Losing weight feels great, not to mention the benefits to your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. But unfortunately, some people find themselves with loose skin on their neck, abdomen, arms, legs or buttocks (or all of the above) after losing weight. Psychologically, loose or sagging skin can affect your self-esteem, comfort and mobility. And physically, it can lead to rashes and infections caused by sweat stagnation in the skin folds. In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about loose skin and the keto diet – whether you’re worried about the possibility of loose skin in the future or are already dealing with the problem. Learn what causes loose skin, whether a keto diet can help, and strategies to address the problem.
But first, let’s start by understanding the difference between loose skin and stubborn fat.
Is It Loose Skin or Stubborn Body Fat?
Just because your body feels soft and jiggly, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have sagging skin. So before you think you have loose skin from weight loss, here’s what to do.
The easiest way to identify loose skin is through the “pinch test”. To do this, you must pinch the skin in your “problem area,” such as your lower abdomen.
If you don’t have loose skin, there should be very little skin between your fingers during the pinch test. This is the same amount of skin you get when you pinch the skin on the back of your hand.
And if you do the pinch test and grab some subcutaneous fat, you’ll have a few millimeters between your fingers, maybe even more – which would indicate that you’re grabbing extra fat, not the loose skin that’s left behind after weight loss.
In contrast, the loose skin left behind after fat loss is more likely to be inelastic and saggy. In a pinch test, you will find it is thin and has little rebound (unlike tissue containing stubborn fat).
A visual assessment can also help you decide. If your problem areas look saggy but not wrinkled, you are more likely dealing with stubborn fat (also known as “subcutaneous fat” and located under the skin). And conversely, visual wrinkles are more likely to be sagging skin.
Another way to confirm if you are primarily dealing with excess fat is by having your body fat percentage professionally tested, which can tell you if you have more fat to lose. For men, essential fat is 2-5% and obesity is >25%, while for women, essential fat is 10-13% and obesity is >32%.
The most precise and accurate methods of body fat testing are DEXA (dual X-ray absorptiometry) and water weighing (also called hydrometry). Skinfold caliper measurements – a service offered by some personal trainers – and bioelectrical impedance – a feature found on some home scales – are not as reliable and accurate.
Why does Loose Skin Occur on a Keto Diet?
Rapid or dramatic weight loss does not give the body time to bounce back, and rapid fat loss is quite common in keto treatment. Rapid weight loss is one of the main reasons people turn to low-carb, high-fat diets – and the protocol is surprisingly useful.
Even those in the public eye, such as Jenna Jameson, who recently released about 70 pounds by following a ketogenic diet, can develop sagging, wrinkled or sagging skin, as she recently shared on social media
In addition, the ability to lose weight effortlessly on a keto diet without exercise is tempting. Not everyone enjoys hitting the gym or running in the winter, and a sedentary lifestyle on keto can lead to sagging skin as you lose weight.
Consider incorporating strength training, yoga or Pilates into your regimen as you eliminate refined sugars and carbohydrates from your diet to reduce the loose skin you experience as you slim down.
Also, focus on eating healthy fats such as salmon, MCT oil or butter and nutrient-dense salted pili nuts rather than processed keto foods that may not spike sugar but don’t provide the micronutrients needed to keep skin tight.
How to Avoid Loose Skin on a Keto Diet
Exercise, a whole food based diet, and including plenty of healthy fats in your program will all help prevent or limit skin sagging.
In addition, taking high quality supplements to promote healthy skin can be very useful in avoiding loose skin during weight loss.
Biotin
Although more commonly associated with promoting rapid hair growth, biotin also helps maintain tight and vibrant skin. Also known as Vitamin H or B7, biotin helps convert food into energy as well as promote healthy nails and hair.
Our hair, skin and nail supplement is great because it includes quality ingredients with no fillers. In addition, our supplement helps to keep the skin soft.
Vitamin E
In addition to supporting liver function, vitamin E also helps improve skin elasticity if your system is healthy enough. In addition, because vitamin E is an antioxidant, it helps protect the skin from UV rays, which can deteriorate the elastin in the skin.
COQ 10
As an aid in maintaining collagen and elastin, COQ 10 is essential for keeping skin firm and healthy. Nasty free radicals can break down molecules in the body that help keep skin elastic and taut, causing them to lose their shape.
Fortunately, COQ 10 neutralizes free radicals and helps skin elasticity, an important ingredient found in our hair, skin and nail formulas.
Loss of elastin and collagen can cause the skin to sag and become wrinkled; fortunately, COQ 10 acts as an antioxidant to help keep the skin firm.
Collagen
Collagen makes up approximately 80% of our skin structure and provides structural integrity and firmness, and its presence can help prevent sagging skin during significant weight loss.
Adding collagen to your regimen alone may not be enough to keep your skin smooth and firm, but adding collagen to your regimen can help keep your skin firm and healthy.
In addition to taking a high-quality supplement, there are certain foods you can eat to increase collagen. Consider adding the following fatty foods to your diet:
- Fatty fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, sardines, or herring)
- Avocados
- Sunflower seeds
- Red or yellow peppers
- Brocolli
- Walnuts
- Tomatoes
- Dark chocolate
- Green tea
- Red wine (in moderation—watch the carb macros)
- Bone broth
MCT Oil
MCT oil is an excellent choice to add to keto coffee or to take directly daily to keep energy levels high. But another benefit of MCT oil is that it keeps the skin elastic, moisturized and soft.
MCT oil is rich in fatty acids, antioxidants and possesses antibacterial properties, all of which are very useful in preventing or reducing skin laxity.
In addition, medium-chain fatty acids are more easily absorbed by the body than long-chain fatty acids, helping to regulate blood sugar and promote body fat loss without fail.
Conclusion
A keto diet that meets your nutritional needs allows you to shed weight while preventing or reducing skin laxity. Be sure to emphasize skin-boosting nutrients such as protein, vitamin C and omega-3 fats.
While you’re at it, work on losing weight slowly and steadily (rather than as quickly as possible) to give your skin enough time to recover, especially if it’s been stretched out over the years. However, if you’ve already lost a lot of weight, don’t rush. Try natural remedies, such as taking a good quality keto collagen supplement.
However, if you’ve done all the right things, including waiting a few months to a year to tighten up, but you’re still dealing with a lot of loose skin – then a surgical or non-invasive medical procedure may be worth a try. In this case, you’ll need to talk to your doctor.
