Loose Skin: helpful tips?

brb_2013

Hi everyone! At my heaviest I was 320lbs, I'm about halfway to my goal but I already have an "apron" type hang over. This is embarrassing for me so please follow the "if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all" guidelines.

The hang over is low enough to pass my undies and onto my thighs and I've been having trouble keeping the area dry. My work is very active, I nanny for recently mobile infant twins so I'm constantly in motion and this area is quick to get wet and uncomfortable. Yesterday was the first time it sweated through my light colored pants it was horribly embarrassing.

What can I do in the mean time? I may never be able to afford removal and I'm not yet ready to buy anything new (I've thought a pair of Spanx to hold it up higher would help but I'm still actively losing)

I have resorted to placing a folded up paper towel help please!

Unknown

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Lizarking

Gold bond

sand86802

I would try some stick anti perspirant in the area. I used to use that for my thigh when wearing a dress to avoid chaffing and it worked wonders for that... Maybe it will work for your problem too?

brb_2013

sand86802 wrote: »

I would try some stick anti perspirant in the area. I used to use that for my thigh when wearing a dress to avoid chaffing and it worked wonders for that... Maybe it will work for your problem too?

I will have to try, I'm just not sure it could hold up all day. I may have to start bringing extra changes of clothes with me to work.

YvetteK2015

Even though you are still actively losing, you can still buy a piece or two of compression wear. Every show I watch with people who have skin removal surgery, they all wear compression wear before hand to stop the rubbing and chaffing and general uncomfortable feeling. Apparently, it does help somewhat.

ninerbuff

suzannesimmons3 wrote: »

Have you thought of using a sweat blocking deodorants like Mitchum on the area?

Don't block sweat on top of skin. It can cause heat rash to happen.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Compression wear is your best bet. Dry fit even better.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Pusarah

Conpression wear and sometimes if it gets bad I have diaper rash or zinc cream on hand.

2snakeswoman

There are powders that help keep you drier. I use one under my breasts. I can't remember what it's called (not Gold Bond).

I've heard it helps stretched out skin when you massage and/or dry brush it (increases circulation) and do weight lifting. I don't have a lot of personal experience, however.

Geocitiesuser

I know you said you don't want to buy clothing, but something like spanks would be ideal in this situation.

ejsilvi

Hit the weights big time ! And more cardio- look into doing Kettle bell workouts too

try2again

ejsilvi wrote: »

Hit the weights big time ! And more cardio- look into doing Kettle bell workouts too

No offense, but while weights can tone & sculpt, I can't see where it's useful for the kind of skin issues the OP is describing. No amount of muscle fills that out. Always a good idea to lift weights, though.

crowleyed72

I'd listen to ninerbuff had bad experience with deodorants on thighs. Talcum powder did wonders ,butt that was me. Then I found compression clothing an it was even better.

jemhh

A powder like Gold Bond is what helped me.

I have mixed feelings about compression wear. It helps the flopping when being active but wearing it all day every day can be uncomfortable and exacerbate the sweating issue.

2snakeswoman

Hopefully talcum product is no longer on the market; it's associated with ovarian cancer.

middlehaitch

Go with ninerbuff's suggestion and find some dry fit compression wear.

You may prefer slightly loser wear, that is still supportive, for work, and something a little closer fitting for evening if you are going out.

The compression wear will also support the excess skin and fat helping prevent further sag due to gravity.

Massage, dry brushing, exercise, etc, does help with circulation, which in turn helps with cel turnover and nutrient delivery throughout the body, including proteins, collagen, and elastin, and may help with loose skin recovery over time, however @brb_2013 has excess skin and this will do little to resolve her problem.
It may improve the appearance.

Cheers, h.

fit_chickx

Check with your Dr. And insurance company. Some will assist in coverage of plastics if you have medically documented rashes or mobility issues.

lorrpb

Diaper rash cream applied daily will help protect the skin and rashes. Congrats on your loss! Don't let this discourage you, at all. Keep it going.

theowlbox

Talcum powder was associated with ovarian cancer when repeatedly applied to the exterior of the V. Make sure you wash, carefully dry, then apply the gold bond or other powder. Gold bond is medicated but things like shower to shower are just scented talcum powder. Because its warm & moist area will become a huge problem for you and the minute you have a rash or fungal infection there life will suck. Just prep well in am, inspect while in rest room and reapply as needed. Not ideal, but it will help keep your skin intact.

tabletop_joe

Try to stick to natural breathable fibers in your clothing. Maybe something like cotton leggings with a skirt over it.

You might even consider 100% cotton pads in the problem regions, that way you can change out the pads when you get uncomfortable and need to freshen up. If they're quilted cotton, they can be laundered and dried when you do a load of clothes. You may still sweat, but there will be air circulation and bacteria will not be a factor at least. Spanx and other compression garments can be hot and are not a nice fabric, especially if you're concerned about bacteria/smells that result from bacteria. I don't recommend those at all.

LAT1963

Your story got me worried about my future weight loss as I'm menopausal as of last year so I expect crappy elasticity.

I found pop articles about reducing the risk of excess skin. They suggest eating excess protein and taking gelatin (by default is made from beef, if anyone has cultural food restrictions or food sensitivities; if from other animals it will be marked. Same effect regardless of source.) and/or fish oil supplements.

They also say that if you have more than a couple of millimeters raised when you pinch up skin, it means there is still a fat layer there and that if you can get to 20% body fat (women) or 10% body fat (men) the problem may greatly reduce itself.

They also recommend weight lifting. Some sites claim this is recommended not only to plump up your underlying muscle to fill the loose skin more, but also to stimulate subcutaneous collagen production that tacks your skin down to underlying tissue.

Though the articles aimed at prevention, I would imagine these things help if you already have excess skin problems.

Medical sites only discuss surgery. However you must consider a few factors about medical practice--if docs say something is going to work, it has to work and has to have been proven by peer reviewed studies etc. Surgery works to remove the skin problem for all comers over a short period of time with the effect clearly linked to the action. Some of these other methods may work for a small percentage of folk or for folk with a particular genetic make-up, so when they try to study them the effects can be so confounded by other factors that the improvement may not be 'statistically significant' across the general population with widely varying genetics. But, it might work for everyone who has a particular version of gene A a particular version of gene B, so its worth trying in case you are one of those people. Also, something may work fine but there isn't sufficient profit potential in it for anyone to fund the research to prove it.

Anyway, the recommendations of the pop websites seem harmless enough and low-cost enough to try while you consider all these other issues to protect your skin. I'll be trying.

PS-yes, talcum powder causes cancer. I don't think it is legal in the US anymore, but avoid it in the event you come across any.

brb_2013

2snakeswoman wrote: »

Hopefully talcum product is no longer on the market; it's associated with ovarian cancer.

This is why I'm worried to use any powder, but I will do my research and see if there are good talc free options.

brb_2013

YvetteK2015 wrote: »

Even though you are still actively losing, you can still buy a piece or two of compression wear. Every show I watch with people who have skin removal surgery, they all wear compression wear before hand to stop the rubbing and chaffing and general uncomfortable feeling. Apparently, it does help somewhat.

Do you know much about the available products? I worry about bathroom use and the ease of going about my day. I drink a lot of water and tend to wear yoga pants /athletic pants to work because of the activity level.

brb_2013

ejsilvi wrote: »

Hit the weights big time ! And more cardio- look into doing Kettle bell workouts too

I've lost 75, I think I'm doing fine. These won't fix lose skin, to the extent that I already have I know how much worse it will get. It will not bounce back no matter how many weights I lift.
Edit: this is just a problem I've grown to accept. I was too heavy for too long for me to expect it to get "better", the overhang will persist. It may tighten on my arms and thighs but the belly is just how it will be. Accepting is a part of my journey.

I eat a nice amount of protein and have reached a point where my home workouts aren't challenging anymore so I've joined a gym and will be moving on from body weight to true weight lifting. Just didn't have the resources beyond a 15lb dumbell at home. But I know that won't fix the problem I already have.

brb_2013

tabletop_joe wrote: »

Try to stick to natural breathable fibers in your clothing. Maybe something like cotton leggings with a skirt over it.

You might even consider 100% cotton pads in the problem regions, that way you can change out the pads when you get uncomfortable and need to freshen up. If they're quilted cotton, they can be laundered and dried when you do a load of clothes. You may still sweat, but there will be air circulation and bacteria will not be a factor at least. Spanx and other compression garments can be hot and are not a nice fabric, especially if you're concerned about bacteria/smells that result from bacteria. I don't recommend those at all.

Thank you VERY much, this addressed most of my concerns and I hadn't thought of a reusable towel type option, I think I could make that work. I worry about Spanx and compression clothing just for the ease of bathroom use, I drink tons of water and need trips to be quick because I'm a nanny of infant twins recently mobile!

LAT1963

I think lowly cornstarch probably does a good job as a talcum powder substitute. I don't think it has any known toxicity--but for that reason in pure form it isn't antibacterial. (pop article on that here: http://www.womansday.com/style/beauty/a54342/cornstarch-makeup-trick/)

So look for cornstarch in products intended for skin (a search for 'skin cornstarch' came up with a bunch of products from well-known companies eg Goldbond). Presumably these have antibacterial agents added.

brb_2013

fit_chickx wrote: »

Check with your Dr. And insurance company. Some will assist in coverage of plastics if you have medically documented rashes or mobility issues.

I'm looking for options to improve comfort now through the end of my journey. I'm no where near a reasonable goal weight so it's just not even on the radar to involve doctors. Looking for day to day comfort ideas. Thanks though I highly doubt I will ever get a doctor approval, I think those cases are for people who have lost even more than I will have and have it hanging to their knees

nutmegoreo

brb_2013 wrote: »

fit_chickx wrote: »

Check with your Dr. And insurance company. Some will assist in coverage of plastics if you have medically documented rashes or mobility issues.

I'm looking for options to improve comfort now through the end of my journey. I'm no where near a reasonable goal weight so it's just not even on the radar to involve doctors. Looking for day to day comfort ideas. Thanks though I highly doubt I will ever get a doctor approval, I think those cases are for people who have lost even more than I will have and have it hanging to their knees

I don't have anything to add what others have said. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your refreshing attitude. Don't write of surgical support. One of the things they look at is if it is causing complications for you. By the time you are at your goal, that may be the case for you. I wish you all the best!

jgnatca

No to all the powders! They chafe.

This is the wisdom from my post bariatric community.

Wicking fabrics, good.

Spandex keeping it all tucked in, good.

https://www.bodyglide.com

The runner community here have noted that Vaseline works well and is a lot cheaper than the bodyglide.

At home at night keep the area clean and dry.

My sympathies, and I promise you, you are not alone.

brb_2013

lorrpb wrote: »

Diaper rash cream applied daily will help protect the skin and rashes. Congrats on your loss! Don't let this discourage you, at all. Keep it going.

I think accepting that my journey is to health not to a certain appearance is huge. I haven't noticed any rash or irritation it's just uncomfortable for now, but I'm taking notes and figuring out what's reasonable to spend money on now that will just keep the day to day more manageable. Thanks for your support! I've been 25lbs lighter than I am now before, but never lighter than that so I'm eagerly working toward uncharted territory, just expecting this overhang to increase!