Pregnancy is a beautiful experience, but the pressures it puts on the body can lead to saggy skin and stretch marks, which can be a confidence-killer. This condition occurs because of the many changes in a woman’s body that affect the firmness and elasticity of her skin.
Today, we look into how this happens, what you can do to deal with postpartum skin sagging, and the procedures available to help you treat skin sagging.
What Happens After Pregnancy That Leads To Saggy Skin
During pregnancy, the skin stretches to accommodate the growing fetus. The skin also produces more collagen, a protein that gives skin its elasticity and strength. This helps the skin to stretch without tearing, but this stretching also makes the skin more susceptible to sagging after pregnancy.
Once a woman gives birth, her body returns to its pre-pregnancy state. However, the skin does not always bounce back. This is because the skin has been stretched to its limits, and the production of collagen has decreased. The loss of collagen, combined with the stretching of the skin, can result in sagging skin, particularly in the abdominal area.
In addition to the changes in the skin, weight gain during pregnancy can also contribute to saggy skin. As a woman gains weight, her skin has to stretch further to accommodate the extra weight, causing the skin to become loose and saggy. After pregnancy, weight is often lost rapidly. This rapid contraction does not allow time for the skin to catch up. Without the chance to recover, saggy skin can set in.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can also play a role in the development of saggy skin. The progesterone and estrogen hormones cause the skin to retain more water, making it more pliable and susceptible to stretching. After pregnancy, the levels of these hormones return to normal, which can lead to dehydration of the skin and a decrease in its elasticity. This lack of elasticity is compounded by increased stretching and contributes to the severity of sagging skin.
The stretching and hormonal changes during pregnancy can come together in a perfect storm and lead to sagging skin after pregnancy, even as weight gain further contributes to this problem. The good news is that these changes are a natural part of the pregnancy experience, and many women can regain the firmness and elasticity of their skin with the right treatment and care.
What Can You Do To Treat Post-pregnancy Saggy Skin?
There are a few things that can help you lessen the impact of post-pregnancy skin sagging. Some of them need to be done during pregnancy, while others must be done during and after the pregnancy.
Drink More Water
Drinking plenty of water can help with postpartum skin sagging by keeping the skin hydrated and healthy. The skin is made up of cells that need water to function properly. Hydrated skin recovers better. The converse is true, with skin becoming dull and saggy. Drinking enough water helps plump the skin, making it look more youthful and firm.
Besides added hydration, water also helps to flush out toxins from the body, which can contribute to skin ageing and sagging. Toxins can damage the skin and cause it to lose its elasticity and firmness. Drinking water helps to remove these toxins and keep the skin healthy.
Water helps with postpartum skin sagging by boosting circulation. Good circulation helps to deliver nutrients and oxygen to the skin cells, which helps to keep the skin looking healthy and firm. When the skin is dehydrated, circulation can become sluggish. This can then lead to a decline in skin health.
Use Moisturiser
Using a moisturiser can help with postpartum skin sagging by keeping the skin hydrated and nourished. Moisturisers work by adding and trapping water in the skin to make it look and feel plumper and firmer. This trapping of moisture helps to reduce the appearance of sagging skin, especially in areas prone to stretch marks and sagging, like the belly, hips, and thighs.
Sometimes, the appearance of sagging skin can be exacerbated by rough spots and wrinkles. In addition to hydration, moisturisers can also help to improve the skin’s texture and tone. They can contain ingredients that help smooth out rough patches, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and even out skin tone. All of these factors can contribute to a more youthful and radiant appearance.
Moisturisers also help to protect the skin from environmental damage, such as UV radiation and pollutants. These factors can cause oxidative stress in the skin, leading to a decline in skin health and the formation of wrinkles and sagging skin. By using a moisturiser, you can help to protect your skin from these damaging factors, keeping it looking youthful and firm.
Finally, some moisturisers can also contain ingredients that help to boost collagen production, such as retinoids, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. Collagen is a protein that gives the skin its elasticity and strength, and its production naturally decreases with age, which can lead to sagging skin. By using a moisturiser that contains these ingredients, you can help to boost collagen production, keeping the skin looking youthful and firm.
Use Hydrating Serum
Similar to using moisturisers, using a hydrating serum can help with postpartum skin sagging by providing intense hydration to the skin.
Serums are lightweight, fast-absorbing liquids full of active ingredients that quickly penetrate deep into the skin. They can contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera that help to hydrate the skin and improve its elasticity. By using a hydrating serum, you can help to give your skin a boost, giving it a little more firmness.
Hydrating serums help reduce the appearance of sagging skin, especially in areas prone to stretch marks and sagging, such as the belly, hips, and thighs. By keeping the skin hydrated and nourished, you can help to give it some additional firmness and elasticity.
However, it is important to note that these non-medical solutions may not completely remove the appearance of sagging skin.
Consider Alternate Treatments For Serious Cases
Sometimes, sagging skin cannot be countered by off-the-shelf or natural solutions, especially in more severe cases of skin stretching. In these cases, medical treatments can effectively solve the problem.
Microneedling
Microneedling treatments can help with severe postpartum skin sagging by stimulating collagen production and improving the skin’s elasticity. Microneedling involves using a device with tiny needles to create controlled micro-wounds in the skin. This triggers the body’s natural healing process, stimulating it to produce new collagen and elastin fibres. These fibres help firm and tighten the skin, reducing the appearance of sagging skin.
Microneedling can also improve the penetration of active ingredients in skin care products, making them more effective in treating sagging skin. Additionally, microneedling can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and stretch marks.
Radiofrequency Treatment
Another treatment that can help deal with serious postpartum skin sagging is radiofrequency therapy. This non-invasive treatment uses heat energy to stimulate collagen production and improve the skin’s elasticity.
During the treatment, a device is passed over the skin, delivering focused heat energy to the deep layers of the skin. This action stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin fibres, which help firm and tighten the skin. Radiofrequency treatments can also help to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, making it an effective option for postpartum skin sagging.
Radiofrequency treatments have minimal downtime. This makes the treatment suitable for those who have a busy lifestyle. The results of radiofrequency therapy are usually visible within a few weeks, with the full effects of the treatment taking several months to set in fully.
Radiofrequency Microneedling
The above 2 technologies may also be combined to tighten and firm saggy skin. In addition to creating micro-injuries to the skin’s surface, the needles are also used to deliver radiofrequency energy into the skin’s deeper layers. Collagen levels are restored, resulting in tighter and firmer skin on the body, including the abdomen, arms, thighs and buttocks.
Conclusion
Skin sagging can be an eyesore to those who have to face it day to day. The good news is that with proper hydration, skin care and medical attention from aesthetic professionals, skin sagging does not need to mar the miracle of pregnancy.
Contact Us For Your Sagging Skin Treatment
Women who have undergone labour experience many changes in their body. Having specialists who listen to your concerns can help you through this disorienting situation. We’d like to be those specialists for you.
Our doctors have years of experience in treating skin conditions of women from all backgrounds and ages. To find out if you’re suitable for sagging skin treatment, contact us. You can also call us at 6235 3246, or Whatsapp us at 9850 7112.