Loose Skin After Weight Loss: What Happens to Your Face & Skin?
Weight loss can be an amazing achievement… but sometimes your body changes in ways you weren't quite expecting. Here's what you need to know about loose skin, facial volume and looking after your skin while you lose weight.
There is a lot of conversation around weight loss at the moment.
And understandably so. With weight-management medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro becoming increasingly common, more people are achieving significant weight loss and talking openly about their experiences.
But there is another side to the conversation that doesn't get talked about quite as much:
What happens to your skin when you lose a lot of weight?
Because while you might be thrilled to see the number on the scales coming down, you might also notice changes in your face, your neck or your body that you weren't expecting.
Perhaps your face looks a little more hollow. Maybe you've noticed some looseness around your jawline. Or you might simply feel that your skin doesn't look quite as firm as it did before.
And if that's happened to you, you're certainly not alone.
Why does weight loss affect the skin?
Our skin stretches as our bodies change.
When you've carried extra weight for a long period of time, the skin has had to accommodate that volume. How well it adapts afterwards depends on lots of individual factors, including your age, genetics, how much weight you've lost, how quickly you've lost it and your skin's natural elasticity. Significant weight loss can leave some people with loose or excess skin, particularly around areas such as the abdomen, arms and thighs.
And it's not just the body.
Your face changes too.
There is naturally fat beneath the skin of the face, and losing some of that volume can change the way the face looks.
You might notice:
Less fullness through the cheeks
A little more looseness around the lower face
More noticeable lines around the mouth
A change in the appearance of the temples
Less definition through the jawline
Skin that looks slightly thinner or more crepey
This doesn't mean anything has gone wrong.
It's simply your face adapting to a change in volume.
But here's where I think we need to be careful...
One of the easiest things to do when you notice a change you don't love is to immediately try to put the volume back.
And this is where I think aesthetics needs to be approached thoughtfully.
If you've lost weight and feel that your cheeks look flatter, for example, it can be tempting to think:
"I need cheek filler."
But that's not necessarily the answer.
Sometimes a change in facial volume is exactly that; a change in volume. Sometimes the skin itself needs more attention. Sometimes it's a combination of the two. And sometimes you actually don't need to treat anything at all.
This is why I don't believe in looking at someone's face and automatically deciding which treatment they need.
Your face isn't a collection of areas that need "fixing".
It's one whole face, and everything needs to work together.
What about loose skin?
This is probably one of the biggest concerns people have after significant weight loss.
And unfortunately, there isn't a magic cream that will completely tighten excess skin.
Skincare can absolutely help improve the hydration, texture and overall condition of your skin, but if there is significant excess skin, a cream or facial treatment isn't going to physically remove it. NHS guidance also notes that building muscle and looking after nutrition can improve how the skin looks and feels, but won't necessarily eliminate excess folds of skin.
That's important because I don't want anyone spending hundreds of pounds on a treatment because they've been promised something unrealistic.
There are treatments that can support skin quality and, depending on the individual, may improve the appearance of laxity.
But "tightening" isn't the same thing as removing excess skin.
And if someone has significant excess skin following major weight loss, it's worth having a proper conversation with an appropriate medical professional about the options available rather than expecting aesthetics to solve everything.
Don't forget about muscle
This is something I think deserves much more attention when we're talking about weight loss.
When you lose weight, you're not only losing fat. You can also lose muscle mass, which is why nutrition and resistance exercise are important parts of a healthy weight-management plan. NHS guidance for people taking weight-loss medication specifically highlights the importance of adequate nutrition, protein and strength-based exercise to help maintain muscle.
And that matters aesthetically too.
Looking after your muscle isn't about trying to become super muscular or spending every evening in the gym.
It's about looking after your body while it changes.
Eating enough nutritious food, getting adequate protein and incorporating strength-based movement can all be part of that picture.
If you're using weight-management medication, it's particularly important not to let reduced appetite mean that you're simply eating as little as possible. Weight-loss medicines such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are designed to be used alongside healthy eating and lifestyle changes, rather than replacing them.
So where does aesthetics come in?
This is the bit I'm particularly interested in.
Because I think there is a temptation, especially online, to treat weight loss and aesthetics as two separate things.
You lose weight.
You notice your face looks different.
Then you go and get filler.
But it doesn't have to work like that.
If you've lost a significant amount of weight and you're considering aesthetic treatment, I'd much rather have a proper conversation first.
What has actually changed?
What are you noticing?
Is it volume? Skin quality? Elasticity? Or perhaps you're simply getting used to seeing a different version of your face?
Sometimes the right treatment might involve an injectable.
Sometimes it might be a skin-focused treatment.
Sometimes a combination could be appropriate.
And sometimes I'll tell you that I don't think you need anything yet.
That's not me trying to sell you less.
That's me trying to make sure we're doing the right thing.
And please don't panic about the "Ozempic face" headlines
You've probably seen the phrase online.
It's often used to describe facial volume loss following significant weight loss, particularly in people taking GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy or Mounjaro.
But I really dislike the idea that losing weight automatically means your face is going to suddenly look old or gaunt.
Weight loss affects everyone differently.
And the answer shouldn't be to scare people into having filler before they've even started their weight-loss journey.
There are lots of things that can influence how your face changes, and if you're concerned, that's exactly what a consultation is for.
My biggest piece of advice?
Don't rush to "fix" your face while your body is still changing.
Give yourself time to see where things settle.
Look after your nutrition.
Stay active.
Look after your skin.
And if, once your weight has stabilised, there's something you'd genuinely like to address, come and talk to me.
My job isn't to make you look like you haven't lost weight.
It's certainly not to try and recreate the face you had before.
It's to help you decide whether there's anything that would make you feel more confident and comfortable in the face you're in now.
Because weight loss is a big change.
You don't need to come out the other side feeling like you need to change everything else too.
🤍
If you've recently lost weight (or you're considering weight-management treatment and want to understand what it might mean for your skin and face) you're always welcome to get in touch with me for a chat.