Pregnancy and childbirth are two of the most significant life experiences a person can go through, so it’s no surprise they can leave a physical mark on your body. Your baby is a welcome addition to the world. Loose skin on the stomach, persistent belly fat, and stretch marks are less so. In this post, we’ll explain what causes loose skin after pregnancy, and how you can deal with it most effectively. 

 

What Causes Loose Skin After Pregnancy?

The reason behind loose skin after pregnancy is quite simple. The underlying structure of the skin is made of collagen and elastin fibers. Those fibers stretch to accommodate a growing belly during pregnancy. 

After being stretched for a prolonged period, the skin doesn’t always bounce back completely. In some cases, women are left with loose skin over their bellies. They may also experience stretch marks, which are caused by damage to collagen and elastin fibers in the skin.

How to Tighten Belly Skin After Pregnancy

The best way to tighten belly skin after pregnancy is with a few key, transformative “mommy makeover” treatments and the help of a healthy lifestyle at home. 

1) Radiofrequency (RF) microneedling treatments like Morpheus8 and Potenza are amongst the most effective treatments for loose skin after pregnancy, aside from surgery. During one of these treatments, microneedles penetrate the dermis, activating the skin’s healing mechanisms to increase collagen and elastin production without causing skin damage. 

This initiates a process that helps increase the connective proteins in the skin to create a tightening effect over the coming weeks. At the same time, radiofrequency emits heat that reaches even deeper layers of skin and adipose tissue, inducing a coagulation effect and in the case of deep-penetrating Morpheus8, even helping break down fat. 

2) Radiofrequency alone can also make a difference in improving post-pregnancy loose skin. The RF energy doesn’t penetrate as deeply as when paired with microneedling, but it still stimulates skin tightening, to give the belly a firmer appearance. 

Systems like Evolve Body Contouring also incorporate muscle stimulation and vibrations to further tone the stomach. It’s a wonderful option if you’re worried about discomfort or side effects from the treatment. That said, you will likely need to undergo more sessions for noticeable results.  

3) Ultrasound therapy uses energy created by ultrasound waves to stimulate a skin-tightening effect. It’s slightly more intense than radiofrequency alone and presents a non-invasive alternative to microneedling. However, it can lead to tenderness and bruising after the treatment. 

4) PRP microneedling is an incredible treatment when it comes specifically to post-pregnancy stretch marks. This treatment repairs that type of localized skin concern by using your body’s growth factors, found in platelet-rich plasma. During the treatment, microneedles help break up the scar tissue while the PRP triggers a healing cascade that will result in smooth, firm, healthy skin forming afterward. In some cases, your nurse might recommend a PRF injection, instead, which allows for even more targeted and controlled results. 

5) At-home products are a mixed bag. Keeping your skin moisturized both during and after pregnancy is important for keeping it healthy in general, but it’s not likely to lead to any significant skin tightening. Many of the firming or stretch mark-reducing skincare ingredients recommended during and post-pregnancy aren’t backed by scientific research, either, with a few exceptions like retinoids. 

6) Exercise & diet are both important for your general recovery from childbirth. A diverse and healthy diet will help give your body the nutrients it needs to repair the skin. Exercise encourages better blood flow and helps build muscles, which aids skin-firming efforts. If you’re still dealing with post-pregnancy belly fat, diet and exercise will also help your fat-loss efforts. 

Obviously it’s not ideal to get some of these treatments a week after childbirth, but it’s not contraindicated. At that point, it needs to be a conversation between the client and provider.

How Do Celebrities Get Rid of Loose Skin After Pregnancy?

Most celebrities don’t spare any expenses when it comes to getting rid of loose skin after pregnancy, since their appearance is so vital to their careers. However, they also tend to keep their post-pregnancy skin-tightening remedies a secret, usually only citing diet and exercise (which surely play a big part). 

In reality, stars often opt for the best treatment depending on the severity of their post-pregnancy loose skin. Many prefer non-invasive treatments like radiofrequency, microneedling, and ultrasound since there is minimal downtime and they’re able to return to their day-to-day life sooner. In more extreme situations, some celebrities also opt for surgical interventions.  

Achieve a Firmer Belly With SEV 

New parents deserve to feel confident in their skin!  At select SEV locations, we can help you with advanced, non-surgical skin-firming solutions. From quick and easy Evolve treatments to comprehensively transformative Morpheus8, there are many ways to tighten up your post-pregnancy belly or banish those stretch marks. Go ahead and book your first appointment or consultation! 

postpartum skin care