Any tips on avoiding loose skin.....?

[newxina 20]

Any successful losers have any tips on how to avoid loose skin and apron....?

This would be such a devastation for me after achieving my weight goal and I really just want to love my body again? I want to be confident again to show my husband my new healthy body and I don't wanna have to continue to hide my naked body. ????

[solmedina 5]

This is one of my concerns too and I haven't even had the surgery yet!

[newxina 20]

This is one of my concerns too and I haven't even had the surgery yet!

When is it scheduled for?

Mine is this Wednesday.

[Katie8907 27]

My surgeon told me as long as you lose at a steady pace and exercise you shouldn't get loose skin. Atleast not noticeable, if at all.

[newxina 20]

@@Katie8907

I'm concerned with the initial rapid weight loss. I had rapid weight loss before and I had the loose skin and the apron. Of course I was real weak and sickly that I didn't exercise. Maybe that is the trick. Hmmmm

[solmedina 5]

I haven't scheduled my surgery yet, I'm barley going to meet my surgeon on Nov. 7th and see when we can schedule the surgery. I was hoping during the winter break so i wouldn't have to request to much time off, but i guess its all up to the insurance :/

[Doxie Mom of 3 6]

My doctor advised me skin removal surgery is very common after wls. Working out will help but it is possible for it to be an option for you when you get to goal. My BFF lost 130 lbs and still needed a Tummy Tuck. It is all a personal choice. For me the focus is getting to goal and then I will worry about excess skin.

Good luck to you!

[Jonathan Blue 311]

Everyones skin is different, just like no two people will have the same post surgical journey. A lot depends on how old you are, how much you have to lose, and your specific skin elasticity. I agree with you completely, that I don't want to go through everything and still have lose skin. I am just planning on needing skin removal surgery at some point. Until I can get there I am just relishing in all the things I can do now. Don't be too concerned if you lose a lot of weight really fast and there is a little lose skin in your mid section.

It will take time for your body to adjust and your skin to spring back. The two things I have been doing, and a lot of people have recommended, are working to tone your muscles and exfoliate your skin. Take the time in the gym to really work on toning your muscles. This will help you to tighten that skin. The other thing is to use a loufa and scrub your skin. Getting the dead skin off allows for your body to generate that new skin that will be needed to tighten it up. One last idea is to regular use a lotion on your skin that is full Co-Enzyme Q-10. This Enzyme helps promote the skin tightening back up as well as moisturized and nourishes your skin.

Keep in mind, even if you did all of these things, you may still need skin removal just because of your body type. I still do them so when it comes time for that I am in the best position to make is successful. I cannot agree more about wanting to look the way you feel. I think every person who has the surgery feels that way. Keep up the faith and handle your business. Take hart in all of the amazing things you are capable of with your new body. Have patients and everything else will fall into place.

[Amyllf2 206]

I'm 6 months out. I have lost 73 of the 85-100 I plan on losing. I am almost 49 years. I have had 3 children, two of which were 9 pounds plus. I've been married 24 years. I have been obese for 20 years. I was extremely athletic in high school and I have always weighed more than the charts say I should because of my muscle mass.

I tell you all of this information because all of those factors play a role in skin.

80% of my body has excess skin at this time. Honestly I was not prepared for this mentally. I expected the stomach and apron based on how big I was when I was pregnant. I did not expect the sag everywhere else. It's most noticeable in my arms, belly, thighs and boobs. But I also see it in my neck and face, although that is improving with a lot of moisturizing and time. I have wrinkles now that my face is not so plump!!!! I went from a 22 to a 12. My legs are probably a 10, but my belly and apron may not ever get there. And you know what, that's ok.

For some hydration will be the key. For others it will be exercise. Some will have kind genes, and others will have a harsh reality like me. None of us are losing weight slow enough for our body to adjust accordingly. My 17 year old lost 65 pounds over the course of a year and has no skin issues. Granted, she's 17, but she also lost 1.25 a week. That slow loss let her skin rebound.

Here is my personal opinion about this- having weight loss surgery of any kind is about health. While we all want to look good, that is a secondary factor in this situation. I knew going in that my body image issues would not go away but they would just change. Do I like what I see in the mirror any better now? Honestly, no. Do I feel great in my new regular size clothes? Absolutely! Most importantly I feel better knowing I'm not going to die from the medical issues that plagued me 6 months ago.

As mentioned above, lots of people have plastic surgery after WLS surgery. It's very expensive and most insurance companies don't pay for it. So it's a big decision. It's also often a longer recovery than the WLS surgery. I went to a plastics session that occurred during my practice's monthly support group. The most important thing the plastic surgeon stressed was this: "you have 2 choices: skin or scars" You will have one of them.

I have not given up on my skin. I am changing my exercise routine, adding more weight training, looking at different moisturizers, and trying to better hydrate. I am also not closing the door on plastics, but that's at least 6-12 months away

[Ms. Laydee2014 9]

I had surgery May 12th and have lost 122 pounds to date. I am beginning to notice loose skin around ab area, legs and a little on my back but honestly it's not as bad as it could have been. It helped that when I was in the "pre-op" phase, I kick-started a weight training program to build up more muscle BEFORE the surgery. I'd read many articles about loose skin and wanted to try and get ahead of it, knowing I would continue with weight/strength training post-op.

Some tips: Make sure to get your Water intake....EVERYDAY. Right after surgery, they will tell you to start walking.... get your walking in....EVERYDAY... When the Dr. gives you the "all-clear" to begin weight/strength training, GET ON IT. Commit the time to yourself (health/body) that's not negotiable.

IMPORTANT: If you don't have any...... INVEST in good shaping undergarments/girdles or compression wear. Don't buy all at once-since you will be going down in sizes.( I've went down 4 sizes in shape wear so far)... The shaping underwear helps by giving a smoothing look--holding in skin and gives confidence while on your weight loss journey.

Just remember it took years (in my case DECADES) to get my skin comfortable at a morbid obese level. I'm okay if it takes 2-3 years to get my skin back to a more normal weight. It takes time...... Don't sweat the skin stuff, just commit to doing what it takes to get your health back on track.

For me, I can't rock that bikini (in public) like the supermodels can but I CAN NOW walk up a flight of stairs w/o going into distress, tie my own shoes and now see my own feet when standing.... I'll take THIS body (with skin) over my old 330 pound body---without a doubt.

Don't let the skin stuff scare you guys off..... Good Luck on your journey...

Edited October 21, 2014 by Ms. Laydee2014

[Getting-used-to-new-me 119]

I'm almost eleven months out. I had my RNY on 12/10/13.

I've lost 93 pounds so far. My weight loss has really slowed down. But that's okay since I've lost all I planned to, and more, as my ticker below shows.

I'm still eating like I'm supposed to. I'm still exercising too.

I don't have much flab. But I DO have more wrinkles. LOTS MORE. I think this is okay though since I'm in my late 50's.

The MOST important thing to me is that SEVEN of the EIGHT co-morbidities I had are GONE! Prior osteo-arthritis damage hasn't repaired itself. But the arthritis pain is almost all gone too.

I hope that helps someone who reads this.

[Wallflower7522 328]

I'm 27. My high weight was close to 340 but I was down to 306 when I had surgery but I had been over weight most of my life. I'm at 203 now. I go to the gym almost everyday and I'll be honest with you the loose skin sucks. My arms are the worst. I've lifted, toned, stretched, everything it doesn't help. I really don't like my arms so I pretty much keep them covered. I carried more weight in my arms and legs. My belly isn't terrible. I still have some weight to lose but I had a belly before so what I have now doesn't bother me. My legs have some loose skin, but they're not as bad as my arms as of now.

I have read that wearing compression garment helps and I do kind of think that might be the case. I wear compression bottoms every morning at the gym and most of the time im wearing skinny jeans or leggings that are tight on my legs so I wonder if that's why my legs aren't as bad as my arm. Maybe I need to get some compression for my arms too.

Even with the skin issue Id do it all over again in a heartbeat. I'm healthy now, I go to the gym at least 4 days a week, I did my first 5k, I've bought some awesome clothes and lost a shoe size and with clothes on the skin isn't really an issue.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Wallflower7522