Post loss surgery for excess skin?
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augustremulous wrote: »Out of curiosity, are there any products out there to use while you're losing that will help?
No. There is no product that will shrink your skin, only ones that shrink your wallet.0 -
Karenford21 wrote: »How can you tell when it is really excess skin v. still some fat? Someone told me that skin is very thin, when I look at myself, or the people on the follow up show to 600 pound life, it looks like fat to me. I have lost 70 pounds, am down to 142 (5'3"), and I know I have more to go.
I have found the easiest way to tell is to bend down and let it sag. My loose skin sort of reminds me of a plastic bag with a cup of water in it. checkout the obese to beast video on loose skin-youtube-it will give you a better idea.0 -
happimess1 wrote: »augustremulous wrote: »Out of curiosity, are there any products out there to use while you're losing that will help?
from what i have read so far, cocoa butter is suppose to help. I personally use a cocoa butter body wash everyday but only when i reach my goal weight will i find out if it worked.
Cocoa butter is good for stretch marks and scars. It's not going to get rid of fat or loose skin.0 -
augustremulous wrote: »Out of curiosity, are there any products out there to use while you're losing that will help?
The only thing that has ever worked for me is Bio-oil after shower and when it's absorbed, Vitamin E cream on top (before bedtime). Kinda greasy imo (I only like using light creams), but not as bad as many alternatives and sooo worth it... really helps for my stretchmarks and making my skin elasticity bounce back. I might pick up some of that pregnancy stretchmarks cocoa butter that people keep raving about to see if I can replace the Vitamin E cream with that.0 -
jabberwocky918 wrote: »augustremulous wrote: »Out of curiosity, are there any products out there to use while you're losing that will help?
The only thing that has ever worked for me is Bio-oil after shower and when it's absorbed, Vitamin E cream on top (before bedtime). Kinda greasy imo (I only like using light creams), but not as bad as many alternatives and sooo worth it... really helps for my stretchmarks and making my skin elasticity bounce back. I might pick up some of that pregnancy stretchmarks cocoa butter that people keep raving about to see if I can replace the Vitamin E cream with that.
whoops, forgot link: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/genes-vitamin-e-creme-16oz/157674.ip0 -
I wasn't prepared for the loose skin deal after my weight loss surgery. I've been maintaining for going on two years now. I've been working out more and trying hard to increase my muscle mass. I do feel weak often. I ramp up the protein and try hard to eat a balanced diet. What I don't like is the wrinkles associated with the loose skin and I suppose at my age (60 in two weeks) I will just have to accept that I am healthier now and try to focus on the positive. I did use the Bio oil on my surgical scars and it worked great....you can hardly tell I had any kind of surgery. I have not tried to use it on my loose skin or wrinkles, I use Udder Cream everywhere...or plain cheap Suave Smoothing with cocoa butter and Shea body lotion. I'm not fond of strong perfumes and scents.0
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I lost 150 pounds over the last two years. I am 33, mobile, in good health. I have extensive skin sagging on my mons pubis (TMI?), stomach, breasts and thighs. You can see some on my neck if you know what to look for, but most people don't.
A lower body lift runs about 10k for a very good surgeon (American. There are qualified surgeons in Mexico and India, but I am concerned about over site?). I think it is closer to 15 for a full body lift. 20-25 for full body plus breast implants. I hope to have my 10K saved over the next two years, but no guarantees.
It is a bit of a mind *kitten* to be honest. It took a decent amount of time to acclimate to my new body and fact, I would have these waves of dissociation and lack of identity when I lost the weight (I had been overweight since 3rd grade, it was my normal).
Then, even if you have the cash, one surgery usually won't cover the whole deal. How can it? Dealing with accepting it is part of the 'major weight loss journey' of self love. It can feel like, "I did all this work, I want to look good outside of clothes." It is also an issue if you are dating, and now I feel like I will have to introduce the idea of my saggy skin up front, which is about as awkward as it gets. One of the reasons I dragged my feet on weight loss is that I knew I would look like a melted candle after, and that can be hard to take.
I work in the beauty industry, and meet flawless people who hate themselves all day. I am significantly less flawless than them, but I loved myself enough to endure losing 150 pounds, then I can push it to loving myself even with saggy skin. Honestly, It feels soft and squishy, which is kind of pleasant. I know there will be men who reject me outright because that is a deal breaker for them, but people reject others for many reasons. I hope at some point I meet someone who is 100% cool with it. Even better if that person is me.
But if you are not prepared for the reality it can feel like a backhanded punishment for all your hard work, which it isn't. It is simply cause and effect. And since most of the time we caused it, owning it can be difficult.
It feels better to know others struggle with it too.
PS - Consider Daily Dry Brushing. Making sure to oil/moisturize your skin daily is helpful as well. It does not cause miracles, but it does help increase the circulation your skin gets. Many people over dry their body skin by using sulfates in their body wash.0 -
dopeysmelly wrote: »I lost 60 lbs in about 9 months, which was a 1/3 of my body weight. I had loose skin on stomach, thighs, arms, neck etc. Nothing too significant but it was noticeable. Except for my stomach, which is still a bit loose but from having my daughter years ago, it all tightened up by itself. I didn't do anything special, just kinda average workouts, no creams or potions. I didn't even notice the saggy skin had gone, until my husband pointed it out. My advice is to wait for at least a year, then reassess. The body can be pretty amazing without any help.
I agree.
I have, unfortunately, lost 60+ lbs twice - hoping the 3rd time will be the charm. Both prior times my skin shrunk back on its own - and it shows every sign of doing so again this time (at age 59). I suspect it has more to do with skin genetics and amount lost than it does with age, speed of weight loss, exercise, or any other controllable factor
(FWIW, I lose weight very quickly - this time 44 lbs in 5 months, and kept the weight off 5 and 3 years, respectively. My skin shrunk pretty much simultaneously with the weight loss.)0 -
It sounds similar to me with the body yoyo.
At 15 I was 200lbs size 18, dropped to 140 size 9/10
at 25 was a size 18 again (212 lbs)
Lost 62lbs got down to 150, slight loose stomach but found if I just put on muscle under it and kept lean mass high it made it not look tooo bad.
Got pregnant and was back to 204.
Now am 160lbs and my stomach is weee bit softer then it used to be. I am hoping if I cut down another 20lbs then try to put on 10lbs of muscle that it will again keep the loose skin held tight. Due to rapid loss post baby though I am not sure how I will end up.
I have pictures in my profile.0 -
eatingfatbeingfat wrote: »I lost 150 pounds over the last two years. I am 33, mobile, in good health. I have extensive skin sagging on my mons pubis (TMI?), stomach, breasts and thighs. You can see some on my neck if you know what to look for, but most people don't.
A lower body lift runs about 10k for a very good surgeon (American. There are qualified surgeons in Mexico and India, but I am concerned about over site?). I think it is closer to 15 for a full body lift. 20-25 for full body plus breast implants. I hope to have my 10K saved over the next two years, but no guarantees.
It is a bit of a mind *kitten* to be honest. It took a decent amount of time to acclimate to my new body and fact, I would have these waves of dissociation and lack of identity when I lost the weight (I had been overweight since 3rd grade, it was my normal).
Then, even if you have the cash, one surgery usually won't cover the whole deal. How can it? Dealing with accepting it is part of the 'major weight loss journey' of self love. It can feel like, "I did all this work, I want to look good outside of clothes." It is also an issue if you are dating, and now I feel like I will have to introduce the idea of my saggy skin up front, which is about as awkward as it gets. One of the reasons I dragged my feet on weight loss is that I knew I would look like a melted candle after, and that can be hard to take.
I work in the beauty industry, and meet flawless people who hate themselves all day. I am significantly less flawless than them, but I loved myself enough to endure losing 150 pounds, then I can push it to loving myself even with saggy skin. Honestly, It feels soft and squishy, which is kind of pleasant. I know there will be men who reject me outright because that is a deal breaker for them, but people reject others for many reasons. I hope at some point I meet someone who is 100% cool with it. Even better if that person is me.
But if you are not prepared for the reality it can feel like a backhanded punishment for all your hard work, which it isn't. It is simply cause and effect. And since most of the time we caused it, owning it can be difficult.
It feels better to know others struggle with it too.
PS - Consider Daily Dry Brushing. Making sure to oil/moisturize your skin daily is helpful as well. It does not cause miracles, but it does help increase the circulation your skin gets. Many people over dry their body skin by using sulfates in their body wash.
@eatingfatbeingfat Could not have said it better myself. I was super worried about the whole dating thing too.. and having to 'introduce' it at some point. Never was an issue... granted.. I only dealt with one guy after.. and we are getting married in a little over a month.
I had to work on the not viewing my skin as a punishment. You don't really see/hear of that side very much.. especially when you see seemingly flawless women on the cover of magazines in bikinis next to the headline 'MAJOR 100+ WEIGHT LOSS. SEE HOW THEY DID IT!'
Slowly working on it though. Honeymoon in June.. I plan on wearing my first two piece ever.. (always have been overweight). It has taken me 3+ years in maintenance to be comfortable with it.. but all in your own time.0 -
Weight lifting will definitely help tighten up the loose skin. Just give it some time and you'll notice the improvement.0
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LindzMiche wrote: »eatingfatbeingfat wrote: »I lost 150 pounds over the last two years. I am 33, mobile, in good health. I have extensive skin sagging on my mons pubis (TMI?), stomach, breasts and thighs. You can see some on my neck if you know what to look for, but most people don't.
A lower body lift runs about 10k for a very good surgeon (American. There are qualified surgeons in Mexico and India, but I am concerned about over site?). I think it is closer to 15 for a full body lift. 20-25 for full body plus breast implants. I hope to have my 10K saved over the next two years, but no guarantees.
It is a bit of a mind *kitten* to be honest. It took a decent amount of time to acclimate to my new body and fact, I would have these waves of dissociation and lack of identity when I lost the weight (I had been overweight since 3rd grade, it was my normal).
Then, even if you have the cash, one surgery usually won't cover the whole deal. How can it? Dealing with accepting it is part of the 'major weight loss journey' of self love. It can feel like, "I did all this work, I want to look good outside of clothes." It is also an issue if you are dating, and now I feel like I will have to introduce the idea of my saggy skin up front, which is about as awkward as it gets. One of the reasons I dragged my feet on weight loss is that I knew I would look like a melted candle after, and that can be hard to take.
I work in the beauty industry, and meet flawless people who hate themselves all day. I am significantly less flawless than them, but I loved myself enough to endure losing 150 pounds, then I can push it to loving myself even with saggy skin. Honestly, It feels soft and squishy, which is kind of pleasant. I know there will be men who reject me outright because that is a deal breaker for them, but people reject others for many reasons. I hope at some point I meet someone who is 100% cool with it. Even better if that person is me.
But if you are not prepared for the reality it can feel like a backhanded punishment for all your hard work, which it isn't. It is simply cause and effect. And since most of the time we caused it, owning it can be difficult.
It feels better to know others struggle with it too.
PS - Consider Daily Dry Brushing. Making sure to oil/moisturize your skin daily is helpful as well. It does not cause miracles, but it does help increase the circulation your skin gets. Many people over dry their body skin by using sulfates in their body wash.
@eatingfatbeingfat Could not have said it better myself. I was super worried about the whole dating thing too.. and having to 'introduce' it at some point. Never was an issue... granted.. I only dealt with one guy after.. and we are getting married in a little over a month.
I had to work on the not viewing my skin as a punishment. You don't really see/hear of that side very much.. especially when you see seemingly flawless women on the cover of magazines in bikinis next to the headline 'MAJOR 100+ WEIGHT LOSS. SEE HOW THEY DID IT!'
Slowly working on it though. Honeymoon in June.. I plan on wearing my first two piece ever.. (always have been overweight). It has taken me 3+ years in maintenance to be comfortable with it.. but all in your own time.
Yeah I don't see my loose skin as a punishment, it is just disappointing. It wasn't a factor I had really considered, I still wouldn't want to gain the fat back, but it isn't something you see when people talk about losing 100lbs...0 -
I think it also depends on how damaged the skin may be and how healthy you are. I just started picking back up my weight loss journey with great hopes to be in Mexico next summer for reconstructive surgery.0
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dopeysmelly wrote: »I lost 60 lbs in about 9 months, which was a 1/3 of my body weight. I had loose skin on stomach, thighs, arms, neck etc. Nothing too significant but it was noticeable. Except for my stomach, which is still a bit loose but from having my daughter years ago, it all tightened up by itself. I didn't do anything special, just kinda average workouts, no creams or potions. I didn't even notice the saggy skin had gone, until my husband pointed it out. My advice is to wait for at least a year, then reassess. The body can be pretty amazing without any help.
I agree.
I have, unfortunately, lost 60+ lbs twice - hoping the 3rd time will be the charm. Both prior times my skin shrunk back on its own - and it shows every sign of doing so again this time (at age 59). I suspect it has more to do with skin genetics and amount lost than it does with age, speed of weight loss, exercise, or any other controllable factor
(FWIW, I lose weight very quickly - this time 44 lbs in 5 months, and kept the weight off 5 and 3 years, respectively. My skin shrunk pretty much simultaneously with the weight loss.)
I lost 75 pounds over three to four years when I was age 56 to 60.
It left no sagging or loose skin. Also I neve got stretch marks from my two pregnancies where I weighed about the same as my start weight for that post menopause weight loss.
So I agree it has a lot to do with genetics of the skin strength. Also maybe the longer time losing contributed to the lack of skin hanging?
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My stomach area is a hot mess after gaining weight and having two kids (both c-sections). Genetics are also not on my side (my mother is very small and thin, but has always had "the pooch"). I have stretch marks AND a long scar from a separate abdominal surgery a couple years ago (cancer related). My belly fat sags, and is also permanently numb because of the c-sections. I fear no matter how much I lose or work out to gain muscle and toning in that area, it will still require surgery. I'm down 18 pounds thus far, and plan to lose another 100. At that point I'll start wearing Spanx every day to lose the perma-bump in my clothes, and begin saving $$ for a tummy tuck.0
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I really, really appreciate all of the responses. It seems like the saggy or loose skin is as individual as anything else, I just have to wait and see what the outcome will be. Thanks again0
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Weight lifting will definitely help tighten up the loose skin. Just give it some time and you'll notice the improvement.
Not the case for everyone. Some people go past the point of no return and no amount of weight training will help.
For the main poster without seeing the amount of loose skin I can't really make a judgement call on this. What I would do is go to your doctor and ask them if its possible for your loose skin to bounce back, they should have a general idea if what you need is time or surgery.0 -
im no expert but thought: why don't you go to a health food store and try a product called 'CLA' before you consider surgery ... its also quite possible to tone up some of the excess skin by weight training
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broseidonkingofbrocean wrote: »Weight lifting will definitely help tighten up the loose skin. Just give it some time and you'll notice the improvement.
Not the case for everyone. Some people go past the point of no return and no amount of weight training will help.
For the main poster without seeing the amount of loose skin I can't really make a judgement call on this. What I would do is go to your doctor and ask them if its possible for your loose skin to bounce back, they should have a general idea if what you need is time or surgery.
Agree with bro!!!
I lost about 125 lbs and kept the weight off for over 10 years while working out and lifting weights and no amount of weights or cardio helped the loose skin on my tummy or inner thighs. I didnt like the tummy but the thighs bothered me the most because it was visible in anything I wore that was cut above the knee...I ended up going for plastic surgery consult and they had me do the tummy first because they needed a good "anchor" for when they did the thigh lift.
I have since had both the thighs and tummy and dont regret having surgery for one minute. The thighs still have some dimpling that I guess will never go away but the droopy skin is much better. My belly came out great and I even ended up having another baby (surprise) after the tummy tuck and the belly eventually went back to how it was after tummy tuck..
Good luck and congrats on weight loss!0 -
I lost about 93 pounds with MFP, but around 130 all together within a period of almost a year and a half. This was my second weight loss attempt (lost it all the first time and then gained it all back plus some). I'm 29 and have never had kids.
I wasn't prepared for the loose skin. I knew it could happen, but I'm young and never had saggy skin problems with my previous weight loss, so I never thought it would be an issue. But now it is, and I'm at 27-30% body fat and want to get down to 17-22%, so I know the saggy, loose skin is going to get worse before it gets better. Its the worst at my breasts which look like deflated balloons or raisins after going from a 40-something F to a 34 DD. My thighs are pretty bad too. I'm starting to get some loose skin on my underarms, but it doesn't look that bad yet. Ironically I store most of my fat in my belly and its one place that doesn't have loose skin - of course its where I still store most of my body fat, so going down in body fat percentage may change all that.
I know I can't do anything about it right now until I get to where I want body fat wise and then I'll have to play the waiting game to see if my skin is going to catch up, but I hate the way it looks. Especially on my breasts. And given the fact that I'm not married and don't have a boyfriend, I'm pretty subconscious about it. At 29 I've never had a boyfriend and I've only ever been asked out twice in my life. Guys were just never into me. This weight loss was supposed to be my fix for being healthy and becoming more attractive. Now I wonder if I'm ever going to find anyone that wants me, even being skinny, because of having all this saggy, loose skin. I know surgery can fix it, but I don't know how I'd ever be able to afford it.
Right now I'm going to the gym to try to loose body fat and build muscle. Wether they work or not, I am trying several other things to try to help my skin out. I use a collogen cream daily. Every other day I use a shea butter sugar scrub on areas where I have loose skin or fear that loose skin will develop (like my belly). Afterwards the skin feels much tighter, but gets lax and goes back to being saggy in a hour or so - however the loose skin on my chest above my breasts does seem to have gotten tighter over the past month. I also periodically rub aloe or olive oil onto my saggy areas. I have also been considering starting to take a multi vitamin high in omega 3s, vitamin E, and C as these are supposed to help with your skin, or eating more of things that have these nutrients in them naturally. I also started doing some massage to the areas that I have loose skin. Maybe these things will help, maybe they won't, but I'm willing to try to take a shot.0
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