Flabby skin is a problem that we all face. Whether the flab is in your arms, chin, legs, buttock; flabby skin is responsible for making your skin look droopy, tired, fat and older.

What causes flabby skin?

  • Aging is the most common cause of flabby skin. As you grow old, your skin loses its collagen and elastin that give your skin the natural elasticity and keep it firm. As you age, your body produces less of collagen and elastin, thus resulting in flabby skin and wrinkles.
  • External sources like pollution, sun damage and other elemental and toxic exposure affect the skin’s DNA and can cause skin damage.
  • Rapid weight loss or weight gain can lead to the flabby skin. This kind of sagging is seen mostly in the arms and the thigh areas. Especially losing a large amount of weight in a short time causes the skin to sag.
  • Those who smoke are exposing their skin and internal organs to harmful chemicals and smoke which dries the skin and cause sagging.
  • Chronic indigestion also contribute as the body is unable to assimilate nutrients to replenish collagen

To read more on Indigestion Recognize Early Signs of Indigestion to Ward Off Many Chronic Diseases.read on

Major causes for the flabby skin?

Insulin Resistance

Insulin is one of the vital hormones in your body that regulates the flow of sugar into the cells to be used as a fuel. It has a key to the cells that when put allows the absorption of sugar by the cells. But when you eat too much of refined carbohydrates and sugar, the key stops working. The cells become resistant to insulin and now more and more insulin is required to get the same result. The body, in other words, becomes insulin resistant. One of the outcomes of the insulin resistance is that the cells are not able to take in amino acids particularly branched amino acids responsible for repair and renewal of muscles.  This causes the flabby skin to appear.

To read more on Insulin resistance read on at High Insulin is responsible for many chronic conditions 


Linked to the phenomenon of insulin resistance is the process of endogenous glycation where the excess sugar in the body combines with protein and robs the skin of its collagen. The same result can also occur when you combine sugar( carbohydrate and sugar) with protein in your diet. The combination of sugar and protein in the diet lead to exogenous glycation and the ultimate result is the build-up of AGEs (Advanced Glycation Endproducts) in the body that as the name suggests ages the body by destroying the collagen. 

To know more about Glycation read on at 4 Body Processes that Accelerate Aging When Out of Balance 

Symptoms of Insulin Resistance

  • Inability to lose weight
  • Flabby belly
  • Easily fatigued
  • Need to eat every few hours
  • Get irritable if food is not available 
  • A feeling of not being full or feeling hungry even after a meal

Can insulin resistant be rectified?

It is not very difficult to turn your insulin resistant body the other way round. You can fix the insulin resistant problem and can get back into shape and have a toned skin. For this you need to:

  • Say no to sugar in any form
  • Eliminate all refined carbs like pasta, cakes, pastries, biscuits, bread and white sugars
  • Say no to any form of alcohol or aerated drinks as they are full of sugar
  • Do not combine protein with sugar 

Fighting flabby skin

Moisturize, Moisturize and More Moisturize 

If it is just the beginning then invest in a good moisturizer which has vitamin A, vitamin C, and beta hydroxy acid. Stay hydrated and support your body with proper vitamin supplements that help improve skin health.

Eat Healthy

Make changes in your lifestyle and eating habits. Insulin resistant individuals feel hungry at all hours. So the idea should be to skip the hunger pangs by not eating junk but by incorporating high-quality fats into your diet to ensure longer satiety. Your diet should contain lots of green vegetables and easily digestible proteins. Protein should not be combined with sugar and carbohydrates to avoid exogenous glycation. Maintaining a gap of 3-4 hours between meals would help to lower the insulin levels in the body. Also, you can look at incorporating intermittent fasting to give a spurt to growth hormone. Drink lots of water but avoid caffeine. Coffee provides instant energy and with sugar it gives an adrenaline rush but unfortunately, it spikes insulin.

Exercise for a healthy skin 

Exercise not only for overall health but to also tone your flabby skin. Exercising will get your insulin working and if that starts working, you will tone the flabby areas in your body. Exercise would also help to increase the secretion of growth hormone responsible for the renewal of muscles.

Manage Stress

Stress management and sound sleep would work wonders on your skin. The stress hormone cortisol is a major culprit in menopausal women for the flabby skin. After the menopause, the production of the estrogen and progesterone is taken over by the adrenal glands.  If the adrenal glands are busy producing stress hormones they would not have the time and resources to produce the sex hormones that are vital for the maintenance of youthful looks.  So take out time for activities that help to keep stress at bay.

To manage stress read on at Overcome Worry, Anxiety and Stress with these 8 Simple Steps 

Ayurveda and flabby skin


Abhyanga in Ayurveda is a great way to tone flabby skin. It is a system of massage by using oils such as coconut oil, almond oil or other medicated oils. This technique gets your blood to circulate better, tightens the tissues and tones the flabby areas. These oils are loaded with antioxidants like Vitamin E which make the skin look younger. Abhyanga also has a relaxing effect on your body and mind and help you sleep better and reduces mental stress.

Diet and Nutrition

Ayurvedic experts also say that warm water is the healthiest and detoxifying liquid. Drinking warm water instead of the cold and normal room temperature every day helps tone and hydrate skin.

Also, Ayurveda recommends eating oranges, lemons, kiwi, strawberries, foods that are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is among the best nutrients for your skin, since it deeply nourishes it and helps your body produce more collagen in order to regain skin elasticity.

People who are insulin resistant should at food using gunas or qualities like cold or hot. Insulin resistant people should select food based on these gunas and individual body type. Herbs like basil, bitter melon, black pepper, fenugreek, ginger, mint and fresh turmeric are also helpful for insulin resistance and great for your skin.