Bingo Wings & Loose Skin following weight loss : What Actually Works (And What’s Just Marketing)

If you’ve lost weight with weight management medications and suddenly noticed “bingo wings” or loose skin on your arms, stomach, thighs, or lower face — you’re not imagining it, and you’re definitely not alone.

We’re getting asked this constantly.

And here’s the honest truth: there are real solutions… but they depend on what you’re dealing with. Some people still have fat in the area. Some have mostly loose skin. Some have the “deflation effect” (fat loss + muscle loss), which makes the arms look worse even though the scales are going down.

This blog explains, in plain English:

• Why loose skin happens after weight loss (including  tirzepatide and semaglutide)

• How to tell the difference between fat vs loose skin vs muscle loss

• What genuinely helps bingo wings (and what is basically snake oil)

• Non-surgical treatment options and realistic outcomes

• When surgery is the only proper “gone-gone” answer

• A practical 12-week plan to start improving arms now

• FAQs people are googling at 2am

Important note: This is general information, not personal medical advice. If you’re taking prescription weight management medication, always follow your prescriber’s guidance and disclose your medical history during consultation.

Weight Management Medications

• Weight management medications (including tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and semaglutide (Wegovy))

First: Does tirzepatide and semaglutide (Mounjaro and Wegovy) “cause” loose skin?

No.

Loose skin happens because your body size changes — sometimes quickly — and your skin doesn’t always “shrink” at the same pace. This can happen with any significant weight loss: lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery, illness, or weight loss injections.

What tirzepatide and semaglutide can do (because it helps weight loss) is speed up the process. And rapid loss increases the chance that your skin can’t keep up.

So if someone says, “Mounjaro gave me bingo wings,” what they really mean is:

“My weight has dropped faster than my skin elasticity can adapt.”

That’s not failure. That’s biology.

Why bingo wings happen after weight loss

“Bingo wings” is usually a mix of these three factors:

1. Residual fat There’s still fat sitting in the upper arm area, especially under the triceps.

2. Muscle loss This is massive with fast weight loss. If appetite drops and protein intake drops, people can lose muscle along with fat. That leaves the arms looking softer, emptier, and less supported.

3. Skin laxity Skin has fibres (collagen and elastin) that determine firmness and “bounce back.” If the skin has been stretched for years, or the person is older, or there’s sun damage, smoking history, or genetics — it may not fully retract.

   
   

Most people are not one or the other. They’re a blend.

That’s why random treatments often disappoint: you can’t treat “skin” when the main problem is muscle loss… and you can’t lift weights into a miracle if the main issue is true excess hanging skin.

Quick self-check: Is it fat, skin, or both?

Try this simple check at home (no judgement, no shame, just information).

The pinch test

• If it feels thick, dense, and “full” when you pinch it → there’s likely still fat there.

• If it feels thin, crepey, wrinkly, papery → more skin laxity/texture.

• If it’s a fold that hangs and doesn’t change much even when you tighten your arm → that’s true excess skin.

  
  

The “flex test”

• Flex your triceps (straighten the arm and tense).

• If the area firms up significantly → muscle building will help a lot.

• If it stays loose and hangs regardless → skin laxity is the main issue.

  
  

The “weight stability” factor If someone is still actively losing weight rapidly, it’s too early to judge the final skin outcome. Skin can remodel gradually after weight stabilises.

What actually works for bingo wings (non-surgical)

Let’s be blunt: the best results come from a combination approach. But if you want the highest-impact options, here they are — ranked.

1) Resistance training (the #1 non-surgical fix)

If your client does nothing else, this is the one.

Why it works:You’re not “spot reducing” fat (that’s a myth). You’re improving the shape and support under the skin. When muscle tone improves, the arm looks tighter and more lifted.

The biggest mistake we see post-weight loss:People keep trying to lose more weight to fix bingo wings — but the arms look worse because they’re losing muscle too.

Simple upper-arm plan (2–3 times per week):You don’t need a gym model routine. You need consistency.

• Tricep press-downs (band or cable)

• Overhead tricep extensions

• Incline press-ups (wall/bench)

• Rows (band/dumbbell) to improve overall arm contour

• Shoulder presses (light weights, controlled)

Timeframe:Most people notice a real change in arm shape in 8–12 weeks if they stick to it.

2) Protein intake (stop the “deflation effect”)

Mounjaro can reduce appetite so effectively that people accidentally go very low calorie and very low protein. That’s a fast track to losing muscle.

If you lose muscle, the arms can look looser because there’s less “structure” beneath the skin.

Practical protein advice:

• Aim for regular protein across the day (not one sad shake at midnight).

• Choose protein you can tolerate (because appetite changes are real).

If someone is unsure what they should be doing, they should speak to their prescriber or a qualified nutrition professional — especially if they have kidney disease, liver disease, eating disorder history, or complex health conditions.

3) Skin tightening and skin quality treatments (helpful, not magical)

Here’s the straight answer clients need:

Non-surgical treatments can improve firmness and texture.They do not remove significant hanging excess skin.

So they’re great for:

• Mild to moderate laxity

• Crepey texture

• Early “looseness” after recent weight loss

• People who want improvement without scars/downtime

  
  

They’re NOT great for:

• Large folds of hanging skin

• People expecting a surgical-level change

  
  

Common non-surgical options used for body laxity include:

• Radiofrequency (RF) tightening (usually a course)

• Microneedling (medical grade) for texture and quality

• RF microneedling (stronger collagen stimulation in suitable candidates)

• Skin-quality injectables (protocol depends on product and assessment)

“We aim for improvement in firmness and skin quality. If your goal is to remove hanging skin completely, a surgical consultation is the right route.”

Want personalised advice?

Feel free to contact us at No.1 Urban Aesthetics — we’ll be happy to support and advise you on your skin journey.