Published: 11/17/2014 - Updated: 05/18/2018
Author: MSc. Miriam Reyes
Is your abdominal skin flaccid, wrinkled and droopy? It could be from pregnancy, a sedentary life, a poor diet, or after being overweight, which caused the skin over your abdomen to be droopy, flaccid, and fairly unattractive, aesthetically speaking. Even if you are thin, the skin on your abdomen could be wrinkled and droopy after having a baby. Yet, we are all blessed with bodies that self-recover and self-heal whenever we want them. All you need to do is provide the necessary elements and the body will do its rejuvenating and reconstructive work.
Contents
How to firm abdominal skin
DIET: The first thing to do is to keep your diet in mind, so as to avoid accumulating unnecessary fat, and so that tissues can be nourished and re-firm naturally. For this, you need to eliminate flours from your diet (bread, cookies, and refined paste) and refined sugar, as well as animal fats (especially milk, aged cheeses and red meat) for a while. Your diet should be based on raw vegetables: carrots are fantastic for regenerating skin, as well as aloe or aloe juice so the skin is well moisturized and can self-repair more efficiently.
EXERCISE: there is nothing better for abdominal tissue than conscious exercise. Do an abs routine that works the upper, middle, and lower abs, and do sequences according to how you are capable. If you have never done abs or you feel lazy, start by doing series of 15 sit-ups, working each area of the abs. There are pages in the internet where you can find very effective abdominal routines. Remember that exercise is a key point for recovering abdominal firmness.
EXFOLIATION AND GREEN CLAY: two or three times a week, exfoliate your entire abdomen with green clay Put a little bit in your hand while you bathe and scrub it over moistened skin. Vigorously massage the area so as to stimulate deteriorated cells for regeneration. Rub the clay over your waist and lumbar area. You could even exfoliate your entire body once a week, including your face. While you massage your abdomen with the clay, imagine that it is flat and firm, that it looks like a model’s abs. Even though you don’t believe it, visualization helps generate a strong abdomen. If you abdomen is red after exfoliating, don’t worry, just apply a bit of aloe cream or some other cream, or firming treatment, like those mentioned below:
Firming treatments
These treatments and products will help firm the skin on your abdomen:
- Glycerin, which helps keep skin well hydrated and regenerates it.
- Coenzyme Q10 will keep tissues nourished and will prevent further damage.
- Elastin, a protein that will allow muscle fiber elasticity to be recovered. A lot of firming creams contain elastin, but search for soluble elastin, which is more easily absorbed by the skin.
- Vitamin A (retinol) helps prevent the appearance of wrinkles and prevents tissues from being worn down.
- Centella asiatica is a vegetable extract that will promote efficient blood circulation, helping to repair tissues.
- Collagen is a fundamental ingredient in creams because it is a potent skin and epithelial cell regenerator. Look for soluble collagen for best results.
- Beta hydroxy acids are very useful exfoliating substances for flaccid skin.
- Hyaluronic acid helps moisten and firm skin.
- Liposomes are skin moisturizers and protect it from the sun, wind, etc.
- Alpha hydroxy acids are substances that regenerate skin and help remove dead skin cells from the dermis. They are found in fresh vegetables.
- Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that protects skin from environmental harm.
- B group vitamins regenerate and moisturize skin.
- Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant that protect collagen, but before buying creams with this vitamin, you should test yourself for an allergic reaction.
What else could you do to firm abdominal tissue?
- Avoid bad posture and hunching your shoulders because this makes the abdomen flaccid and causes your muscles to be flaccid. Keep your abdomen tightened and in place, even when you’re sitting.
- Excessive stress prevents or diminishes fibroblast functions, which are cells in charge of producing collagen and elastin.
- Lack of moisture slowly wears down tissues, leading to wrinkles and flaccidity. So don’t forget to drink 2 liters of fresh water a day, as a minimum.
- Eat a very high quality diet during pregnancy to prevent tearing skin tissue. Once you have had your baby, apply firming creams and wear a corset around your abdomen to help recover your shape. Six weeks after giving birth you can start a mild exercise routine, even if you’ve had a C-section.
Revised by: Dra. Loredana Lunadei on 05/18/2018
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