If you’re considering waist training as part of your strategy for a healthy lifestyle and to slim down your waistline, one of the questions you may have is whether waist trainers help with loose skin. The appearance of loose skin frequently happens in people who have lost (or gained) weight and is due to a variety of factors.

In order to answer that question about how to make loose skin appear firmer, let’s explore what causes loose skin in the first place and how waist training can help.

The Causes of Loose Skin

“Loose” looking skin reflects your skin’s elasticity, or in other words, stretchiness. Think of your skin like a balloon. A brand-new balloon feels very tight and smooth, even if you stretch it out a little bit. But if you blow up a balloon, leave it inflated for a few days, and slowly let the air leak out, you’ll notice that it’s now loose and not as springy. It has lost some of its elasticity and thus its ability to spring back to its original shape.

In the same way, your skin can lose its elasticity and look loose for several reasons:

• Genetics: Some people naturally have tighter skin than others no matter what they do.

• Hydration and nutrition: Giving your skin lots of moisture and the nutrients it needs will help it to say soft and supple. You can take care of your skin with lifestyle factors like rest, diet and fluid intake, as well as with topical applications.

• Age: Your skin will naturally lose elasticity as you get older (hence why many people experience wrinkles due to gravity and environmental damage).

• Weight loss: If you lose a significant amount of weight, such as after a pregnancy, you may find that your skin does not bounce back as much as you would like it to.

Sometimes skin can be stretched out beyond repair, such as a balloon that can’t return to its original shape. However, there are some ways to make your skin healthier and appear firmer. With all of these factors in mind, we’ll consider how waist trainers can help with loose skin.

How Waist Trainers Work

A waist trainer is a compression garment worn around the midsection. Many styles use latex in the core of the garment to provide a high level of compression, stimulating heat and perspiration around the midsection. Steel-boned corsets use tight lacing and flexible boning to create a similar and even more pronounced compression effect.

You can wear a waist trainer as a shapewear garment as desired, or as part of a full-day regimen each day. A waist training workout band is also a great way to amplify your exercise routine.

Daily waist training can complement a healthy lifestyle that includes proper nutrition, exercise, rest and hydration. It helps you generate heat in the core, amplifies workouts, supports a more confident posture, and provides ongoing motivation to continue with healthy eating and exercise. And with high compression, it can also contribute to firmer skin.

How Does Compression Help with Loose Skin?

How much a waist trainer can help depends on how “loose” your skin is. While skin that is severely damaged may only be corrected with surgery, anyone can use a compression garment like a waist trainer to help your skin appear firmer. A waist trainer’s compression stimulates thermal activity, which in turn promotes more circulation and perspiration. Blood flow and sweat are major parts of your skin’s natural defense system. Together they work to bring hydration and healing to your skin while eliminating toxins. When your skin is healthy, it looks fuller and firmer.

A waist trainer also helps you feel more comfortable when you wear it by concealing any loose skin and keeping your midsection firmly in place. This creates smoother curves and can contribute to your confidence and style.

Effects of Fabrics

While sweat can be healthy for your skin’s overall health, it can backfire as well if you’re not simultaneously letting air circulate or wicking the moisture away from the surface. Too much sweat can cause irritation and even dryness, which won’t do your skin any favors.

For the best waist training results on your skin, choose a fabric that keeps your skin dry when it sweats, without sacrificing the high compression of the garment.

Most latex waist trainers are constructed with cotton lining, which effectively wicks away the moisture. For example, the Zipped Up and Snatched Workout Waist Trainer by Hourglass Angel HA108 uses a cotton-spandex lining to absorb moisture and feel soft against your skin. For additional breathability, we recommend the Max Air Flow Petite Breathable Waist Trainer by Hourglass Angel HA110, which is constructed with mesh for extra air flow throughout the garment.

Steel-boned corsets are also made in various ways that can effectively remove moisture from the surface of your skin. The Underbust Cotton Corset by Hourglass Angel HA202 provides a natural feel as it sculpts the midsection. The cotton makes the garment lightweight and soft and naturally wicks away the sweat. For more air flow, the Underbust Waspie Mesh Corset by Hourglass Angel HA201 is made from a breathable mesh material throughout the garment. While these styles of corsets help you keep you cool, they don’t sacrifice the effectiveness of firm compression, which you can customize to your preferences using the laces.

Waist Training Gel

Another secret to improving your skin’s health and appearance while waist training is using the Amp Your Curves Waist Training Gel. This uniquely formulated topical treatment is designed to be used with your favorite high compression waist trainer.

Extracts of catuaba bark, pfaffia, mara puama flowers, caffeine, lipolytic enzymes and Brazilian pepper are the therapeutic ingredients in the gel that work together as anti-inflammatory and healing agents. They also stimulate microcirculation and restore the appearance of the skin’s firmness and elasticity.

This waist training gel is especially effective around the midsection and when used daily can help loose skin look healthier. While it can’t “fix” loose skin that has been permanently damaged, it can optimize your skin’s overall health and appearance.

4 Lifestyle Tips for Better Skin

Whether you already have loose skin and want to do the best with what you have, or if you want to improve your skin’s health to prevent it from getting loose in the future, lifestyle is a key factor. In addition to the waist training tips we already discussed, here are four ways to ensure a lifetime of healthy skin:

1. Hydration: Proper water intake is vital to many elements of your health, and skin is no exception. If your skin is droopy, chances are you’re not getting enough. Water eliminates toxins from the skin and makes it look firmer and brighter.
   
   A good rule of thumb is to start out with half an ounce of water per day per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you’ll want to consume at least 75 ounces of water daily. If you are sweating more, due to warm weather, working out or waist training, bump it up to as much as an ounce.
   
   It can feel like you’re consuming a lot of water if you’re not used to it, which is why it’s important to track how much water you drink. But if you make it a goal, you’ll start seeing noticeable results in just a few days.
   
   It’s also important to help you skin maintain its moisture externally, especially in dry climates. Be sure to use a hydrating lotion or moisturizer after cleansing your skin to seal in the water.
2. Stress management: You’ve probably heard that excess stress is hard on your health—but did you know it affects your skin too? When your stress hormones get out of control, you may start to experience strange side effects like rashes or dryness. What’s more, when you’re stressed, you’re less likely to follow through with other healthy practices like hydration and nutrition.
   
   When life is hectic, create opportunities to relax, breathe and exercise. Participate in calming activities and spend time with people you love. This will make you happier and look healthier.

Even if you’re in stage of life when it’s difficult to get good sleep, like when you have a newborn, do what you can to squeeze it in. Even power naps have their benefits.