Post weight loss - tummy tuck/excess skin removal experiences?

pastelcarly · June 2018

Hi everyone. I hope this is in the appropriate topic, as I couldn't find exactly where it fits in.

I am a 21 year old female whos lost about 35 pounds so far. Because of how big I was/am, I have always known that one day I will need plastic surgery to get my body where I want it to be (I know not everyone is a fan of it, but please don't post just to argue against it). I know that I am not yet physically ready, but I am also clueless to the process. For those of you who have gotten a tummy tuck or excess skin removal after weight loss - when did you start going to consultations? I would like to see my options, pick a surgeon, get an idea of cost, etc. but I also do not want to come across as wasting anyone's time seeing as I have not even lost all of the weight yet.

Also, I would love any tips on any part of the process as I have a lot to learn.

SueSueDio · June 2018

Paging @JulieSHelms

AnnPT77 · June 2018

This is not negativity or argument: Don't make an assumption that you will have bad loose skin, especially at your young age.

Take a look over in the "Success Stories" part of the forums here. I think you'll find that even among people who've lost a large amount of weight, loose skin is less than you might anticipate.

As we go through weight loss, many of us go through discouraging phases where our intermediate results/appearance get worse, before they get better. When we're fat, our starting fat mass is relatively firm, holding the skin out almost like a full water balloon. As we lose weight, the fat can be lost anywhere within the fat mass, so that for some of us, the fat areas get squishier/softer, and kind of slack or floppy - like someone let water out of the water balloon without letting in any air. At that "partway to goal" stage, many people think that all those slack bits are loose skin, and panic. But it's not just loose skin, it's squishy fat conspiring with gravity to keep skin stretched out.

As weight loss continues, and the fat cells deplete more, appearance can improve all the way to goal weight. Even then, skin can keep shrinking for quite some time at goal weight, once the fat stops pulling at it. (Mine kept shrinking at least into my 2nd year of maintenance, and I'm pretty old, 60+).

True loose skin is very thin wrinkles, like wrinkles in a fabric. Things that are 1/2"+ flaps or rolls are likely not loose skin, but rather skin that still has some fat inside.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't get surgery, if you don't like your final results. I'm just trying to encourage you not to worry excessively about loose skin based on how you look when partway to goal. How much loose skin we have after weight loss is believed to be a function of amount lost, genetics, and age. Your age is on your side in a big way, and you won't know for sure about your genetics until you get to goal and give yourself a bit of shrink time. You may decide you still want surgery, and that's fine if it's right for you.

Best wishes!

amlelas68 · June 2018

I am pretty sure I will be in same boat , However, I am not worrying it yet. I am down 41 and have 69 to go and will see what I am like at that point.

aupston · June 2018

I have to admit I have been worried about extra skin. As a nurse, I have looked at pros and cons of surgery. Risk vs benefits. I am concerned about scaring.....recovery time, general anesthesia, and cost.
I have lost 80 lbs. Loose skin is an issue but as stated and based on research-reading...time takes care of some of it. I have talked with a plastic surgeon-they really like to see stable weight loss. Six months to a year. They feel that gives the best results. Your body has done some of the work. And you really know what areas are “your” problem areas.

I am going to give it some time after I get to my final goal.....I think I will have a better outcome if i really know what is a residual problem.

And if you have a doctor in mind, check to see if the do free initial consultation, so you can get real info.
Good luck

pastelcarly · June 2018

I appreciate the responses everyone...but has anyone actually been through this and have any insight to give? This is a decision I have already come to, I'd love a boost from someone whos been there and gone through the entire process.

try2again · June 2018

pastelcarly wrote: »

I appreciate the responses everyone...but has anyone actually been through this and have any insight to give? This is a decision I have already come to, I'd love a boost from someone whos been there and gone through the entire process.

It doesn't make any sense to make a decision about something that you don't even know is necessary yet.

However- @cheryldumais , would you like to share your experience?

L1zardQueen · June 2018

Surgeons, especially plastic surgeons like to do surgery. You are 21, lots of time to let your skin do its thing. Plastic surgery is expensive and leaves scarring.

JulieSHelms · June 2018

I had a circumferential abdominoplasty--tummy tuck and butt lift. My circumstances are really different than yours, but I'm happy to share. I'm 51, lost 130 lbs over 2.3 years. I do strength training 4x/week which helped the appearance of loose skin everywhere except the middle. I started running and my butt and thigh skin would bounce like deflated water balloons. I hated it.

I had my first plastic surgery consultation 3 months after I hit my goal weight. I had surgery 6 months later. I will post a pic from today, about 5 months post-op.

You are young so I would not jump to surgery as quickly as I did. Your skin will be much more elastic and you should give it time to catch up to your weight loss. There are pretty significant consequences to the surgery that you will have to live with forever. It was a good fit for me now at this point in my life. But you need to consider scarring and numbness that will be there forever.

So here is a side by side. The before pic is after 130lb lost, one week pre-op. The after pic was like 10 minutes ago, 5 months post-op. The scarring will turn to clear/silver by about one year. I am the same weight in both pics.

Also, a note about what AnnPT77 posted above about true loose skin being thin like wrinkly fabric. As you can see my stomach is not like that but still clearly has sub-cutaneous fat in the before pic. However, the doctors said it would be very difficult to ever lose that fat to get to the fabric thickness. And he said if I tried I would look emaciated in my face and rib area.

Feel free to ask away with any questions!

Edited: If you go to my profile page, there is a link to my personal blog that shows a lot more pics, especially right after surgery. Also, I should mention, I declined the muscle tightening typical with tummy tucks because my ab muscles were in good shape.

SueSueDio · June 2018

Thanks for sharing, Julie!

try2again wrote: »

pastelcarly wrote: »

I appreciate the responses everyone...but has anyone actually been through this and have any insight to give? This is a decision I have already come to, I'd love a boost from someone whos been there and gone through the entire process.

It doesn't make any sense to make a decision about something that you don't even know is necessary yet.

However- @cheryldumais , would you like to share your experience?

I'm not sure if Cheryl reads the forums so we might need to prod her and see if she's willing...

OP, these two stories would give you different sides of the coin - while Julie had a good experience and healed quickly and well, poor Cheryl had a completely different time of it.

And I'd have to agree with those who are suggesting you wait - even though you say you've already made the decision, you shouldn't rush into something like that when you're young enough that your skin has the possibility to recover quite well.

If you really feel like you're set on this, start saving now because it'll be expensive. (Some surgeons might offer payment plans.) If you decide later, after some time for things to settle after you reach your goal, that you don't need to go under the knife, you can always spend the money on a lovely trip or something instead!

MadisonMolly2017 · June 2018

JulieSHelms wrote: »

I had a circumferential abdominoplasty--tummy tuck and butt lift.

There are pretty significant consequences to the surgery that you will have to live with forever. It was a good fit for me now at this point in my life. But you need to consider scarring and numbness that will be there forever.

Also, a note about what AnnPT77 posted above about true loose skin being thin like wrinkly fabric. As you can see my stomach is not like that but still clearly has sub-cutaneous fat in the before pic. However, the doctors said it would be very difficult to ever lose that fat to get to the fabric thickness. And he said if I tried I would look emaciated in my face and rib area.

Feel free to ask away with any questions!

@JulieSHelms Where do you feel the numbness? Does it last forever?

I think I’m going to be I. The same boat with my stomach...have lost 60, legs, hips, arms look pretty good but stomach is still bigger proportionately. Am going to lose up to another 8 lbs and see if I begin to look gaunt. Thank you for posting this info!!!!

MadisonMolly2017 · June 2018

AnnPT77 wrote: »

As we go through weight loss, many of us go through discouraging phases where our intermediate results/appearance get worse, before they get better. When we're fat, our starting fat mass is relatively firm, holding the skin out almost like a full water balloon. As we lose weight, the fat can be lost anywhere within the fat mass, so that for some of us, the fat areas get squishier/softer, and kind of slack or floppy - like someone let water out of the water balloon without letting in any air. At that "partway to goal" stage, many people think that all those slack bits are loose skin, and panic. But it's not just loose skin, it's squishy fat conspiring with gravity to keep skin stretched out.

As weight loss continues, and the fat cells deplete more, appearance can improve all the way to goal weight. Even then, skin can keep shrinking for quite some time at goal weight, once the fat stops pulling at it. (Mine kept shrinking at least into my 2nd year of maintenance, and I'm pretty old, 60+).

True loose skin is very thin wrinkles, like wrinkles in a fabric. Things that are 1/2"+ flaps or rolls are likely not loose skin, but rather skin that still has some fat inside.

!

@AnnPT77 I want to thank you for posting this! It’s definitely given me hope. I am finding my skin, particularly my upper arms, is looking better over time. I am eating more at maintenance & have stepped up weight, intensity, and distances of workouts - hoping that will help too!

I find the skin seems to vary quite a bit Day to Day.

My Best to You!

AnnPT77 · June 2018

JulieSHelms wrote: »

I had a circumferential abdominoplasty--tummy tuck and butt lift. My circumstances are really different than yours, but I'm happy to share. I'm 51, lost 130 lbs over 2.3 years. I do strength training 4x/week which helped the appearance of loose skin everywhere except the middle. I started running and my butt and thigh skin would bounce like deflated water balloons. I hated it.

I had my first plastic surgery consultation 3 months after I hit my goal weight. I had surgery 6 months later. I will post a pic from today, about 5 months post-op.

You are young so I would not jump to surgery as quickly as I did. Your skin will be much more elastic and you should give it time to catch up to your weight loss. There are pretty significant consequences to the surgery that you will have to live with forever. It was a good fit for me now at this point in my life. But you need to consider scarring and numbness that will be there forever.

So here is a side by side. The before pic is after 130lb lost, one week pre-op. The after pic was like 10 minutes ago, 5 months post-op. The scarring will turn to clear/silver by about one year. I am the same weight in both pics.

Also, a note about what AnnPT77 posted above about true loose skin being thin like wrinkly fabric. As you can see my stomach is not like that but still clearly has sub-cutaneous fat in the before pic. However, the doctors said it would be very difficult to ever lose that fat to get to the fabric thickness. And he said if I tried I would look emaciated in my face and rib area.

Feel free to ask away with any questions!

Edited: If you go to my profile page, there is a link to my personal blog that shows a lot more pics, especially right after surgery. Also, I should mention, I declined the muscle tightening typical with tummy tucks because my ab muscles were in good shape.

This is really informative, Julie. Thank you for sharing so honestly!

JulieSHelms · June 2018

MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »

JulieSHelms wrote: »

I had a circumferential abdominoplasty--tummy tuck and butt lift.

There are pretty significant consequences to the surgery that you will have to live with forever. It was a good fit for me now at this point in my life. But you need to consider scarring and numbness that will be there forever.

Also, a note about what AnnPT77 posted above about true loose skin being thin like wrinkly fabric. As you can see my stomach is not like that but still clearly has sub-cutaneous fat in the before pic. However, the doctors said it would be very difficult to ever lose that fat to get to the fabric thickness. And he said if I tried I would look emaciated in my face and rib area.

Feel free to ask away with any questions!

@JulieSHelms Where do you feel the numbness? Does it last forever?

I think I’m going to be I. The same boat with my stomach...have lost 60, legs, hips, arms look pretty good but stomach is still bigger proportionately. Am going to lose up to another 8 lbs and see if I begin to look gaunt. Thank you for posting this info!!!!

@MadisonMolly2017 The numbness comes from the dr. pulling the skin away from the body to slide it to a new location, thus disconnecting all the nerves. Currently I am completely numb for a swath of about 4" under my navel down to the incision. In the back, there is about a numb 2" edge all along the incision line. The dr. said to expect the feeling to slowly come back as the nerves regrow, but there will always be some residual numbness. A great deal has come back over the past 5 months--my butt had been numb but feels normal now, but I suspect under the navel will never feel normal again because it is completely without feeling at all. It isn't bothersome, I just have to be careful when I hike up my pants not to accidentally pinch some skin in there too since I can't feel it.

try2again · June 2018

I think an important point to take away from @JulieSHelms post is that she got herself in the best possible shape she could *before* surgery. I'm sure that had a lot to do with such a good outcome

VUA21 · June 2018

I'll let you know in August. On Aug 2nd I am having a tummy-tuck. I lost about 170lbs over two years. Did a one year recomp which also gave my skin the needed time to shrink. Unfortunately, it only shrank so much. Most of the excess skin is gone from when I originally lost weight. I'll be posting post surgery updates for anyone interested.

I lost 170... Waited a year (continued at maintenance with a good cardio & strength training routine), and I have no turkey neck nor batwings.... I did have both after my initial loss.

Before you have surgery, give your body time. It takes A LOT longer for skin to shrink than fat. If after a year (yep, does take that long) of maintaining your weight, you still have excess skin - then look into surgery. Also, by waiting a year you know that you can maintain your weight and not gain back what you've lost.

Side note: without insurance the average cost is about $10k for JUST the tummy-tuck. Now, my insurance is covering most of that as I lost so much that the excess folded in on itself as is prone to infection (on my abdomen) - preventative medical treatment.

JulieSHelms · June 2018

try2again wrote: »

I think an important point to take away from @JulieSHelms post is that she got herself in the best possible shape she could *before* surgery. I'm sure that had a lot to do with such a good outcome

My doctor said the exact same thing. He told me I could expect a better outcome than almost all of the examples I was looking at in his before/after binder. He said 90% of his patients doing the procedure were still either overweight or obese and that they were trying this as part of their weight loss attempt. But that isn't what it's best for. Sure, they all looked better after but they should have waited. My total weight loss from skin removal of abdomen AND butt?? 3.5 lbs--that's all! And my butt was proportionately worse than my stomach--I was sure it would be like a 10 lb improvement. Before surgery he predicted 3-5 lbs, but I thought nah, there's a lot more weight there than that. Nope.

ckru239 · June 2018

Hi, I would like to come on here to tell you that everyone insisting that you will not or will probably not have loose skin after weight loss due to your young age could be right, and they could just as equally be wrong. You are not silly for looking into it this early either - please don't let anyone make you feel that way for wanting to increase your knowledge on this topic. It's your body, after all and a possibility.

Honestly, it really does depend on YOUR body YOUR skin YOUR hydration (and yes, much more). I have been obese since an 8 yr old girl and have had an "apron belly" from the age of about 11. I was around 155lbs and 5'1 at the time. At the age of 17, I was 261 lbs at 5'4. This immense weight gain in a few years caused massive stretchmarks nearly everywhere (even my calves and forearms).

Fast forward to now, I am a 23 year old female who over the course of six years has lost in totality 117 lbs now. Slowly, through diet and exercise. According to many of the replies I read on this thread, each one of these members would have told me the same thing beforehand. "I am young, my skin will snap back, you shouldn't commit to surgery unless you /know/ because you're only 17" but girl i always knew! My thighs, buttocks, breasts, arms, back, and stomach all sag and occassionally even hurt due to the pulling of gravity sometimes. Low and behold, here is a picture of my belly at 144lbs at 5'4

I'm sorry I couldn't be more insightful to your actual question, but I love that you advocate for yourself and are trying to get as informed on it as possible. I just had to speak out about these others essentially dismissing your concerns because you "aren't there yet". As for myself, I clicked on this thread because I'm about to start looking for consults myself. I'd suggest looking up YouTubers, there are many great videos of journeys after skin removal surgeries there. I've also seen some great surgical results in the San Antonio area (if you happen to be around). If not, I'm wishing you the best of luck on your journey. I can already see you're this dedicated - you're sure to make it happen!

Slainte, friend.

ckru239 · June 2018

try2again wrote: »

pastelcarly wrote: »

I appreciate the responses everyone...but has anyone actually been through this and have any insight to give? This is a decision I have already come to, I'd love a boost from someone whos been there and gone through the entire process.

It doesn't make any sense to make a decision about something that you don't even know is necessary yet.

However- @cheryldumais , would you like to share your experience?

I would like to know how it doesn't make any sense to come to a decision about one's own body? I'm pretty sure she means that upon reaching where she wants to be body wise, she believes she will have loose skin - and in that instance has made the decision for surgical removal. I do not understand how you can tell someone that making a decision for their own body doesnt make any sense? I'm sorry, that just seems deeply disrespectful.

I myself looked into skin removal surgery before even beginning my weight loss journey. Everyone doubted I would even lose the weight. Then when I started to, they all told me I was young and wouldn't have loose skin after losing slowly. Now, nearly 120lbs lost and 6 years later, I have so much loose skin its causing me organ discomfort - and I'm only 23. We cannot assume each other's bodies, pasts, truths, etc. OP literally requested no negativity or argument against her decision. So let's just not?

nowine4me · June 2018

OP - I’m not going to weigh in on surgery, that’s a personal decision. But I would like to share that most of use who experience massive weight loss go through phases. At 220, I had firm fat, at 150 it was squishy and hanging, now at 125, the skin is slightly droopy in a few areas, but I’m waiting a full year to see how things shake out.

try2again · June 2018

ckru239 wrote: »

try2again wrote: »

pastelcarly wrote: »

I appreciate the responses everyone...but has anyone actually been through this and have any insight to give? This is a decision I have already come to, I'd love a boost from someone whos been there and gone through the entire process.

It doesn't make any sense to make a decision about something that you don't even know is necessary yet.

However- @cheryldumais , would you like to share your experience?

I would like to know how it doesn't make any sense to come to a decision about one's own body? I'm pretty sure she means that upon reaching where she wants to be body wise, she believes she will have loose skin - and in that instance has made the decision for surgical removal. I do not understand how you can tell someone that making a decision for their own body doesnt make any sense? I'm sorry, that just seems deeply disrespectful.

I myself looked into skin removal surgery before even beginning my weight loss journey. Everyone doubted I would even lose the weight. Then when I started to, they all told me I was young and wouldn't have loose skin after losing slowly. Now, nearly 120lbs lost and 6 years later, I have so much loose skin its causing me organ discomfort - and I'm only 23. We cannot assume each other's bodies, pasts, truths, etc. OP literally requested no negativity or argument against her decision. So let's just not?

I truly apologize if you, or OP, or anyone else found my comment disrespectful. I assure you it was not intended to be. Of course it's the OP's choice what she's going to do with her body. And I wasn't in any way being negative about skin removal surgery. I think it's a wonderful tool. But it is major surgery, with all the risk of complications of any major surgery (the user I tagged could attest to this), and to view it as a foregone conclusion just seems to be putting the cart before the horse.

That being said, I think it ended up being an excellent discussion about the surgery process and what a person can do to get the most out of it... and maybe even avoid it, which most people would find desirable.

lorrpb · June 2018

@cheryldumais

VUA21 · June 2018

amlelas68 wrote: »

I am pretty sure I will be in same boat , However, I am not worrying it yet. I am down 41 and have 69 to go and will see what I am like at that point.

If it's any consolation, I'm down 175lbs. I didn't start seeing the excess until I was down over 100lbs. Also, a year's worth of time and recomp got rid of 1/2 of it. Remember, skin takes longer to shrink than you from fat loss, but it does shrink. Just give it time.

SueSueDio · June 2018

I don't think anyone is telling the OP that the idea of surgery is silly or should be dismissed - it's just that she gave the impression she wants to have surgery regardless of how she looks at goal, and people are cautioning her to wait a while and see how bad things are.

There's nothing silly about wanting to be more informed on the whole process, and of course everyone has the right to choose to have (or not have) surgery for their own body. The OP may decide she really wants to go ahead, and that's absolutely fine! We just want her to consider all the relevant factors, that's all.

Fflpnari · June 2018

I had a friend who lost 140+ pounds, and has kept it off for several years. She had skin surgery. She said recovery was terrible but worth it. Research the providers that do this surgery. She had several drains. I personally want to wait until I lose all my weight to even think about it, so I can figure out all what i need done.

VUA21 · June 2018

@pastelcarly

I will be having a tummy-tuck on Aug. 2nd. I did as was recommended by my surgeon to wait a year in order for 1) my skin to shrink back as much as it naturally can, and 2) to make sure that I can maintain the weight loss. If you want to add me and follow my recover log, please feel free to. I'll be trying to post daily updates including my true before (taking a pic at the hospital), and recovery photos. So if you would like a 1st person recovery and results information, in a bit over a month.... that'll be me.

As far as picking a surgeon: a board certified plastic surgeon. Do NOT go with someone who's a cosmetic surgeon, but not a plastic surgeon. A plastic surgeon is specialty trained in plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. A cosmetic surgeon is NOT necessarily. Also, ask to see thier credentials and references, anyone good will be happy to give that to you. If they avoid the topic: RUN!!!!!

Cost:. For just the abdominoplasty (tummy-tuck), $8,000-$10,000 out of pocket is average. If you get a quote for substantially less, ask if it covers everything including the anesthesiologist and recovery. Many places will advertise for $5k, but fail to add in the $2k-3k for the anesthesiologist, plus $1-2 for recovery and follow ups. You'll probably want to save up about $12,000 though. A tummy-tuck just removes the skin, it's recommended to get liposuction (liposculpting) as well for optimal results (That's what I am getting). My total cost: $12,600 (and change). It's cheaper to do both at once as you only pay for the anesthesia once.

WilmaValley · June 2018

Excellent discussion!!!

icemom011 · June 2018

@pastelcarly ,
Whatever you choose, good luck. I can share my experience. I'm 46 , have been overweight my whole life. I'm 5'7", my highest weight was 238 or so. I was very concerned about lose skin, and i anticipated a lot of it. I lost over 75lbs, and in 140s now. It's been about one year and a half of maintenance for me. My areas that were problems are better to the point that I'm actually happy with the way i look. For reference, i wear small/medium tops and a size 29 jeans. Or 4-6 bottoms dependent on a brand. I'm muscular, my legs are big due ti cycling. My tummy has a bit of jiggle and a tiny frown, but i feel it's fine and happy with the results. Again, good luck to you.

cheryldumais · June 2018

pastelcarly wrote: »

I appreciate the responses everyone...but has anyone actually been through this and have any insight to give? This is a decision I have already come to, I'd love a boost from someone whos been there and gone through the entire process.

I had a rocky time with my surgery but now 6 months out it was probably worth the expense and experience. I ended up with necrosis. Pretty much anything that could go wrong did for me so I can tell you what that's like but still after a loss of over 100 pounds my abdomen is better than it was. I'm numb from the navel down but as Julie says it isn't a big problem although sometimes I wish it would come back. I had two incisions one horizontal and one vertical because I had lost so much weight and had so much loose skin. My surgery entailed cutting down the center and along my pubic area and pulling the skin forward from my back and up from the pubic area. I had alot of stretch marks in the front and alot of excess skin on my back. This means I won't be wearing a bikini any time soon since I have a central scar but at 61 years of age I had no intention to anyway. I was shocked at how much time it took me to recover. Again I am older so you may not experience the same thing I did. I also had my muscles stitched up and I understand that can take a bit more out of you. My surgery lasted 5.5 hours so it's not minor surgery.

What I've learned from this whole experience is that it pays to shop around but there are no guarantees. I went with an experienced surgeon (25 years) who teaches at a university that had done surgery on a friend of mine. Yet I had a trunkload of problems and my friend didn't. Be sure it's worth the money and down time. Make sure you give your body time to recover and don't depend on liposuction to eliminate leftover fat. I think what alot of people have said here is valuable. Once you get your weight down make sure you give your body time to recover from losing weight. It is a very expensive surgery and it is also a tough surgery. I booked my surgery months after I expected to have made it to goal but I was actually 8 pounds over. I regret I didn't get to goal. The last six months of my diet I just plain couldn't lose weight.

The last question I bet you have is how much weight will I lose from the removed skin... It was my question anyway but what ends up happening is that you tend to weigh more after the surgery due to inflamation. Just be prepared for that. I was really depressed about that, lol.

If you have more questions please feel free to PM me.

vburgy · June 2018

I have lost 95lbs. And the only extra skin issue I have is in my boobs. (TMI sorry!) So if you had/have huge boobs like I did than you may have some loose skin. But it can be fixed with a breast lift, if it doesn’t go away with exercise

melissa6771 · June 2018

I've lost 100 pounds as well and have terrible loose skin. I had a vertical tummy tuck with a small horizontal cut also, and had my arms done at the same time. I had no problems like the above poster did. I went back to work in 8 days and I'm a hairdresser. I'm having my thighs and bum done July 31. Last but not least I will go in January for my boobs. I love it. I love how flat my tummy is. I will definitely wear a bikini, the scar doesn't bother me and it's faded a lot. Looking forward to doing that next summer. I'm also happy to answer any questions. Feel free to message me as well.

Post weight loss - tummy tuck/excess skin removal experiences?

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