The past several months have been extremely challenging for most of us. But these months also saw the rise of self care, or investing in one’s health and happiness. 

Besides taking care of your mental and physical health, self care also involves looking your best. That’s because when you look and feel your best, you are most confident, productive, and ready to care for others.

Your skin plays a big role in your overall appearance. Youthful, glowing, and blemish-free skin is everyone’s ultimate goal. Skin strength and elasticity are two important properties that deserve your attention.

Below, we have presented the definitions of skin strength and skin elasticity and taken stock of the common reasons why our skin might lose them. Last but not least, we listed some natural remedies to regain and retain skin elasticity and strength after weight loss surgery.
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What is skin strength and skin elasticity?

The skin is the body’s largest organ, and serves many important functions. First of all, it works as a barrier that protects the body against injury, water loss, bugs, and UV radiation. Our skin also gives us our sense of touch. It contributes greatly to our outward appearance and consequently, to others’ perception of our wellness and beauty. 

The skin’s strength is owed to the dermis, or the layer of fibrous and elastic tissue beneath the epidermis. The dermis is mostly made of collagen and a bit of elastin, which give the skin its strength and elasticity respectively. Because the skin is our first line of defense against many foreign and harmful substances and objects, it is important to keep it strong. Meanwhile, skin elasticity refers to the skin’s ability to stretch and then go back to its original form. 
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Why does skin lose elasticity and strength?

Our skin is naturally elastic and strong because that is how it achieves its functions.

But both of these qualities are affected by increasing age and exposure to the sun’s UV rays. This results in sagging and stretching of the skin as the person gets older and as he/she is exposed to greater levels of UV radiation. Smoking and poor nutrition will also negatively affect your skin’s health.

Most people also worry that undergoing weight loss surgery might affect the skin’s properties. However, this is a temporary condition and your skin can snap back to its original shape depending on genetics, age, and the amount of weight lost. There are also many natural remedies you can use to help quicken the process.
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What are the natural remedies for restoring skin strength and elasticity?

Healthy diet

Did you know that inflammation signals specific enzymes to break down elastin and collagen in your skin? Eating food with anti-inflammatory properties will help you combat this problem and glow like Rihanna. We listed some skin-enhancing foods below:

  • Antioxidant-rich food like leafy vegetables (e.g., kale) and berries
  • Fatty acids found in fish (e.g., salmon) and almonds
  • Vitamin D (e.g., red grapes)
  • Turmeric plants rich in curcumin and glucosamine
  • Olive oil
  • Green tea and white tea
  • Soy
  • Mangoes
  • Tomatoes 

Meanwhile, here is what you need to avoid:

  • Calories
  • Alcohol 

Exercise

Exercise keeps your skin firm and healthy. That’s because physical activity reduces inflammation. Regular exercise also improves blood circulation, which means more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your skin. You may also add specific exercise routines to tone your facial and other muscles.
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Sleep

It is common knowledge that stress and lack of sleep are two of the most common reasons for breakouts. Additionally, cortisol, the stress hormone, is proven to affect collagen synthesis and function. Too much stress leads to excessive production of cortisol. In a similar manner, staying up late can throw off your circadian rhythm, which then disrupts the production of melanin and triggers the production of cortisol.
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Hydration

Moisture loss, which is common as people age, is one reason why the skin loses its plumpness and firmness. Drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water is the  general rule for keeping hydrated. But to make sure that water is reaching your skin cells, minerals and electrolytes should be incorporated into your diet.
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Supplements

A few studies have proven that it is good to take supplements that contain natural ingredients that can boost the skin’s health. Try supplements with collagen, Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, extracts from Macqui berries, and other ingredients known to be beneficial to the skin. Retinols, elastin, probiotics and Vitamin D are also great for the skin.
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Final words

Natural remedies can help you regain skin elasticity and strength after weight loss surgery, but there’s nothing wrong with getting a skin firming procedure, if the need arises. 

Then again, going natural is a brilliant first step for making your skin youthful and beautiful again. Just remember these 5 natural remedies:

  • Healthy diet
  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Hydration
  • Supplements with natural ingredients

About our guest author:

Katie Pierce is a teacher-slash-writer who loves telling stories to an audience, whether it’s bored adults in front of a computer screen or a bunch of hyperactive 4-year-olds. Writing keeps her sane (most of the time) and allows her to enjoy some quiet time in the evening before she walks into a room of screaming kids (all of whom she loves dearly) the next morning.