Skin changes with weight loss

This holiday and throughout this year, we have all noticed many of those around us losing weight thanks to the surge of GLP-1 use.  Unfortunately, particularly rapid weight loss can lead to adverse changes in the skin due to both lack of nutrition and volume loss. Like a deflated balloon, the skin sometimes has trouble keeping pace. Especially with advancing age, as younger skin tends to bounce back easier than older, sun damaged skin.  So from a dermatologist standpoint what can be done?

First, I want to openly admit that I have been taking Ozempic for early type 2 diabetes for years now.  While I have a medical opinion on this topic, I can also address it from a more personal perspective. Here’s what I’ve learned. 

–Slow weight loss- This recommendation is nothing new.  Slow steady weight loss has always been the recommendation of the medical community and nutritionists.  Slow weight loss tends to be more sustainable and allows the whole body, including the skin, to adjust slowly to the changes.

–Take a Good Multivitamin– I am often surprised in the office how seldomly people take a multivitamin.  I can’t say I’m perfect on this either, but a good multivitamin giving 100% of the RDA of major vitamins and minerals is always a good idea.  With decreased food consumption, we often don’t get the essential vitamins and nutrients that our body needs to function properly.  This affects the whole body, including the skin.  Many vitamins are necessary to build collagen and elastin which give the strength structure and balance needed during weight loss. 

-More Protein- Many of the weight loss drugs cause upset stomach that leads patients to eat a bland, carbohydrate-rich diet.  While I understand this temptation, getting adequate protein is essential to maintain muscle mass and to keep skin healthy.  Amino acids from protein and vitamins are also the building blocks needed to make collagen and elastin to improve the appearance of the skin.  

Many patients ask about taking oral collagen.  Unfortunately, oral forms of collagen never make it intact to the skin, they are degraded in the stomach to building block that MAY reassemble to collagen.  Using effective skin care products is a more direct way to improve and sustain our skin. 

-Skin Care Products that build collagen and elastin – While there are tons of skin care products on the market.  Tretinoin (name brand RetinA) still remains the gold standard for stimulating collagen production and overall improve the health of the skin.  While many skin care brands encourage Vitamin C use to build collagen, only Alastin’s Vitamin C  is Elastin sparing.  What does that mean?  Turns out many forms of Vitamin C lead to Elastin degradation.  Elastin gives our skin stretch and bounce, exactly what we need for saggy skin from weight loss, so we don’t want to degrade it.  To learn more about Vitamin C and what to look for in serums, check out my article below.  For the body, Alastin Transform Body is in a league of its own, stimulating growth of collagen and elastin.  

If you have experienced extreme weight loss, know a friend or are planning to start a weight loss journey.  Check out the resources below.