Excess skin

luckylange

I know this not a fun topic but I was wondering for those of you that have lost a good amount of weight, if you have excess skin and if you have any recommendations other than liposuction, to get rid or tighten the skin left behind.

TheSatinPumpkin

have it in my upper thigh, upper arms and waist which can be covered with clothes so im happy.

trekkie_bbs

I can only say what I have seen on myself. I took my sweet time losing weight over the past 3 years I lost over 150#'s. Patience, lots of healthy food, lots of water, lots of antioxidant based foods and supplements have made most of that extra skin go away.

Either that or I had no extra skin once I lost all that weight even though I have lots of stretch mark scars that are slowly going away too.

This seamed to work for me. My skin is mostly tight and most people have a hard time believing I weighed almost 300#'s but my photos I have from my past show a different story.

Best wishes and I am not suggesting this as a way to deal with it or that I am positive this worked for me. That being said I do believe that is why I don't have so much excess skin like my Mother does after she lost over 100#'s too. She drinks lots of water but didn't take antioxidants like I did and still do.

Best wishes.

AngelWings0609

^^ That was nice to read, knowing it'll actually get a bit better! I am 27 and I've lost 80+ pounds and I've got a long ways to go yet (279 at the highest to 190-195 now kind of fell off the wagon, starting back up again.. Not 100% sure about the weight right now.) I had a couple c-sections and I was the unlucky one by having a "hang or apron" it's slowly deflating. I was told toning will help also..

Arizona_C

luckylange wrote: »

... if you have any recommendations other than liposuction, to get rid or tighten the skin left behind.

I dont think that liposuction tightens the skin -it sucks out the fat but doesn't modify the skin?!

shaynepoole

TheSatinPumpkin wrote: »

have it in my upper thigh, upper arms and waist which can be covered with clothes so im happy.

I second this and agree with the liposuction comment above - it's not for skin tightening/removal. I'm sure there are products that will claim to tighten up skin, but there are a host of factors that affect it like age, genetics, etc. The plastic surgery options are out there, but the risks - for me - don't outweigh the benefits.

It's really a matter of what you can live with - for me, it was do I want to stay 340lbs and be as unhealthy as I was but have great firm skin? Or be 150 and deal with some loose skin and be the healthiest I've been in my adult life?

I'll go with the loose skin and I look great in clothes... and the people who are lucky enough to see me without clothes? Well they saw 340lb me without clothes and there were no problems then... so no problems now

OP - congrats on your weight loss

Connudiaz

I had a tummy tuck done which helped with the loose skin I had on my abdomen due to having 3 kids and losing 80+ pounds. I would highly recommend it! Yes it hurt more than I would have ever imagined...but I absolutely LOVE the results! When you reach your goal, do some research on some plastic surgeons and go to a couple of consultations!

NessaReh85

I have not lost enough to have too much excess skin yet. I do however want to follow this thread because that is my biggest fear with losing the weight. I always thought I would rather be fat than to have the excess skin just hanging off my midsection & I do not want to have a tummy tuck to get rid of it either.

elisa123gal

I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose. Yet, i love skincare and read about it as a hobby. Losing slow is not such a bad thing, because if you loofa..and moisturize and eat a nutrient rich diet.. the skin will not sag as bad as if you lose fast and wait till your done to start doing something about it..
I watch that Extreme Weightloss program… and that lose skin is what happens when someone loses 100 pounds in a year eating 1200 calories a day.

katematt313

This is what I know. My sister lost 180 lbs and has a lot of excess skin. She has consulted with her MD and several specialists, including a plastic surgeon, and was told that there is really nothing that SHE can do about it other than have the excess skin surgically removed. Everyone is different when it comes to how your skin will respond following significant weight loss. Factors include your age, health, health of your skin, and most importantly - how long you have been obese - the longer it has been, the longer your skin has been stretched out and the less likely it is to retract. So, people who have been obese since childhood will probably have more difficulty than those who were normal weight until their adult years, and have only been obese for the last 5 years or so.

Kate7294

Called an apron. I learned something new. As someone who's lost 63 lbs since last June and a total of 113 lbs. from my highest weight of 262 lbs. to my current 149 lbs. I think sometimes it can have something to do with our genes too. I'm prone to stretch marks so yes I'm developing an apron. I'm trying to learn to accept it and love myself.

flumi_f

Had my bust done last October and stomach / abs are scheduled for June this year. I was overweight all of my life and gained most of it quickly during puberty and have lots of stretch marks. 97kg being my highest weight / 57kg atm on a 157cm frame. I'm work out, but my skin is too ripped to bounce back.

I'm very happy with the results on my bust and am now training to be strong and healthy for the surgery in June. I have accepted the excess skin on my inner / upper arms and thighs. But the bust / abs & stomach need to be done.

I have seen pics of people, who have lost more and their skin bounces back. I think, lots of it is how fast you gained, how long you carried the weight, how ripped your skin is and if you have good genes.

Mccmack

Below is a website that lists foods that help promote healthy skin. No drugs or supplements, just food. I don't have a testimony or experience with this, but trekkie_bbs appears to have had success. Good luck.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/543443-list-of-foods-that-improve-elasticity-in-skin/