Will I have sagging skin after weightloss?

I think you should try to remember that IF you do end with some loose skin there is a great chance at your age that it will get tighter BUT it could take 2 years for that.. however I have seen older people with bigger losses have hardly any loose skin - honestly, I KNOW I will have some loose skin but the good points of losing weight outweigh the bad for sure

If you don't lose the weight too quickly or take extreme measures to lose weight, and depending on how long your body has been at that weight, your skin should shrink with your body as you lose weight. However, there are no guarantees....

I plan on doing a lot of swimming and work with weights. After I have increased my fitness level with 30 day shred and walking the dog for a couple hours a day. I am hoping that the toning in tandem with weightloss will help saggy skin

i've heard it can depend on age, weight, amount of time you were overweight, genetics, water, exercise...etc.

There's no way to really know if your skin will bounce back or not. I've been obese for over 10 years and assume my body is going to look like a deflated air mattress hung over a coat rack by the time I lose all my weight. If I have loose skin, I'll still be happy to have lost that weight and improved my health.

As a trainer at my gym told me - if you get sagging skin, fill it up with muscle.

I have been 308 lbs ( in 2009 at higest pregnant you my son) Today i weight 185 lbs and want to lose about 4o lbs more! If you weight train then you should tighten up and not have much sagging skin for me its work pretty good right now. I thought my arms would for sure have lots of extra skin becuase they were well over 20 inches when I started out and now there about 14 inches but no there is a bit of extra skin but with weight training it is slowly getting tighter. You may have some but let me tell you it will feel alot better then just staying fat and it all depends how much you want it, it will take time but im sure you can get there If you want a friend you help motivate you add me I can always use some more motivation as well.

When I lost weight at 22 I had loose skin around my thighs, stomach, arms, and breast. It's not fair and was one of the reasons I gained the weight back because I didnt expect it. I think it depends on a bunch of factors including genetics, starting weight, and how you lose the weight. Sometimes especially if you have a lot of weight to lose you cant prevent it. Accept it and move foward that it could be a possibility. Do not let it hinder your progress! Better to have loose skin and feel good about your accomplishment and look good in clothes. Besides does flab really look more hot naked than loose skin?

God invented surgeons for a reason if, and I hope it doesnt happen to you, that happens. Just think though in one day you can get a kick *kitten* rack and a tight tummy.

It's going to depend maybe 80% on things that are either out of your control (genetics, age) or past your control (how much you have to lose, how long you've been overweight, etc). But, there are a few things you can do to at least give yourself the best possible chance. Like others have said, losing slowly is probably the most important. Lifting weights will help at least give the illusion of more toned skin by filling the space and giving you definition. Stay moisturized/hydrated inside and out - make sure to lotion up every day (you could try a firming lotion but they're probably mostly worthless for anything beyond a basic moisturizer) and drink plenty of water. I've also seen it recommended to eat lots of healthy fats and/or take fish oil capsules. None of those are magic bullets but certainly none will hurt you to try. Also, remember that after a significant weight loss it can take up to 2 years for your skin to reach it's final state - once you get there, just keep lifting and maintaining and hopefully your skin will continue to improve if it needs to.

Alysha -

Congratulations on deciding to get healthier! I think once you start to lose some of your excess weight and see how good it makes you feel, a little loose skin will stop troubling you so much. Even so, there are some things you can do to try and minimize how much extra skin you have, and to get rid of it quickly.

First, make sure to lose weight at a healthy pace. This site is great for encouraging you to only lose up to 2 pounds a week, so if your food diary says you are eating too few calories, pay attention. Crash dieting and losing weight too quickly is unhealthy for many reasons, but also does not give your skin enough time to adjust to your size change. Vanity might encourage us to lose as much as we can as quickly as possible, but in the long run, we will look better (skin-wise, especially) if we keep to a moderate pace.

I would also suggest you exercise as well as watching your diet. By replacing some of your fat mass with muscle mass, you should have less skin hanging around. Also, anything that makes your whole body healthier will have an effect on making your skin healthier and more able to snap back.

Be sure to take care of your skin with moisturizer, but also be sure to drink plenty of water! Water, water, water! Keeping well-hydrated will do much more for your skin health than a whole bottle of Jergen's ever could.

You are pretty young, so you should have a good amount of collagen and elastin in your skin, which will work in your favor. You can try eating healthful protein-rich foods to bump up your body's production of these two substances.

Hope this is helpful, and best of luck to you!

-V.

I don't have very much loose skin at all, and I'm 40, soon to be 41. I think lifting weights has helped me a great deal with that.

edited to add: I actually started losing weight in January 2012, but joined MFP in June. I did not lose 72 pounds in 6 months!! then for sure I would have sagging skin LOL

So glad you posted this. I was just worrying about this yesterday. I'm down thirty since last year (20 since October 2012) and really would rather stay chubby than have saggy skin. I dont plan to get too small, only about 170 is my goal weight but I am glad to see these posts on things that could help. My hubby agreed I could get a bit of surgery after I reached goal if I wanted... so there is always that option. Thanks for the post though, really helpful!

How long did it take you to lose the 100lbs congrats by the way