loose skin

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saraegentry
saraegentry Posts: 81 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am slowly, but surely approaching my goal weight. I had 2 babies back to back, and gained 50 lbs with each pregnancy. Obviously my skin stretched a lot, and I gained that weight pretty fast. So now that I'm almost down to my goal weight I have lots of loose skin. It's not Biggest Loser type loose skin, not pounds and pounds of skin that needs a tummy tuck to get rid of, but you can definitely tell I have more skin than I need... if that makes sense.

Any products that you can suggest that may help? I've been making sure to put lotion on every day. I read somewhere that doctors recommend you wait 2 years after you reach your goal weight to do anything surgical, so I'm hoping that in a couple years my skin will go back to kinda normal. I honestly don't think it's that bad to warrant surgery, not that we have that kind of money anyway ;)
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Replies

  • kristi223
    kristi223 Posts: 78 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. I've only had one baby but I gained 84 pounds with her. My tummy looks ok as long as I'm standing up, but when I bend over or sit down, there is all this saggy, spongy skin that just kind of hangs down. Kinda gross.....i know! So, I am also looking for any suggestions!
  • DancingYogini
    DancingYogini Posts: 377
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    Well...you are only 25, so I think that it will eventually bounce back. I have had three kids and am 42, and have some loose skin, but I think that unless I have a tummy tuck, it will never go back. It isn't very bad though, and considering I am 17 years older than you I am happy with how it looks. I also put on 50 lbs with my babies :smile: , but had them 3-4 years apart. I honestly don't think there is any product out there that you can put on your belly to make it firmer, no matter how many advertise they can! I think time will fix it for you, as long as you keep up the exercise and keep your weight at your goal. Congrats BTW :drinker:
  • kellybelly113
    kellybelly113 Posts: 60 Member
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    I have loose skin between my legs at the top, I HATE it. It seems no matter how much I work my inner thighs, it won't firm up!
  • coastalstorm25
    coastalstorm25 Posts: 48
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    Hi
    I also had to kids, with my first one I gained 59lbs and with my second one I gained over 60lbs. It really sucked because I actually never eat for 2. I also have loose skin and stretch marks. I use BIO OIL and it actually has made a difference. You have to use at least 3 bottles and apply it without fail everyday before you do see the difference ..but there is one....I've seen one :)
    The loose skin well sorry to say ...unless you get surgery it will be with you forever...it will firm up if you work out your abs...the more defined and cut you become the more your skin will work around those curves of the muscles.
    I've promised my self when I am 40 I am going to have the surgery done...I'm not keeping healthy and in shape for nothing.
    I hope this helps..good luck :)
  • DancingYogini
    DancingYogini Posts: 377
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    I just uploaded two recent pictures of my tummy...I have been doing a lot of work on the elliptical, dancing, and strength training, for 3 straight months. I have also dropped about 17lbs. .Not too bad for an old lady :wink:
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
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    I've been hearing a commercial for Suddenly Slimmer body wraps- in the ad they say "it's not a water loss, so it's permenant".
    I've seen results on a few people I met (but don't know personnaly), and everything does get tighter, but I can't say for how long...:ohwell:
  • daisieschase
    daisieschase Posts: 12 Member
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    I don't know if this will help or not, but it's worth mentioning. I was told about the firming lotion from Mary Kay. A local lady took that lotion and did an experiment on herself. She had really loose skin under her arms after losing weight and applied this cream to one arm only to see if she could tell a difference. In 4 weeks, she wished she had put the lotion on both because the change was dramatic.

    I've never used this product, but I know a lot of ladies who swear by it. Just a thought.
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
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    I am having the same problem. I was 125 when I got pregnant with my daughter, gained 35 lbs, lost down to 135, got pregnant with my son, and after having him I was about 160. My stomach stretched a lot more with him, and it took me longer to lose the weight. So now my stomach is definitely stretched, too, and I don't have any idea how to make it look better. I can do all the toning exercises in the world and you can't tell because the skin is just kinda weird. I am almost at my goal of 130, and my stomach is still a mess... I am wondering if I should get down to 125, because I am afraid it will look even worse. Thinking maybe I should keep 5 extra pounds because it might at least smooth things out??? It's not hanging or anything like Biggest Loser style, but if I bend over, you can definitely see some sag. It's icky. I think I might try that Mary Kay stuff one of the people on here mentioned... No harm in trying. If it doesn't work then fine, but if it does, that would be great.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    I actually asked my doctor about it, and he said take vitamin E, and not to waste my money on special lotions or cremes, because they wouldn't do anything. :( Basically, he put it, if you you get saggy skin,wait it out (also said at least 2 yrs after your goal weight), and then the only option is surgery....was a very depressing day for me. I have not had kids, just a fatty. But I have so many stretch marks from it, that I worry A LOT about my skin not bouncing back. So I'm crossing my fingers.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    ...accidentally double posted lol.
  • lilac67
    lilac67 Posts: 311
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    I've heard exfoliating is great to encourage new skin and vitamin C helps to replenish collegan. If you remove the dead skin cells, it helps them renew and collegen keeps the skin pulled firmly. It may not make you look perfect, but it's a cheap, easy, and painless way to help your body.
  • WalkingGirl1985
    WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,047 Member
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    I don't have kids yet and I'm working on my goal weight. The weight gain during pregnancy is my only concern..because you spend all that time firming up and getting into shape over a 1-2 year period and when you get pregnant all that goes out of the window...BUT I think when it comes to giving birth to your own child, the weight gain is worth every pound. Nothing else means more to you then your own child. I want 2 kids...each at least 3-4 years apart. It gives me time to work off the pregnancy weight in between. At least if i get to 140..if i gain it will be up to 180-190 max (1/2 of the weight I loss)..it can go up but its my guess and i never will get back to my SW of 240 again.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    Skin elasticity is purely genetic. I know people say water or how fast you lose but it's really about genetics. If your skin stretches without stretch marks then you should be fine but once you break the skin it is hard for it to tighten back up because the skin has broken and stretched to accomodate the fat under the skin. I will admit that if you build up enough muscle where the fat once was that it wont look as saggy or may tighten around the muscle but sometimes the fat you lost physically takes up more room then the muscle you may gain to replace that area of lost fat.

    Fat is larger in volume. Muscle is denser but takes up less volume.

    &

    think of skin like this. Have you ever pulled a rubber band to the point where the rubber actually stretches and stays stretched? Well with enough fat or muscle under your skin that will cause stretch marks the more the skins tear. Some peoples skin stretches without stretch marks do to elasticity some skin just reached a point and tears.

    So the longer the skin is torn(stretch marks) with the combination of how much fat or muscle has grown under there applying force to the skin will be the deciding factor as to how much the skin will rebound(tighten back up) if at all.

    The one thing I WISH they would do on the tv show The Biggest Loser is to actually show how everyone looks at the end of the show post weight loss. Some have tons of extra skin and some have little to none. The ones with little to none had the least amount of stretch marks during the show and the ones with the most amount of loose skin are the ones with the most fat lost and the most amount of stretch marks.

    Hope this helps.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    I've heard exfoliating is great to encourage new skin and vitamin C helps to replenish collegan. If you remove the dead skin cells, it helps them renew and collegen keeps the skin pulled firmly. It may not make you look perfect, but it's a cheap, easy, and painless way to help your body.

    This is true. Lotions will do nothing to repair the broken/torn skin. The point of a lotion or coco butter is to help prevent the damage to the skin BEFORE it happens not after.
  • poodlepaws
    poodlepaws Posts: 269 Member
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    Once I reach my goal weight I will have lost 120 lbs. I'm already planning on having surgery to remove the extra skin but will need to save for it which will take me 2 years at least anyway!
    Having those babies really screw up your body in one way or another<3
    Wish I had some help for you though.....
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    I am having the same problem. I was 125 when I got pregnant with my daughter, gained 35 lbs, lost down to 135, got pregnant with my son, and after having him I was about 160. My stomach stretched a lot more with him, and it took me longer to lose the weight. So now my stomach is definitely stretched, too, and I don't have any idea how to make it look better. I can do all the toning exercises in the world and you can't tell because the skin is just kinda weird. I am almost at my goal of 130, and my stomach is still a mess... I am wondering if I should get down to 125, because I am afraid it will look even worse. Thinking maybe I should keep 5 extra pounds because it might at least smooth things out??? It's not hanging or anything like Biggest Loser style, but if I bend over, you can definitely see some sag. It's icky. I think I might try that Mary Kay stuff one of the people on here mentioned... No harm in trying. If it doesn't work then fine, but if it does, that would be great.

    The best way to tell if it's truly loose skin versus skin with fat still under it it to pinch the back of your hand. See how thin the skin is on the back of your hand? Now go pinch the hanging or loose skin. If the thickness is the same then it's truly loose skin but if it's thicker then it's still fat & skin.

    The one thing that frustrates me is everyone aims for a goal weight. Forget a goal weight. Aim for a Body Fat % goal. This is what makes a difference. Yes I do have a weight goal BUT I did the math.

    I was 230 lbs with 160lbs of mass. So I then said I want 6-8% body fat and figured I would gain 3-5% mass while dropping weight.

    So take my mass of 160 and add 3%-5%, I end up with 164.8-168lbs of mass. At that rate if I then add 6-8% bf to that, so I come up with 175-182lbs. which is where my weight loss will end and I will end up with 6-8%bf and have enough mass under my skin to take up the looseness.

    95% of people when losing weight shoot for a weight goal. Worst thing you can do. Shoot for a bodyfat goal and then shoot for a place where you are happy with how you look and how your close fit. Not a #.

    Just my 2 cents is all.
  • tinyliz
    tinyliz Posts: 38 Member
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    I just uploaded two recent pictures of my tummy...I have been doing a lot of work on the elliptical, dancing, and strength training, for 3 straight months. I have also dropped about 17lbs. .Not too bad for an old lady :wink:
    Bangin at any age! Your abs look awesome... keep up the good work, it shows.
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
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    I am having the same problem. I was 125 when I got pregnant with my daughter, gained 35 lbs, lost down to 135, got pregnant with my son, and after having him I was about 160. My stomach stretched a lot more with him, and it took me longer to lose the weight. So now my stomach is definitely stretched, too, and I don't have any idea how to make it look better. I can do all the toning exercises in the world and you can't tell because the skin is just kinda weird. I am almost at my goal of 130, and my stomach is still a mess... I am wondering if I should get down to 125, because I am afraid it will look even worse. Thinking maybe I should keep 5 extra pounds because it might at least smooth things out??? It's not hanging or anything like Biggest Loser style, but if I bend over, you can definitely see some sag. It's icky. I think I might try that Mary Kay stuff one of the people on here mentioned... No harm in trying. If it doesn't work then fine, but if it does, that would be great.

    The best way to tell if it's truly loose skin versus skin with fat still under it it to pinch the back of your hand. See how thin the skin is on the back of your hand? Now go pinch the hanging or loose skin. If the thickness is the same then it's truly loose skin but if it's thicker then it's still fat & skin.

    The one thing that frustrates me is everyone aims for a goal weight. Forget a goal weight. Aim for a Body Fat % goal. This is what makes a difference. Yes I do have a weight goal BUT I did the math.

    I was 230 lbs with 160lbs of mass. So I then said I want 6-8% body fat and figured I would gain 3-5% mass while dropping weight.

    So take my mass of 160 and add 3%-5%, I end up with 164.8-168lbs of mass. At that rate if I then add 6-8% bf to that, so I come up with 175-182lbs. which is where my weight loss will end and I will end up with 6-8%bf and have enough mass under my skin to take up the looseness.

    95% of people when losing weight shoot for a weight goal. Worst thing you can do. Shoot for a bodyfat goal and then shoot for a place where you are happy with how you look and how your close fit. Not a #.

    Just my 2 cents is all.

    I do actually have a body fat goal. But a weight goal is much easier to track day to day, so that is generally what I go by, especially when talking with people on here since that is also what most people are going for. And my goal is the last weight that I felt comfortable at, so that is kind of my "place where I am happy with the way I look" that I am going for. Thanks for your 2 cents :)
  • anu_6986
    anu_6986 Posts: 702 Member
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    Ok... this thread scares me. I already have stretch marks and I am yet to have babies! :angry: i don know how i will end up :cry:
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    I do actually have a body fat goal. But a weight goal is much easier to track day to day, so that is generally what I go by, especially when talking with people on here since that is also what most people are going for. And my goal is the last weight that I felt comfortable at, so that is kind of my "place where I am happy with the way I look" that I am going for. Thanks for your 2 cents :)

    So I guess the short answer is work on building a good amount of muscle or "firm up" as best as possible in the areas you feel you have saggy skin and hope its just fat that can be lost and then under that fat you will have a good toned muscle to replace the fat.....

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