Excess Skin after weight loss
talinaklocke
Posts: 42 Member
Okay so I know that excess/saggy skin is just something that is to be expected after weight loss. My question is does anyone have any tips on ways to help your skin shrink/tighten as you lose the weight? Like ways to target certain areas, best exercises to help tighten areas, any advise at all is appreciated. I'm only 3 months out and already noticing just how saggy my uppers arms are getting, so I'd really like to target that area the most. I know eventually I will probably want to have surgery to get rid of some excess skin but they say it's best to wait 2 years before doing so. In the mean time I want to be doing all that I can to tighten up my skin during this process.
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I have reduced the cardio time in the gym and replaced it with weight training, hoping to fill out my arms with muscle to reduce the sagginess.
So far my main loose skin has been around my stomach and the backs of my thighs. My arms have been doing OK (can actually see some bicep definition without the inch of fat around them!
I am sure the vast majority of people looking at us are not looking for the flaws, but admiring the new overall package, which is fantastic.
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Loose skin can be inevitable, but to what degree depends on a lot of factors - age, how much your overall loss is/will be, if you are getting enough protein and water, level of exercise, etc. I have lost 208 lbs and I have a LOT of loose skin, and that's even with doing all the right things. Do I love it? It's not my favorite thing that I have going on lol... but I am happy and healthy and feel great, and I can dress myself around the excess skin until the time I decide to do something about it. Keep doing all the right things, and that will be your best bet to keep it to as much of a minimum as possible.0
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My surgeon's office says that the biggest factors in excess skin are: Age, Amount of weight lost, and Genetics. That being said, I'm 47, I've lost 180lbs. I definitely have some loose skin on my arms, legs and stomach. It's not as bad as I would have thought it could be, but also not as good as I'd like. Then again even without the weight gain and loss, I'm almost 50 years old so expecting to have the tight skin of a 20 year old is pretty unrealistic to begin with. Exercise, stay hydrated and also give it time. Sometimes, at least for me, there is a lag between losing the weight and the skin tightening up again. (I had surgery almost 3 years ago.) Same with my husband on the lag time.0
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I'm in my late 50's and so far have lost 164 pounds. I'm not to goal yet and I have a lot of loose skin. I expect it will just continue to get worse as I lose more. If I lose it all I will have lost 220 pounds. How could I not have loose skin. Since my upper arms are now folding over my elbows and my thighs are folding over my knees, I also expect that I will develop the same kinds of issues most of us have on our tummys where the skin hangs, those wonderful rashes. If that's so, I may be able to get my insurance company to cover reconstructive surgery. At least I hope so.0
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I don't think there is much you can do. Your skin is either going to snap back some or none at all, depending on the factors that the other commenters have noted above. My sister recently went to a plastic surgeon to consult about having her excess skin removed, and he told her that the biggest factor was how obese you were and how long you were obese. People who have been mildly obese for a shorter amount of time tend to have skin that snaps back better. People who have been very obese for ten or more years tend to have skin that does not snap back.0
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katematt313 wrote: »I don't think there is much you can do. Your skin is either going to snap back some or none at all, depending on the factors that the other commenters have noted above. My sister recently went to a plastic surgeon to consult about having her excess skin removed, and he told her that the biggest factor was how obese you were and how long you were obese. People who have been mildly obese for a shorter amount of time tend to have skin that snaps back better. People who have been very obese for ten or more years tend to have skin that does not snap back.
Well I think I should start a savings account now for skin removal surgery cause it don't sound like I'll have much luck lol I've been overweight since I was about 9. I know it's going to happen, and I'm ok with it, it's better to have the lose skin the than extra 100+ pounds I've been carrying for so many years! I think when I get my gym membership I will talk to a trainer about ways to target certain areas to help as much as possible (any little bit helps in my mind!)
Another question for everyone: Does anyone wear any kind of spandex support garments? If so is there any certain brands or styles you find more comfortable? It seems like it would be beneficial to help keep skin from rubbing and causing irritation but at the same time it seems like it might make it worse by keeping it all squished together and make it sweaty and cause yeast infection on the skin? Maybe I'm just over thinking it all lol0 -
First, there really isn't any way to target specific areas for weight loss, but you can target for muscle growth. In terms of spandex support garments, I personally haven't worn them (I've lost around 170lbs and I was overweight for 15 years and 47). They seem really uncomfortable to me. I have loose skin on my stomach, arms and legs. I exercise a lot (ran a 1/2 marathon 6 weeks ago) and I haven't had any problems with rubbing or rashes at all. I just buy workout/yoga and running pants at walmart.
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Hi, I have lost about 130 lbs after I was 65 years old, so I have loose skin in my arms and stomach. Without surgery, you will not be able to get rid of the excesses you see in you right now--depending on you age, this may me well worth in the future. However, focus on exercise to start your preparation. Start now, and focus on developing good muscle tone all over your body, because you will need this when you decide to do plastic repair, 2+ years after your WLS surgery. You can also look at the loose skin as your "badge of honor" for your accomplishment. In a few years, people will meet you and never know that you were once very overweight. This happens to me a lot (I'm in a new town, 7 years after WLS, and nobody here has ever seen me at 300+lbs!) So, the saggy skin, for me, is a reminder that I must stay the course and never go back to what I was once. On a practical note, underwear with good support does wonders for the stomach flabbiness. I have used spandex for more formal dresses and it look great. For the arms, there is very little you can do! So enjoy your accomplishment and be proud of your new body! Good luck to you!0
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