises that you don’t intend to breastfeed). You may find that you have stretch marks and that your breasts look saggier than before. Again, it’s always an option to just accept these changes gracefully.

If you don’t fancy that, non-surgical recommendations include wearing supportive bras, exercising, and applying a specially formulated bust cream. If you decide to try a cream, look for one with ingredients that deliver significant moisturising power and increase tone and firmness.

You already know about the benefits of using cocoa butter, vitamin E, collagen and elastin, but did you know that in addition to its super moisturising properties, sweet almond oil helps to reduce the chance of scarring? With twice as much Vitamin E as olive oil, argan oil packs quite a punch; it reduces scarring while it softens and conditions your skin.

No matter how you decide to respond to your body’s post-pregnancy changes, it’s important to be patient. Even if your skin doesn’t regain its firmness as quickly as you’d like, remember what an incredible job it’s done for you and your family.