Be Careful What You Wish For!

"Be careful what you wish for?" 

If we aren't careful, getting what we want ... it could be a recipe for disaster. Above all else, the biggest reason to be mindful of what we wish for is that we are prone to believe we will be happier once we acquire what we desire. In some cases, we don't.

In my case ... I am chubby once and the doctor's order dictates I have to lose some weight to improve my health. What I forgot to ask about ... is what happens to the skin after weight loss? And what an unpleasant surprise.

With a slower and more gradual weight loss, the person's skin elasticity snaps back into place shrinking back down as the fat is lost. But when too much is lost too fast, the skin's elasticity doesn't have time to catch up - my tummy is furrowed and it looked like the skin of some gnarled tree - old, loose, crinkled, and wrinkled!

Indeed I am happy I lost weight ... I am healthier now, my blood pressure is A-okay, and my cholesterol and triglyceride levels are satisfactorily up to par. But my skinfold is rumpled and crumpled, I would rather wish it is taut, tight, and firm.

Netizen: I have lost some weight.  Unfortunately ... It gave me a wrinkled face. What happened? And what are some tips to tighten loose skin?

Response: Losing weight should be done gradually ... not overnight. When you lose some weight ... expect wrinkles especially if your weight before was abominably obese and bloated and your skin was stretched to its limits. 

What happened? Well, the fat that cushioned your face has thinned and since the cushion is out the facial skin sags and looks droopy.

The more overweight you are, the more it affects your skin elasticity. Skin after weight loss is loose and the older you are collagen becomes less in your skin. As one dermatologist says, Collagen is what keeps our skin from sagging giving us that plump and youthful look.

Some helpful tips to have facial rejuvenation and tighten skin are eating a balanced diet, quitting smoking,  staying hydrated, use of firming creams, exercising, use of collagen and food that helps firm the skin like bananas, aloe vera, and cucumber.

Others resort to body contouring surgery and other cosmetic surgeries. Natural remedies do not work when there has been significant weight loss. Surgical treatment is often necessary to deal with loose skin or excess skin after major or extreme weight loss.