"Because of my sagging skin, I can't wear this tank top anymore!"

Do you find yourself making this complaint when going through your wardrobe?

Having sagging skin in visible body part like our arms, thighs, and tummy can be frustrating.

Last week, Dr Loo also shared on how to get rid of flabby arms that has stopped a patient from wearing tank tops: Patient Mailbox: Flabby Arms Stops Me From Wearing Tank Tops

But what actually causes your sagging skin? Let's take a look at the causes of these annoying sagging skin at different parts of our body.

1. Aging

Collagen is the main structural protein in our body that sustains the structure of our tendons, skin, and cartilage, providing firmness and elasticity that is reflected on our skin.

However, as we age, the collagen in our body is lost, so this can cause loose skin on parts of our body like our arms and face. Our body muscle mass also typically decreases and and there is an increase in body fat too.

With the decreasing metabolic rate with age as well, fewer calories are burned by our body, creating a tendency for weight gain (next point!) or increase in body fat percentage.

All these can cause loosening and the loss of firmness and elasticity of our skin, causing sagging skin on various parts of our body.

But of course, there are treatments available to help us get rid of sagging skin on our body. You can either opt for a skin tightening treatment, or a body contouring treatment, both of which are effective and safe treatments to get rid of body sagging skin.

To know more about these treatments that can help you get rid of your sagging skin, call us at +6011-22882299, WhatsApp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Loo here!

2. Weight Gain

Excess body fat can cause sagging skin, and the dreaded flabby arms or thighs. While this may not happen for everyone who experiences weight gain, depending on your genetics and body structure you may store more fats in certain areas of your body compared to other areas.

This can happen under your arms (flabby arms), on your tummy (fat belly), or on your thighs and butt (sagging buttocks).

Although having a healthy weight does not necessarily prevent sagging skin completely, being overweight increases the risk of sagging skin.

Fortunately, where there are storage fats involved, body contouring treatment like CoolSculpting can help in the gradual elimination of fat cells, without causing anymore sagging.

CoolSculpting is a non-invasive treatment that works by freezing stubborn fat cells, causing these fat cells to die off (a process known as apoptosis). Our body then neturally eliminates these fats through our lymphatic system.

Are you thinking of getting CoolSculpting to finally remove those stubborn body fat that refuse to go away? To know more about the treatment, call us at +6011-22882299, WhatsApp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Loo here!

3. Weight Loss

While weight gain and body fat causing sagging skin is no surprise, annoyingly enough, weight loss can lead to sagging skin as well!

A sudden loss of weight within a short period of time can lead to sagging skin, particularly for large amounts of weight. This is because our skin that has expanded to accommodate the body fats doesn't contract after weight loss, so the extra skin area ends up sagging down.

4. Sun Damage

Sun damage can cause our skin to lose its elasticity. Excessive sun exposure can also break down the collagen and elastin in our skin, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin.

Sun damage is also an enemy to our skin surface due to the Ultraviolet (UV) rays which can accelerate skin aging. This leads to a loss of collagen in our body, especially in areas beneath the skin, that holds and tightens our skin structures together, thus increasing the risk of sagging skin.

Treatments for Sagging Skin

If you feel like sagging skin may be unavoidable, or if you already have them, it is by no means a problem that cannot be solved.

There are safe and effective medical treatments that can get rid of sagging skin on our body. This include non-invasive treatments like laser genesis treatments that penetrates our skin and stimulates collagen growth, and body contouring treatments like CoolSculpting, an FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) approved fat reduction procedure.

Dr Loo covered more information about these treatments in her sharing last week on how to get rid of flabby arms, check it out here: Patient Mailbox: Flabby Arms Stops Me From Wearing Tank Tops

However, do remember that aesthetic treatments should only be done by verified aesthetic or medical doctors - we wouldn't want to expose ourselves to any health risks due to mishandling of procedures!

To know more about these treatments that can help you get rid of your sagging skin, call us at +6011-22882299, WhatsApp us here, or book an appointment with Dr Loo here!

We’ll be back with the Patient Mailbox series with Dr Peter Ch’ng next week, stay tuned!

REVIEWED BY

Dr. Loo Keng Shien

Dr Loo Keng Shien is a medical aesthetic practitioner who loves to listen to patients' problems and find medical solutions to help in their skin and aesthetics journey. Dr Loo practises evidence-based medicine, and with her experience, she has listened to and helped numerous patients solve their skin problems or achieve their aesthetic expectations safely and effectively.