Will taking collagen supplements help get rid of existing loose skin?

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Thank you for submitting your question. Unfortunately dieting and supplements will not address the loose skin on your abdomen. You are a good candidate for bodytite of the abdomen. Bodytite is non-surgical body contouring for correcting loose skin. The procedure uses radio frequency-assisted liposuction, known as RFAL. It is an effective treatment option for patients who wish to reduce the appearance of excess fat and/or sagging skin throughout their body. For the best results I would recommend you consult with a Board-certified plastic surgeon for the best results. Best of luck. 

Unfortunately dieting and supplements will not address the loose skin on your abdomen. And nonsurgical options give only mild improvement compared to surgical lifting. Without a photograph, it's difficult to determine how much skin laxity you have and what the best solution would be.Some skin tightening can be done with a combination of Vanquish, truSculpt iD, Venus Legacy, Exilis, and Cellutone/Zwave. However, for best results, a Tummy Tuck procedure can be combined with a high-definition procedure at the same time. For best results, I recommend VASER liposuction with ThermiRF, J Plasma/Renuvion, InMode BodyTite, and fat grafting to get the most fat removal, skin tightening, contour and definition all at once. This combination will give you the most toned result. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a hi-definition physique expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Dear boxinglilly,it is unlikely that collagen supplements will have any effect on your loose skin. If you have loose skin on your abdomen, then you might be a candidate for a tummy tuck. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

I do not believe that your diet or taking collagen supplements would have any effect on loose skin on the abdomen.  Options that can help with loose skin include surgery and non-surgical tightening procedures, such as those using radio frequency.  

Hi Boxinglilly!  Collagen Supplements alone will not likely help much.  That being said, we often recommend that our patients who are having skin tightening procedures (energy based) start on an oral collagen supplement.  I recommend that they look for the ingredient "Verisol" which has good clinical data to support its use ("Oral intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides reduces skin wrinkles and increases dermal matrix synthesis" by E Proksch, can be found on PubMed/NIH #24401291).  This gives your body the building blocks to make the collagen when the treatment stimulates its production.  Diet alone will have no effect on your skin laxity (though dehydration will make it worse).  If you have a lot of loose skin, a tummy tuck may be your best option.  It's best to have an in person consultation so that the physician can evaluate your skin integrity and give you advice on which treatments will get you the best outcome.  Best of luck!

FWIW, the ketodiet is very controversial and not a diet I would suggest you be on. You will definitely lose weight but it has metabolic side effects that aren't good. It doesn't matter whether you take collagen supplements. It won't help your skin get tight.

Thanks for writing,Your diet and collagen supplements in all likelihood will not help change the quality of your skin. There are many things that affect skin: some of are: weight, sun, pregnancies, genetics and more. Once skin is damaged it is very hard to get the skin back to normal. Good LuckStephen M. Davis, MD, FACS
Certified: American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetic Surgery
Member: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Member: RealSelf Hall of Fame