Causes of loose or crêpey skin of the abdomen.

It is rare that some damage of the abdominal skin is so severe to cause loss of elastin, although it does occur in some people with fair skin who either live abroad in very sunny climates or sunbathe excessively. Smoking, although affecting the body internally, tends not to affect the skin of the abdomen as much as it does the face.

Therefore when we see loose or crêpey skin of the abdomen, it is usually because the skin has become overstretched at some stage, and then there is not enough elastin, or the elastin has been destroyed, and so the skin cannot stretch back to form a smooth covering.

You may have seen this effect with rubber or an elastic band. If you stretch it a little, it's springs back to exactly the same form as it was originally. You can keep stretching it more and more, knowing that it will always return back to the same original form.

However, there is a certain point where the elastic band or rubber stretches beyond its natural elastic point, and does not return to the normal shape. At this point, the elastic or rubber feels and is seen to be different in texture - the elasticity of the tissue having been destroyed.

The same happens to the skin of the abdomen if it becomes overstretched. If you put on a bit of weight, or have a heavy meal, the abdomen becomes rounder. If you then lose weight or don't eat for a day or two, the abdomen becomes flatter and the skin remains taut and smooth covering it.

However if there is extensive swelling of the abdomen, such as after a large pregnancy, dramatic weight gain and then loss either by dieting or liposuction, the skin can have been stretched past its elastic limit and does not return fully to its smooth and taut normal shape.

Instead, such skin appears to be loose or like crepe paper - thin with very fine wrinkles. This is often called crêpey skin.

Unfortunately, it is very common to have such skin particularly after pregnancy and women are often told there is nothing that can be done for it.