Extra Skin after Weightloss- Curious

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Ahzuri
Ahzuri Posts: 272 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'll be 24 next month and I've got over 100lbs to lose, I was thinking about how I will probably have extra skin hanging off me after I reach my final goal weight. What I was wondering is there any way (I know losing slowly lessens the amount) to tighten that skin up or will my body since I'm still young be able to handle it on its own? At the moment I'm pretty much planning on surgery to tighten up my skin because it would drive me loony to have it stay there, I'm really hoping my body handles it on its own! What have your experiences with this been as you've lost weight?

Replies

  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
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    you are lucky, you are young and as you work out over time, that skin will tighten up. Just wait till your old like me and have to work even harder to get that skin from being so lose.
  • messyhare
    messyhare Posts: 366 Member
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    I'm wondering the same thing.

    I think it partly has something to do with how you carry your weight now. Mine isn't so much flabby fat as it is firm - I have muscle under it. I'm HOPING that a firmer fat (does that even make sense??) might result in less saggy skin.

    I will watch this post now for expert answers :wink:
  • Ahzuri
    Ahzuri Posts: 272 Member
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    Hmm possibly, I carry a lot of my weight in my stomach, thighs and upper arms so hopefully my body can take care of it. Guess we will have to wait and see if someone knows for sure :)
  • redefiningmyself
    redefiningmyself Posts: 476 Member
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    I haven't gotten there myself yet, but I used to go to WW meetings, and had a great leader who had lost over 100 pounds. She looked fabulous and never had surgery to deal with her skin. She advised people to use moisturizer every day all over. And after the shower, only gently pat yourself dry instead of rubbing. She felt it helps the process of the skin tightening. Also, she said the skin will take longer to tighten then the weight will to come off. For her it took another year or so till she was happy with it.

    So I've been moisturizing already and hopefully her methods work as I don't intend to get surgery (looks too painful) but I don't want flappy hanging skin either.

    *fingers crossed...*
  • jeanywren
    jeanywren Posts: 72 Member
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    When you are young, and if you exercise, even walking will tighten up the excess skin. Just don't lose it too fast. Partly because it wont stay off if you do, and also to give your body time to adjust.
  • bikerbiz
    bikerbiz Posts: 179 Member
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    Stay hydrated, lose gradually (the recommended 1-2 lbs/week), and it should not be a problem.
  • Ahzuri
    Ahzuri Posts: 272 Member
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    Thanks guys, I will defiantly keep this information in mind as I try to lose weight :)
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
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    You are young, so this is a good bonus for having a chance of it recovering. I am 31 and my skin is recovering very well. Every person is different, so I can't say your experience will be the same, but I've lost weight very gradually over the last 2 yrs and have had good nutrition, drink plenty of water (which I could drink even more), take lysine supplements, massage grapeseed oil daily to keep skin hydrated (especially the girls, lol), build muscle to attach to skin, eat plenty of protein to help muscle building, etc. To have the best chance, you have to do everything the right way, which is what you want for long-term weight loss anyway. I hope this is encouraging instead of discouraging. It is high maintenance, but in the end it is very worth it to say that you did all you could to prevent the skin, imo. :)
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I'll be 24 next month and I've got over 100lbs to lose, I was thinking about how I will probably have extra skin hanging off me after I reach my final goal weight. What I was wondering is there any way (I know losing slowly lessens the amount) to tighten that skin up or will my body since I'm still young be able to handle it on its own? At the moment I'm pretty much planning on surgery to tighten up my skin because it would drive me loony to have it stay there, I'm really hoping my body handles it on its own! What have your experiences with this been as you've lost weight?

    Skin is amazing stuff. Nobody knows how it grows and multiplies, it stretches to incredible lengths, added to all that it lets water out (sweat) but does not let water in (rain) because it is waterproof.

    If you lose weight carefully and look after yourself, it may be all you need. You are young, your skin will be nice and elastic.

    Give it a chance and see how it fares before you go for any surgery, let's face it, your life will be tons easier if you do not have to go under the knife xxx
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
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    I left out a couple other things I do, lol. I also exfoliate my skin with a natural sugar and honey scrub. The ingredients are so cheap, I can use the scrub very generously to really work it over my skin. This in addition to helping the appearance of stretch marks, also rids your skin of dead cells and helps circulation. ...Now I don't know if this is actually scientific, lol, but it also appears to break up fatty tissue and fatty deposits better on my body. I swear it's helped me (along with exercise) to almost completely rid my body of cellulite.

    I've also heard that sugar is really bad for skin rejuvination, that it hinders collagen production, but again, I'm not sure as I have not researched this... something to be concerned about anyway.

    Eat foods that have the nutrients that help with collagen production, namely vitamin A and I believe potassium. Anyhow, I know that spinach, seaweed (especially seaweed), and tomatoes are all very good for skin health. Oh yeah, good fats are really good for skin too, such as fish oils. I eat salmon and tuna quite a lot.

    Sorry to go on and on, but I hope this will be useful to you. :)
  • JMun
    JMun Posts: 409
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    I'm 32 with about 90 lbs to loose and I'm totally freaked out about saggy skin.

    So far I haven't lost enough weight to really notice a huge change in my skin.. I can feel a difference in my "muffin bottom" and the skin is juuuuust starting to sag ever so slightly but the fat is getting less dense and actually after an intense work out I swear I can feel it melting away.

    Will start to exfoliate and moisturize proactively... good thread :)
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
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    I'm being very wordy, but I felt I needed to clarify my last post, lol. When I said the bit about sugar being bad, I of course meant eaten, not the external scrub, but I'm sure you all figured that out, lol.
  • wiseg2
    wiseg2 Posts: 210 Member
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    Lose slowly (1-2 lbs per week). At first you will lose more than that per week since you have a lot to lose.

    Make sure to do strength training along the way so you tone up.
  • sassiebritches
    sassiebritches Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I lost 80 lbs when I was 26 years old and i did not have saggy skin.....amazing what young elastin and collegen does for that. I worry now that I am 37 what will happen, I have a large stomach.......this flappy thing....hoping I don't.....

    You will be fine, be sure to tone and exercise, lotsa lotion :)
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    I lost 70 lbs when I was 19, and I still have some sagging skin on my upper arms ; ( It took me a yr to lose the weight.
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    I agree with moisturising every day. Try and find a lotion that is marketed to firm your skin. In the UK there is one by Palmers called 'Firming Butter'. It contains Shea Butter, Collagen, Elastin and Vitamin E. It's not expensive.

    I'm not saying that it performs miracles, I've never had 100lbs to lose, but I'm in my 40's and have nice skin. I've used moisturisers all my life tho :bigsmile:

    Also, toning exercises build a good frame for your skin to sit on :wink:

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • VCStarr
    VCStarr Posts: 155
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    Working it off slowly does help. Also try Vitamin E. It helps skin. Beyond that talk to a doctor. But I looked it up and found these tips. If they really work I don't know.

    #1
    Think of how long it took your body to reach your highest weight. It didn't happen overnight, so you can't really expect your skin to become taut in such a short space of time.

    Many surgeons recommend waiting two years from the day you reach your weight loss target before even considering surgery. This allows you to exhaust all options available naturally before entering into a costly and potential dangerous operation.
    #
    2

    Nourish your skin and encourage it's elasticity. Exfoliate your skin daily to encourage removal of dead skin cells. Doing this each day will stimulate your skin's circulation which should help in tightening skin up.
    #
    3

    Treat yourself to a hot hour-long bath once or twice a week. While the bath is being drawn, add 1/2lb of pure sea salt to the water and allow it to dissolve. Besides relaxing your body and muscles, it will draw toxins out of your skin and will improve your overall skin tone.
    #
    4

    Determine what your body fat percentage is. It's impossible to differentiate loose skin from body fat without this figure. Many gyms are able to assess your body for this.
    #
    5

    While you may have reached your goal weight, it's possible that your body fat percentage is still high. In order to reduce this, you should strive to change your body's composition by reducing fat and replacing it with muscle. If you haven't done so already, speak to a gym or a personal trainer to work on an exercise plan which will help you achieve this.
    #
    6

    Aloe vera extract, soy protein and yeast extract can improve your skin's elasticity by increasing your body's production of elastin and collagen. It not only tightens your skin but your skin's natural defenses as well.
    #
    7
    Coconuts can help tighten your skin up!

    Coconuts can help tighten your skin up!

    Eating raw food such as cucumber, tomato, olives and coconut can mark an improvement in your skin's elasticity.
    #
    8

    Hyaluronic Acid is naturally found in our body's tissues. It depletes over time, so it's worth supplementing your diet with some. It is critical for muscle growth, so if you're replacing pounds of fat with muscle, it's definitely worth taking. Smokers tend to be lacking this nutrient. It needs magnesium to synthesize, so ensure you're taking magnesium daily to reap its benefits.


    Prevent Loose Skin After Weight Loss

    * Exercise regularly to tighten and tone problem areas
    * Follow a healthy diet plan
    * Do resistance training 3 times a week to build new muscle for the skin to adhere to
    * Count calories
    * Don’t follow an extremely restrictive diet
    * Drink a lot of water
    * Lose weight slowly
    * Talk to your doctor about healthy weight loss options

    Ways to Tighten Loose Skin After Extreme Weight Loss

    * Continue to exercise regularly
    * Concentrate on strength training exercises
    * Eat lean poultry and other proteins with each meal
    * Try over-the-counter creams to tighten the loose skin
    * Consider surgical options to remove hanging skin
    * Change your BMI to tighten loose skin
  • Doordie
    Doordie Posts: 51
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    Great thread! I've noticed that it typically affects the arms and belly on most folks with major weight loss . Meaning the skin hangs most on arms and sometimes stomach after success. So I've worried that this will be the case with me. However, I think there have been some great tips here to help minimize and hopefully prevent all together!

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