Losing weight changes how your skin fits. For many women it springs back well. For others, especially after a large loss or in midlife, skin on the face, neck, arms and stomach stays loose. The good news is that mild to moderate laxity often responds to non-surgical treatment. Large amounts of excess skin usually need a surgical opinion, and we’ll tell you honestly which group you’re in.
Want to know which option suits you? See Skin tightening at YOU and Body tightening at YOU.
Why skin stays loose
Skin stretches to cover the body you have. Its ability to tighten again depends on two proteins: collagen, which gives skin its strength, and elastin, which lets it recoil. Several things affect how well they do that job:
- How much weight you lost. The larger the loss, the more stretched skin there is.
- How fast you lost it. Faster loss gives skin less time to adapt.
- How long the weight was there. Skin stretched for years recoils less.
- Sun damage and smoking. Both break down collagen.
- Genetics. Some people simply have more elastic skin.
- Your age and your hormones. This is the one most people don’t hear about.
Why it’s harder in midlife
Oestrogen helps your skin make collagen and hold onto moisture. As oestrogen falls in perimenopause and menopause, collagen production drops and skin becomes thinner and less elastic. So a woman who loses weight at 50 is asking her skin to tighten at exactly the time its building blocks are declining. That’s why loose skin after weight loss is so common in midlife, and why it’s worth looking at your hormones and your skin together rather than separately.
What helps without surgery
- Look after the skin from the inside. Enough protein, steady rather than crash weight loss, and strength training all help. Muscle fills out the space under loose skin, which can make a visible difference on the arms and thighs.
- Protect what collagen you have. Daily sunscreen and a good skincare routine slow further breakdown. Your doctor or dermal therapist can recommend what suits your skin.
- Skin tightening treatments. These use energy to gently heat the deeper layers of the skin, which prompts it to produce new collagen over the following months.
- HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound), such as Ultraformer, reaches the deeper support layers of the face, jawline and neck, and some body areas.
- Radiofrequency heats the skin more broadly and suits larger body areas such as the stomach and arms.
- Laser treatments improve the texture and quality of the skin’s surface.
- Treat the body as well as the face. Loose skin on the stomach often sits alongside stubborn fat. Body sculpting and body tightening can be combined in one plan.
- Re-volumisation treatments in the midface and jawline may also form an important part of the treatment planning to address skin sagging, but these are individual conversations and plans after a thorough consultation with one of our doctors.
Results build gradually as new collagen forms, usually over two to three months, and most people need a course of treatments. Non-surgical tightening works best for mild to moderate laxity. It won’t remove a large fold of excess skin.
When surgery is the better answer
If you’ve lost a lot of weight and have overhanging skin, especially on the stomach, a surgical procedure may be the only thing that removes it. We’ll say so if that’s the case, and we can refer you to a plastic surgeon.
How we approach it at YOU
If you’re on Rediscover YOU, skin treatments and skincare are part of your program from the start. For everyone else, a consult starts with your skin, your weight history and, if you’re over 40, your hormones. You’ll leave with a written plan that’s honest about what non-surgical treatment can and can’t do.
| WHERE TO START: Book a Skin Consult – at Forresters Beach or The Junction, Newcastle. 16-Week Rediscover You Menopause Program – skin treatments and skincare are included from the start. Both available at Forresters Beach and The Junction, Newcastle. No GP referral needed. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will loose skin go away on its own?
Skin can tighten a little over the months after weight loss, especially if you’re younger and the loss was gradual. Significant laxity rarely resolves fully without help.
Does losing 20kg cause loose skin?
It can, but it depends on your age, how quickly you lost it, sun damage and genetics. Many people who lose 20kg see some laxity in the face, neck or stomach.
How long until I see results from skin tightening?
Usually two to three months, as new collagen forms. Results keep improving for several months after a course.
Can I have skin tightening while I’m still losing weight?
Often yes, and starting early can help your skin keep pace. Your clinician will advise on timing.
Written by Dr Shauna Watts, MB BCH BAO MRCGP FARCGP, Ahpra registration Med 0001840449. Reviewed October 2026.