Loose skin from dieting - any advice?
lgfrie
Posts: 1,449 Member
Wife and I have lost 40+ pounds and are in our 50's, and ... we're discovering that 55 year old skin isn't exactly 20 year old skin and there seems to be a looooot of it LOL. Especially thighs and stomach area. We're a bit bummed out because we both have 50 more pounds to go and cannot even imagine what that's going to look like. She ordered some collagen, which is supposed to help a little. Short of going under the knife, anyone have suggestions how to tighten up (or really, do anything useful about) this issue?
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Replies
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to some degree over time your skin will shrink, but everything else is just wishful thinking. i have lost 66 pounds over time, and while i'm not thrilled about the loose skin, it's better than the fat was. for a while, i had lost 100 pounds, and the loose skin wasn't as bad as i feared.
to some degree, you can fill some of the areas with loose skin muscle if you work out, but that's going to depend on how much and how intensely you work out and your preferences.
i had a pregnancy at 20 where i put on some weight and the baby bump was high and protruded a lot. i had loose skin and stretch marks afterward that went away a little gradually after years, but it didn't go all the way away even though the stretching happened at 20.
some people say genetics is a part of this. obviously there's not much to do about that.4 -
Age and/or genetics as well as amount of weight lost and the length of time the person was overweight seem to be determining factors. Tl;dr? It'll be what it'll be.
For me, personally, I lost 75 lbs at age 60. It took a few years, but everything gradually and eventually tightened up. Don't have the body of a 20 year old, but I don't look like a deflated balloon, either. The one thing I did do while I was losing weight was use a good body moisturizer. No clue if it helped or not, but I figured it couldn't hurt.
Keep in mind that even if your skin doesn't bounce back, the health benefits of having lost the weight far outweigh the potential downside of having saggy skin. And if it really bothers you, surgery is an option.
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High dose liposomal vitamin C taken orally is (apparently) clinically proven to increase skin elasticity. You could try that. I have been taking it myself for a year and I can feel the difference in my skin quality, though it has made no discernible difference in the small amount of loose skin under my arms.3
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Yeah, this is a big frustration for me... I lost over 240 pounds and currently am about 13% body fat but you wouldn't know looking at me. I DO look like a deflated balloon
Your skin can tighten up some as mentioned above and mine has a little over the last 2 years - but not near as much as I hoped. I'm considering getting a tummy tuck or body lift but not sure I want to go into debt for that. My primary care doctor asked me if I wanted to be an underwear model, I answered "no", and his reply was "then wear a t-shirt"! (he was joking, but obviously wants to discourage me from getting elective surgery as there is always a risk)
Obviously, I am happy to live with the loose skin instead of being my old self!15 -
At least wait before worry.
Many of us (like me, then at age 59) look worse part way to goal than we will at goal.
That's because fat mass often gets squishy before it's well depleted (it doesn't neatly melt away from the outer layer first, then proceed inward; depletion site is random). The squishy fat conspires with gravity to keep skin stretched, so it can't even start shrinking.
True loose skin is thin wrinkles, like wrinkles in medium weight fabric. (Think about how the skin looks when you pinch some up on a bony part, like a kneecap.) If it's 1/2" + folds or rolls, there's still subcutaneous fat.
After fat depletion, once skin's down to the thin wrinkles, it can start to shrink. Mine kept shrinking at least into year 2 of maintenance, possibly beyond. Now, at age 63, around 50 pounds lighter than I'd been for several preceding decades, I don't think I look materially saggier than always-thin women my age.
In my opinion, about all you can do to help the situation (besides patience) is keep skin healthy. What keeps skin - an organ - healthy is the same old boring stuff that keeps all organs healthy: Not losing weight excessively fast (physical stressor), sound nutrition, sensible exercise (strength and cardio), adequate hydration, stress management, etc.
Best wishes to you and your wife!13 -
I looked at collagen but I was never going to be borderline on loose skin and there were enough people having fairly significant side effects that I decided not to spend my money on it. I do moisturize but that has more to do with caring for the skin and keeping it from damage because it takes inordinately long to heal.
They say going slower helps and not that long ago @PAV8888 and I were discussing it and thought it was probably because losing weight at a lower rate of speed gives the skin a chance to tighten as you go and you wouldn't get to the end and be unhappy. That would only apply I think if you are a borderline case. However, after thinking about it and considering my own situation I believe there is another issue for some people. Depending on your fat distribution it is possible that the fat is holding up the skin and if it prevents it from hanging you will have better blood flow. The reason mine can take 3 weeks to heal with even a minor injury is because it hangs low now. I am certain, however, that there was not a rate of speed I could lose and avoid skin removal surgery entirely. Even if there was I would have been foolish to pursue it because I was at such a high mortality risk. I am still at risk but it is declining daily. Of course if I die during skin removal surgery I have chosen incorrectly.7 -
He ordered some collagen, so I am guessing that it is a powdered protein supplement. Not a surgical procedure. I use it as it is 43kcal for 11 g protein.I looked at collagen but I was never going to be borderline on loose skin and there were enough people having fairly significant side effects that I decided not to spend my money on it. I do moisturize but that has more to do with caring for the skin and keeping it from damage because it takes inordinately long to heal.
They say going slower helps and not that long ago @PAV8888 and I were discussing it and thought it was probably because losing weight at a lower rate of speed gives the skin a chance to tighten as you go and you wouldn't get to the end and be unhappy. That would only apply I think if you are a borderline case. However, after thinking about it and considering my own situation I believe there is another issue for some people. Depending on your fat distribution it is possible that the fat is holding up the skin and if it prevents it from hanging you will have better blood flow. The reason mine can take 3 weeks to heal with even a minor injury is because it hangs low now. I am certain, however, that there was not a rate of speed I could lose and avoid skin removal surgery entirely. Even if there was I would have been foolish to pursue it because I was at such a high mortality risk. I am still at risk but it is declining daily. Of course if I die during skin removal surgery I have chosen incorrectly.
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I've read there is some dermatological evidence for DMAE helping.
The anecdotes seem to be that there's an up to 2 year lag on skin achieving maximum elasticity from when it was lost.
Other anecdotes claim that skin improves on a bulk following weight loss, but I'd imagine that is really just it being filled back out rather than the skin itself improving.0 -
I looked at collagen but I was never going to be borderline on loose skin and there were enough people having fairly significant side effects that I decided not to spend my money on it. I do moisturize but that has more to do with caring for the skin and keeping it from damage because it takes inordinately long to heal.
They say going slower helps and not that long ago @PAV8888 and I were discussing it and thought it was probably because losing weight at a lower rate of speed gives the skin a chance to tighten as you go and you wouldn't get to the end and be unhappy. That would only apply I think if you are a borderline case. However, after thinking about it and considering my own situation I believe there is another issue for some people. Depending on your fat distribution it is possible that the fat is holding up the skin and if it prevents it from hanging you will have better blood flow. The reason mine can take 3 weeks to heal with even a minor injury is because it hangs low now. I am certain, however, that there was not a rate of speed I could lose and avoid skin removal surgery entirely. Even if there was I would have been foolish to pursue it because I was at such a high mortality risk. I am still at risk but it is declining daily. Of course if I die during skin removal surgery I have chosen incorrectly.
Could you clarify what significant side effects you've heard about re: collagen? I looked around the web after reading your post, and all I see is a few sites mentioning rare GI upset and such. I have UCTD so I'm always cautious about supplements & their potential side effects, but everything I see about collagen looks pretty benign. However, I always try to err on the safe side.1 -
Willing & able to consider surgery? If so, that's always an option if the loose skin doesn't tighten up suffiently over time.
FWIW, I'm 68 and lost 40# 3 yrs ago and have maintained that wt loss over that period of time.
The wt loss, my age and my genetics left me a little bit of loose skin on my lower abs and in my behind that conveys a less than "ideal" image than I prefer and I actually considered getting a tummy tuck and b*tt lift but decided that it just wasn't important/bad enough to do that.
However, if it was a Biggest Loser type situation, there is no doubt that I would have chosen to undergo the knife.
That's a personal choice each person in that situation has to make for him/herself after s/he has achieved and maintained his/her goal wt for a reasonable period of time (at least 2-3 yrs IMO).0 -
I looked at collagen but I was never going to be borderline on loose skin and there were enough people having fairly significant side effects that I decided not to spend my money on it. I do moisturize but that has more to do with caring for the skin and keeping it from damage because it takes inordinately long to heal.
They say going slower helps and not that long ago @PAV8888 and I were discussing it and thought it was probably because losing weight at a lower rate of speed gives the skin a chance to tighten as you go and you wouldn't get to the end and be unhappy. That would only apply I think if you are a borderline case. However, after thinking about it and considering my own situation I believe there is another issue for some people. Depending on your fat distribution it is possible that the fat is holding up the skin and if it prevents it from hanging you will have better blood flow. The reason mine can take 3 weeks to heal with even a minor injury is because it hangs low now. I am certain, however, that there was not a rate of speed I could lose and avoid skin removal surgery entirely. Even if there was I would have been foolish to pursue it because I was at such a high mortality risk. I am still at risk but it is declining daily. Of course if I die during skin removal surgery I have chosen incorrectly.
Could you clarify what significant side effects you've heard about re: collagen? I looked around the web after reading your post, and all I see is a few sites mentioning rare GI upset and such. I have UCTD so I'm always cautious about supplements & their potential side effects, but everything I see about collagen looks pretty benign. However, I always try to err on the safe side.
It was 9 months ago so my memory is fuzzy on it now. I remember that some people reported back some really bad skin reactions but I do not remember the specifics. Of course what is "bad" to one person may be barely noticeable to another. As I said I knew significant loose skin was inevitable for me so I was not pursuing it that hard.0 -
I looked at collagen but I was never going to be borderline on loose skin and there were enough people having fairly significant side effects that I decided not to spend my money on it. I do moisturize but that has more to do with caring for the skin and keeping it from damage because it takes inordinately long to heal.
They say going slower helps and not that long ago @PAV8888 and I were discussing it and thought it was probably because losing weight at a lower rate of speed gives the skin a chance to tighten as you go and you wouldn't get to the end and be unhappy. That would only apply I think if you are a borderline case. However, after thinking about it and considering my own situation I believe there is another issue for some people. Depending on your fat distribution it is possible that the fat is holding up the skin and if it prevents it from hanging you will have better blood flow. The reason mine can take 3 weeks to heal with even a minor injury is because it hangs low now. I am certain, however, that there was not a rate of speed I could lose and avoid skin removal surgery entirely. Even if there was I would have been foolish to pursue it because I was at such a high mortality risk. I am still at risk but it is declining daily. Of course if I die during skin removal surgery I have chosen incorrectly.
Could you clarify what significant side effects you've heard about re: collagen? I looked around the web after reading your post, and all I see is a few sites mentioning rare GI upset and such. I have UCTD so I'm always cautious about supplements & their potential side effects, but everything I see about collagen looks pretty benign. However, I always try to err on the safe side.
It was 9 months ago so my memory is fuzzy on it now. I remember that some people reported back some really bad skin reactions but I do not remember the specifics. Of course what is "bad" to one person may be barely noticeable to another. As I said I knew significant loose skin was inevitable for me so I was not pursuing it that hard.
Tnx. I'll go dig into that a little further.
Skin reactions don't phase me too much. I'm vigilant about things with potential autoimmune impact, which it doesn't sound like collagen has, but I'll have to research this some more.
I have to admit the loose skin thing has come as a bit of a shocker. I guess I knew it was coming "eventually" but not after 45 pounds. I thought of it more as a 100 pound thing. Time for a mental adjustment while I continue the course.0 -
@NovusDies, re the losing slower conversation.
My thoughts are that losing slower means you are getting more nutrients, including protein. Both collagen and elastine are proteins that are used in skin elasticity, the more protein; the better nourished you skin is.
(Some kind of support wear, not as rigorous as Spanxs, would/could probably help support the skin that is being dragged down by excess fat giving the skin a better chance of retraction over time. Less long term stress.)
Moisturizing cream massages.
In general these help the outer layer of skin look better. What you are also doing when massaging in the cream is increasing circulation. Increasing circulation helps with cell turnover, this in turn helps in healing and in general better nutrient distribution including collagen and elastine to the skin. (Cardio, or even frequent movement, help with this too)
I think for most of us gaining enough muscle to fill out empty skin is a dream when you think of how hard it is to gain muscle. However, I do think using and strengthening your existing muscles (they look bigger, more pump, without adding extra muscle, took me a long time to get that one) plus a bit of muscle gain, can help our loose skin hang better on our bodies compared to it hanging off flaccid, underused muscle, bone, and remaining fat. Again, weight lifting type exercises help with improving circulation too.
Collagen’s matrix changes as we age, no matter what we do, treating our bodies well, movement and nutrition, gives us our best chance for a good, not perfect, outcome.
Have to say, the above are my thoughts derived from a number of good research papers that have been posted and hashed out over my 10 years on this site.
Not a scientist, researcher, or health pro myself.
Cheers, h.
PS: never underestimate the power of good posture.4 -
I looked at collagen but I was never going to be borderline on loose skin and there were enough people having fairly significant side effects that I decided not to spend my money on it. I do moisturize but that has more to do with caring for the skin and keeping it from damage because it takes inordinately long to heal.
They say going slower helps and not that long ago @PAV8888 and I were discussing it and thought it was probably because losing weight at a lower rate of speed gives the skin a chance to tighten as you go and you wouldn't get to the end and be unhappy. That would only apply I think if you are a borderline case. However, after thinking about it and considering my own situation I believe there is another issue for some people. Depending on your fat distribution it is possible that the fat is holding up the skin and if it prevents it from hanging you will have better blood flow. The reason mine can take 3 weeks to heal with even a minor injury is because it hangs low now. I am certain, however, that there was not a rate of speed I could lose and avoid skin removal surgery entirely. Even if there was I would have been foolish to pursue it because I was at such a high mortality risk. I am still at risk but it is declining daily. Of course if I die during skin removal surgery I have chosen incorrectly.
Could you clarify what significant side effects you've heard about re: collagen? I looked around the web after reading your post, and all I see is a few sites mentioning rare GI upset and such. I have UCTD so I'm always cautious about supplements & their potential side effects, but everything I see about collagen looks pretty benign. However, I always try to err on the safe side.
It was 9 months ago so my memory is fuzzy on it now. I remember that some people reported back some really bad skin reactions but I do not remember the specifics. Of course what is "bad" to one person may be barely noticeable to another. As I said I knew significant loose skin was inevitable for me so I was not pursuing it that hard.
Tnx. I'll go dig into that a little further.
Skin reactions don't phase me too much. I'm vigilant about things with potential autoimmune impact, which it doesn't sound like collagen has, but I'll have to research this some more.
I have to admit the loose skin thing has come as a bit of a shocker. I guess I knew it was coming "eventually" but not after 45 pounds. I thought of it more as a 100 pound thing. Time for a mental adjustment while I continue the course.
I'll concur with @AnnPT77 that the mid-point seems to be the worst. So it might not be as bad as you're thinking in another 40 or 50 pounds.
I lost a total of 75 pounds from my highest weight to my current weight, and definitely looked WAY lumpier, bumpier, and saggier 35-40 pounds heavier than I am now. Worse than where I started. I do have some loose skin, most prominent on my hips/flanks and lower stomach but it's not worth having surgery for. Plus I'm only beginning maintenance, so I still have hope for the future, lol.5 -
I'm 54 and I've lost 64 lbs so far, and the biggest problem right now for me is under my armpits extending to my "moobs" , but I have found weight training is helping. I still have 36 to go for my goal, so hoping for the best. It all depends on genetics, your initial starting weight, age..etc ..I gained my 100 lbs from a very muscular 185 lb frame over the last 18 years and I have always had a very physical job, so I think that helps too since I always had the muscle underneath the blubber. I wouldn't worry about it yet though.0
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This was helpful, especially hearing the mid-point might be worse than finally reaching goal. I have 100 lbs to lose. At the start of the journey, again. I'm 52 now and nervous about the sagging skin.2
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I looked at collagen but I was never going to be borderline on loose skin and there were enough people having fairly significant side effects that I decided not to spend my money on it. I do moisturize but that has more to do with caring for the skin and keeping it from damage because it takes inordinately long to heal.
They say going slower helps and not that long ago @PAV8888 and I were discussing it and thought it was probably because losing weight at a lower rate of speed gives the skin a chance to tighten as you go and you wouldn't get to the end and be unhappy. That would only apply I think if you are a borderline case. However, after thinking about it and considering my own situation I believe there is another issue for some people. Depending on your fat distribution it is possible that the fat is holding up the skin and if it prevents it from hanging you will have better blood flow. The reason mine can take 3 weeks to heal with even a minor injury is because it hangs low now. I am certain, however, that there was not a rate of speed I could lose and avoid skin removal surgery entirely. Even if there was I would have been foolish to pursue it because I was at such a high mortality risk. I am still at risk but it is declining daily. Of course if I die during skin removal surgery I have chosen incorrectly.
Could you clarify what significant side effects you've heard about re: collagen? I looked around the web after reading your post, and all I see is a few sites mentioning rare GI upset and such. I have UCTD so I'm always cautious about supplements & their potential side effects, but everything I see about collagen looks pretty benign. However, I always try to err on the safe side.
It was 9 months ago so my memory is fuzzy on it now. I remember that some people reported back some really bad skin reactions but I do not remember the specifics. Of course what is "bad" to one person may be barely noticeable to another. As I said I knew significant loose skin was inevitable for me so I was not pursuing it that hard.
Tnx. I'll go dig into that a little further.
Skin reactions don't phase me too much. I'm vigilant about things with potential autoimmune impact, which it doesn't sound like collagen has, but I'll have to research this some more.
I have to admit the loose skin thing has come as a bit of a shocker. I guess I knew it was coming "eventually" but not after 45 pounds. I thought of it more as a 100 pound thing. Time for a mental adjustment while I continue the course.
Loose skin is not an everyday conversation so even starting as heavy as I did I only learned about it in the -50 pound range and by -80 pound it was substantial enough that my PCP sent me to a plastic surgeon for a consult. He evaluated the skin where most of my fat accumulated and said that any tightening there for me would be negligible. I am not sure what will happen in the areas where less fat accumulated. Loose skin in other places has really just be showing up recently and the skin is in better shape. I hope it tightens given enough time but who knows since I still have some distance to cover to get to whatever my goal will be.1 -
middlehaitch wrote: »@NovusDies, re the losing slower conversation.
My thoughts are that losing slower means you are getting more nutrients, including protein. Both collagen and elastine are proteins that are used in skin elasticity, the more protein; the better nourished you skin is.
(Some kind of support wear, not as rigorous as Spanxs, would/could probably help support the skin that is being dragged down by excess fat giving the skin a better chance of retraction over time. Less long term stress.)
Moisturizing cream massages.
In general these help the outer layer of skin look better. What you are also doing when massaging in the cream is increasing circulation. Increasing circulation helps with cell turnover, this in turn helps in healing and in general better nutrient distribution including collagen and elastine to the skin. (Cardio, or even frequent movement, help with this too)
I think for most of us gaining enough muscle to fill out empty skin is a dream when you think of how hard it is to gain muscle. However, I do think using and strengthening your existing muscles (they look bigger, more pump, without adding extra muscle, took me a long time to get that one) plus a bit of muscle gain, can help our loose skin hang better on our bodies compared to it hanging off flaccid, underused muscle, bone, and remaining fat. Again, weight lifting type exercises help with improving circulation too.
Collagen’s matrix changes as we age, no matter what we do, treating our bodies well, movement and nutrition, gives us our best chance for a good, not perfect, outcome.
Have to say, the above are my thoughts derived from a number of good research papers that have been posted and hashed out over my 10 years on this site.
Not a scientist, researcher, or health pro myself.
Cheers, h.
PS: never underestimate the power of good posture.
All of that seems to make good common sense. Also loofah sponges are among the things recommended as a preventative measure. Some care should be taken with the loofah though. I scrubbed a little too vigorously on an area and... well... I will spare everyone the details.
It would be good for anyone on the border or just over to consider taking as many measures to mitigate it as is reasonable or affordable. It was never going to help me in my main area and I made my peace with it a long time ago.1 -
I had extra skin after losing weight, but over time it got better. I'm happy with the way it's now, very minor issues. Definitely not surgery worthy for me. I lost over 75 lbs and almost 3 years in maintenance. I'm good sleeveless or super short sleeves and even relatively short shorts, not that i wear them often, but i can, lol. My stomach is tight enough too. I used moisturizers and body lotions, not necessarily expensive ones. But i always felt that the light massage is also helpful, so two birds when you are applying it. Didn't take any supplements or pills.2
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I am 15 pounds from my 70 pound loss and im sure ill have loose skin in my stomach area. But I am always clothed so it doesnt bother me much. I do use shea butter so it will atleast be smooth saggy skin.0
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