Worried about excess skin

Loosing slowly and strength training are important along with lots of water. You can read about how much water our bodies are actually made of. Sweat isn't weight loss. I am 55 so my skin has lost more elasticity. I use Shea Butter, coconut oil, and homemade cream made with coconut butter. I use straight vitamin E oil on my face at night which has not shown any signs of sagging. I also take vitamin E(if you take this please read about the amount so as not to take to much). Lotions advertised with Cologan won't really help since the cologan is too large to be obsorbed into your skin. I also like Organic Olive Oil. It obsorbes more quickly into the skin and has vitamin A and E. I also use Castile soap since it does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate and does not dry out the skin. I hope some or any of these help. But you are still young and the elasticity in your skin is still very good :-)

hey kaylou
i too have just over 5 stone to lose and am veeeery worried about loose skin. I have been on steroids, high doses, on and off for years and this has already damaged the dermis layer of my skin and left me with stretch marks covering my thighs, arms, belly, lower back, chest. Im worried they will get even worse as the weight comes off its pretty miserable!
This is what Im doing to try and help minimise the loose skin (I can already pinch about a cm of very thin skin on my chest and thighs)
1. Drink plenty water
2. Bio oil on stretch marks
3. Nivea firming moistursiser, pretty much everywhere
4. losing weight slowly, aiming for 1.5lb per week
5. Strength training (weights and resistance exercises) interspersed with all the cardio
6. Wishing very hard!!!
7. Remembering that even if I get the dreaded loose skin, i will look better in clothes than before, and no worse naked than before!

Chin up, keep going, good luck

^^ LIKE

I have the same problem, have lost 66 lbs and boy do I hate the loose skin on thighs and stomach. But #7 above is helping me to feel better about it until it tightens up some ( I hope at least some, haven't done anything with weights yet Guess it's time to start) and I do look better in clothes now, I tell my family and friends they just can't see what underneath LOL)

Wishing you the best!

YES MA'M I think that is good advice to us all:)

COPIED from GET-FIT Guy website

Different layers of your skin have different types of cells, and though the skin cells on the outer part of your skin (the epidermis) are constantly being lost and replaced with new cells, the skin cells under the epidermis are a bit more permanent. These layers of the skin, called the dermis and subdermis, are made up of elastic connective tissues, fibers, blood vessels and all sorts of components that can stretch or contract depending on how they’re treated.
What Happens to Your Skin When You Lose Weight?
When you lose weight, and especially when you lose weight very quickly, these elastic components of your skin not only lose the layers of fat that keep them stretched out over your body, but they also don’t have much time for their elasticity to adapt to your new shape.
In addition to weight loss, age, poor nutrition, dehydration, excessive sun exposure, and smoking can all affect the elasticity of the skin and give you that elephant-like appearance you probably don’t want.
How to Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss
As you lose fat and your loose skin begins to appear, the first rule is: don’t panic! Because it is a living organ, your skin will slowly return to a shape that fits your new body. But since that process can take up to two years, here are steps you can take to make your skin tighten more quickly:
Tip #1: Don’t Lose Weight Too Quickly
In addition to weight loss, age, poor nutrition, dehydration, excessive sun exposure, and smoking can all affect the elasticity of the skin.Crash diets and excessive amounts of time spent exercising can rapidly shed both muscle and fat, resulting in a double-whammy on your skin--the supportive underlying muscular structure that holds skin against your body is lost, as is the fat that keeps the skin stretched out. Quick and dirty tip for not losing weight too quickly: Aim for 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week, and make sure your weight loss program includes weight lifting so that you do not lose lean muscle. Check out more weight lifting and strength training tips here.
Tip #2: Stay Hydrated
Attend to your hydration needs. Water is a crucial component of maintaining skin elasticity. From both food and drink, you should be taking in at least two liters of water each day. A wonderful resource for learning more about proper hydration is this article from Nutrition Diva: How Much Water Should I Drink?
Tip #3: Eat Properly
Two necessary ingredients that keep skin plump and elastic are collagen and elastin. Protein-rich foods such as cottage cheese, milk, legumes, tofu, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish all contain collagen and elastin forming components, as well as oils to help maintain healthy skin. Quick and dirty protein tip: For optimum absorption, squeeze 100-200 calories of these protein sources in immediately after your workout. For more on what to eat when working out, see my article on what to eat before and after exercising.
Tip #4: Take Care of Your Skin
Nourish and care for your skin. Daily exfoliation can help to remove dead skin cells and increase skin circulation. A hot bath with sea salts and minerals can improve skin tone. Skin tightening creams with herbal formulas and ingredients such as aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, yeast extract, soy protein, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A can help to hydrate and increase collagen and elastin formation in skin.
Stay away from harsh detergents, such a sulfates in soaps, shampoos and dishwashing liquids, limit your sun exposure and stay away from tanning booths, and limit your exposure to hot and chlorinated water—all of these things will decrease skin elasticity. Quick and dirty tip: If you swim for fitness, use soap and shampoos that are specially designed to remove chlorine.
When to Consider Surgery for Loose Skin
Skin can only be stretched so far before it looses some of its ability to snap back. If you’ve had a 9-month pregnancy, then you’ll be able to tighten your loose skin. But if you’ve carried a hundred or more extra pounds for many years, you may be a candidate for plastic surgery to tighten and lift loose skin. This fix should only be used in extreme cases, and I should warn you: my clients who have undergone this operation have actually gained more fat afterwards while they were rehabilitating from surgery!
Bottom Line
As mentioned earlier, elasticity of your skin will naturally decrease with age. Though you can address issues such as not losing weight too quickly, staying properly hydrated, eating the right foods, and caring for your skin, you simply have no control over your age! Quick and dirty tip: Rather than letting age stress you out, you should focus on the things over which you have control—like exercising and eating right—and you’ll find that you always look good.
Whether you have a kangaroo pouch, an orangutan chin, or elephant legs, you can use the tips in this article to tighten loose skin or prevent loose skin in the first place.

I would also like to offer dry skin brushing. I am having much success with it. Not only does it excercise your skin sort of speak but it also helps to move your lymphatic system. In addition I use dead sea mudd soap and the actual mudd. I also do not use any harsh chemicals such as lotions (where you can not pronouce the ingredients) on my skin - only natural - essential oils in aloe vera gel. Once a week I take a bath with dead sea salts not only is it relaxing but the salt has lots of minerals in it that help the skin.

Eating lots of unprocessed foods I feel gives you a great advantage also. Along with taking alpha supplements.

Either way I agree with the others that have replied loose skin is still better than the fat and much easier to hide.

Yeah I have always used the dry skin brushing method, I will have to get some dead sea salts, thanks.

Smiles!

dont panic!!!! 10 years ago i weighed 284lb and was a uk size 26. I lost 8stone in 18months and got down to a size 12 and i did not exercise. The little bit of loose skin i did get slowly went back (and i mean slowly) and the only bad bit i was really left with was bingo wings BUT this was mostly because there was still fat in there weighing the skin down.
This year i piled a stone back hence joining here but this time i am doing it with weight training and cardio but seriously dont panic if it doesnt go right back instantly, especially if you lose weight pretty fast. Give it time!!! And yes Vitamin E creams or shea butter does help a little.