afraid of loose skin

sturgeonml2017

I know it's inevitable with 85 lbs to loose but I'm looking for advice on days to help as I go. I've started exercising, Andy lotions to use daily starting now to help in future.

Need2Exerc1se

Don't lose too quickly and stay hydrated. Dry skin will shrink more slowly.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Take care of your skin (no lotions will make it shrink, but keeping it healthy is a good idea). Get enough fluids. Lose slowly. Lift. Pray for the best. Keep your expectations realistic. Don't let fear of loose skin get in the way of improving your health. Loose skin sucks. Being overweight sucks more.

nowine4me

It's futile to fret about what may or may not happen. Focus on getting healthy. If you are 85 pounds overweight (like I was) it's really the least of your worries.

sturgeonml2017

Thank you!

GottaBurnEmAll

Your skin is already stretched. Whether or not it shrinks back is a matter of genetics and how much collagen (or is it elastin... or both?) you have in your skin.

In other words, the damage is done.

Losing weight slowly, moisturizing? None of it will matter.

The fat under the skin is what stretches it out.

As you can probably tell, I have loose skin. I've lost 94 pounds. I really don't care. I'd rather have loose skin than be fat.

One thing I've found is that the areas with loose skin look less stretched out the leaner I get. The more weight you're carrying at goal, the more your skin will be stretched out if you're even going to have stretched skin at all.

I've seen pictures of people who've lost over 100 pounds who have very little loose skin.

Don't worry about it, if it's going to happen, there's really nothing you can do about it.

oocdc2

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

In other words, the damage is done.

Yup. The only thing left to do at this point is own it.

icemom011

Nothing you can really do to prevent that, if it's going to happen at all. It might not. Or be minimal and in places where it's not so noticeable. Try not to worry too much, drink plenty of water, moisturize daily, but don't expect any magic from any fluids or creams. Don't bother spending too much money on it, but work out, you can lift or do body weight exercises, and hope that your genetics are on your side. Ithink being leaner and healthier outweighs having some lose skin. And tey to appreciate your new body the way it is.

Ruatine

I'm 85 lbs down and have some loose skin on my belly and upper thighs. I'm starting to get used to it. Once I am to goal (about 17 lbs away) and have maintained for a couple years, I'll see if I might want to look into surgery to correct it. As others have said, it's largely a matter of genetics and how much weight you have to lose. I'm trying to see the loose skin as a thing to be proud of - it shows just how much hard work I did to get to where I am.

OhMsDiva

I only notice loose skin on my legs. I have been told that I have loose skin on my arms but its not that loose to me nor does it just look or feel like skin. I try not to dwell on it though. I have lost a lot of weight and I am happy that I have done so.

mila_lova

Ruatine wrote: »

I'm 85 lbs down and have some loose skin on my belly and upper thighs. I'm starting to get used to it. Once I am to goal (about 17 lbs away) and have maintained for a couple years, I'll see if I might want to look into surgery to correct it. As others have said, it's largely a matter of genetics and how much weight you have to lose. I'm trying to see the loose skin as a thing to be proud of - it shows just how much hard work I did to get to where I am.

That's what I'm planning to do. Once I reach my goal weight and have maintained it for at least a year I think I'll get surgery for any loose skin.

shadow2soul

As much as I didn't want it, I have it. Though it's not near as bad I expected for the weight I had to lose. I have some on my lower abdomen that can easily be hidden with clothes/bikini bottoms/etc, because of how low it hangs. I hate it and yet I would rather have it then be obese again. I am considering surgery (have actually started to save towards it), but don't plan on it for a least another year or 2.

Top pic is about 2 weeks ago while on the couch.
Bottom right is tonight. That's what my stomach looks like currently when standing up. I have regained a little fat and it was a bit thinner before my regain.
Bottom left is Halloween. I added that to show how I can hide mine to some extent.

edit: I should also add that I lost a bit more than 85 lbs. The pics in the spoiler are around the 130 lb loss mark.

ContemporaryCottage

I have lost 50 pounds and I ront have any loose skin. Drink kits of water. Take a hair skin and nail vitamin and try Shea or cocoa butter. Palmer's has good products.

sgt1372

Just started using a retinol (Vit A) serum and lotion on my lower abs where I developed some loose skin after losing 36# in the past 6 months.

Seems to have tightened things up a bit but there's still some loose skin there and I'm not sure if the retinol (or anything else short of surgery which I really don't want to do) can get rid of it.

Will use up the retinol I bought and, if the loose skin remains after I run out, i won't buy any more unless I want to try it on my face instead. LOL!!!

SCoil123

People can say nothing helps but I found one collagen lotion that did noticably help minel, which was bad on my lower tummy. Mind you I apply it daily and do ab work outs to strengthen the muscles under the skin too. No matter what anyone tells me I know this lotion has improved my looose skin so it is possible to find products that help. It's by Reviva labs and it is pretty cheap on Amazon. It didn't get rid of the loose skin completely but after swearing off bikinis I was finally confident enough to wear one in Maui 2 weeks ago.