# loose skin **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898 "2019-06-22T18:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stosh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@stosh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/1 "2019-06-22T18:14:38Z")
Hi Guys, I’ve just lost a lot of weight. That’s good, but I’ve developed a lot of loose, flabby skin in my stomach. Is there something I can do for this? Bear in mind that I’m 68 and don’t want to become some kind of super workout freak. I am looking for something between sitting back on my fat ass and collapsing to the oldies. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/2 "2019-06-22T18:29:41Z")
Plastic surgery? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/3 "2019-06-22T18:32:31Z")
Since the OP is looking for advice, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/4 "2019-06-22T19:15:25Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Plastic surgery? This is probably the answer. As we age, our skin loses the elasticity of youth so it won’t firm up on own. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/5 "2019-06-22T19:18:33Z")
You might look into radiofrequency skin tightening. It’s non-surgical, less expensive than a tummy tuck, supposedly very low-risk and painless, but results vary. Exercise won’t help (with the loose skin anyway) so you can skip that guilt-free. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/6 "2019-06-22T21:28:36Z")
Sorry, nothing to add. But I also wanted to say that exercise doesn’t tighten loose skin, and plastic surgery may be the best bet. I wonder if you can donate skin? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/7 "2019-06-22T22:15:21Z")
Yes, yes you can donate skin and there have been some people getting “skin reduction” surgery who have done exactly that. I don’t know the details, you’d probably have to contact an organ donation organization or burn unit to get pointed in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-skin/835898/8 "2019-06-23T19:17:46Z")
I lost around 200 pounds more than ten years ago on a low carbohydrate diet. I was over fifty at the time and it left me with a lot of loose skin that I tolerated over the years. Recently, (in the last 12 to 18 months) I’ve begun a fasting protocol. I started with time restricted eating and and 18 hour daily fasting window, but in the last 8 months or so I’ve gone to a schedule that has me fasting for 42 hours (water only) three times a week. It has made a huge difference in the condition of my skin. There are theories that fasting promotes autophagy and the recycling of damaged proteins. You could look it up and see if it was something you wanted to try. I wish I’d started it 10 years ago. Oddly enough, fasting has proven to be enormously liberating. You don’t realize how much of your time and energy is devoted to deciding what to eat, obtaining and preparing food, eating and cleaning up after the meal. Three days a week I don’t have to do anything about any of that. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I’m free from food. The rest of the days I don’t eat until after 12:00 noon, so my mornings are always free. I love it.