Accepting yourself loose skin and all!

[HappygoSusan 296]

I must be the exception. I hate my loose skin!!! I have had a Tummy Tuck and still when I look in the mirror, all I see are the areas that need fixing. I have loss 130 pounds so I am thrilled with the health benefits. I do an hour daily on the treadmill, and currently working on improving my time on an uphill 5k. At my 2 year follow up all of my blood work was perfect and my stamina and energy are way up. I would never trade the health benefits of this surgery, but I sure wouldn't mind being comfortable in a bikini!

Susan

[amz85 18]

i will be eligible for a panniculectomy (just the excess skin removal) in December at the end of my second year. My insurance does not cover a Tummy Tuck or anything with arms, butts, boobs, and legs. But here is why I may take advantage of it at the age of 63. At 63, the skin is not so elastic and will never be what is was when I was "pretty young thing." I have issues with itching and redness under the flap.

My surgeon takes a look at it each time I come in for a follow-up. The first protocol for treatment is medicated powder, which I am using. If the whole thing festers up with infection or redness this summer, then he will give me a medicated cream to use. My doctor documents my condition consistently. If at some point there is no satisfactory response to treatment, I will have the skin flap removed. This would not be for vanity, but for my health and quality of life.

Thanks for bringing this up because I was wondering/concerned about it causing irritation!

[jacileggs 402]

This is a controversial topic. I am 1year post op and have lost 105lbs. I have an upcoming consult for skin removal surgery. If I can get it covered by my health care plan I will have it done. If not I will likely have it done anyways. It will just take a bit longer for me to save up the money. I don't have a massive overhang or anything. But my skin is very loose and majorly wrinkly. I have been single for 16 years. I have recently found my self esteem and started dating again. Nothing serious but I'm letting that be a possibility in my life. I am not comfortable with seeing my tummy myself never mind have someone else see it. So for me it is the choice I am making. For others it may not be an issue. What I love though is that this site is a supportive place for us all. No matter our choices we have supportive people in our corners, which we don't all have in our day to day lives.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I feel the need to correct statements that are often made and are not correct according to the FIVE plastic surgeons i consulted with.

While staying hydrated, working out, using lotions and dancing a rain dance are probably all good things to do - they don't shrink extra skin. What happens is your skin gets stretched to the point where it is damaged and it just cannot recover. The degree to which that happens depends on many many factors - age, amount of weight lost, genetics, how many times you have lost and regained... luck?

So, considering my lifetime high weight was in the 350 ballpark, and I currently weigh in the 150s ballpark, it is amazing to me that i didn't look like a wrinkly prune everywhere! My face has recovered shockingly well. I carried the bulk of my weight in my midsection and you can be sure my extra skin there was pretty bad.

since I did have good health and very toned under that loose skin, once I had procedures done to remove it, I got GREAT results.

Before I had plastics, I looked fine in clothes, the use of Spanx etc really helped. Still, I love that I did it, I am so proud of my body... I feel great about it.

I warn anyone though that you need to get your head on straight about this. You will be trading extra skin for scars - I wear them like badges of honor, but if you have bad self esteem you will despise them.

I am single and I completely understand the low self image issue but trust me, plastics will NOT fix that.. might even make it worse. Once you have one thing fixed, suddenly everything else looks really bad. Example, for me, I have extra skin on my back/sides. I am NOT getting an upper body lift which is the only fix for that. Since my arms, lower body, breasts are awesome... it is easy to look at that skin and imagine it is the ugliest thing on the planet. Truth is, as long as I wear my bras a little loose, i can hide that skin and wear very form fitting clothes no problem!

[BHoenig 31]

I originally thought I would do it, but I loath stomach pain. And I'm worried about healing from a hip to hip incision and having drains. I like to be active...even pre surgery so that recovery time is what I don't like the idea of.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I think that some people are never happy. I decided to pursue plastic surgery, and I'm glad I did. It was the right thing for me. If it's not for you, that's good, too. My guess is that people who are not happy with themselves will be that way, no matter what. I hated being fat, and I didn't love the loose skin, but I loved that compared to being fat. Now that the skin is gone, I can wear a bikini, so that's even better. However - I liked myself just fine even when I was fat - I just hated the fat. There's a big difference between the two.

[BHoenig 31]

@@MichiganChic How was the surgery and the recovery from the Tummy Tuck?

[MyNewLife28 9]

I've never posted but I felt compelled to post on this subject because I think about this issue as well. To me, my being overweight and the cellulite is pretty unattractive, so being healthier, thinner with loose skin will be much better than where I am at right now! Good luck!

[Onyx999 4]

Not sure if this is where Im supposed to post this, but after reading several of the posts I hope this is an on spot Im new to this app so here goes... Im going to be 21 in april, I weigh 267 lbs and im 5'6". Im not sure if loose skin will be too much of a problem for me cuz im more interested in loosing weight and being able to be even remotely comfortable with myself again. But anyhoo, I have been thinking about getting the surgery for awhile now, but at 20 years old im a little worried about what THE REST OF MY LIFE will be like if I go for it. I want to be healthy, but I would also like to have some wine on my 21st bday or go to a bar with friends after work when im 30, you know? I don't drink soda, i love tea and coffee, i have a questionably unfortunate addiction to monster energy drinks, I cant drink tap Water because it makes me vomit (plus im anti tap because it infected me with a stomach disease) but when i buy bottled Water i often legitimately forget to drink any before its gone, i don't really eat a lot i dont think? But i have some very serious self esteem issues (always have) that have gotten drastically worse as i gain weight, i get so depressed that i just want to stay in my room and hide from everyone (including my boyfriend of 2 years cuz he doesnt understand that telling me how "beautiful" and "perfect" i am just makes me want to cry and crawl under a rock)

So enough about me cuz thats a little much to burst out with from the start lol the bottom line is: I don't want to be overweight anymore, I want to see myself as beautiful as he does or even a fraction of that is fine i guess, i want to be better, i want to dance and go for walks and hang with friends without feeling disgusting and paranoid. Im not sure which surgery to go for so any help on that would be awesome. So yeah... Any advice from anyone would be very much appreciated

[MichiganChic 3,262]

@@MichiganChic How was the surgery and the recovery from the Tummy Tuck?

It was painful for a few days, sore for quite a while, and swollen still. But the results are great, and I would do it again. The pain is very short term for a life with skin that fits. Aesthetics was a driver for having plastic surgery, but I also did it because I believe it will give me another advantage to keeping my weight off. (some studies have indicated that). I looked good in clothes, and while I didn't love the skin, it never bothered me like the fat did. I really wasn't prepared for how much better I feel and can move now - I didn't realize that I was physically uncomfortable with all that skin until it was gone!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

@@Onyx999 ... good questions, but you should start a new thread. This thread is about loose skin and plastic surgery. You'll get more responses if you give your new thread a title that summarizes your concerns, e.g., "20-year-old worries about life after WLS".

Good luck.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I am not one that believes counseling solves everything but I think it would be helpful. It is a big decision and it does impact your life. I worry about thinks like your resistance to hydration (water)because post op that is a big issue.

I was banded and then revised to sleeve. Band really impacted my life due to the vomiting and food restrictions. Sleeve I eat very normally (petite portions but I can eat all foods) however I avoided social restaurant events probably the first year post op. I am twice your age and had the patience for that.

I was obese pretty much my whole life. In my mid 20s I weighed in the 200# range and I remember how awful I felt about my body and looks. Trust me, you judge yourself way harder than others do. U are more than your dress size or looks and counseling might help you see that.

Not sure if this is where Im supposed to post this, but after reading several of the posts I hope this is an on spot Im new to this app so here goes... Im going to be 21 in april, I weigh 267 lbs and im 5'6". Im not sure if loose skin will be too much of a problem for me cuz im more interested in loosing weight and being able to be even remotely comfortable with myself again. But anyhoo, I have been thinking about getting the surgery for awhile now, but at 20 years old im a little worried about what THE REST OF MY LIFE will be like if I go for it. I want to be healthy, but I would also like to have some wine on my 21st bday or go to a bar with friends after work when im 30, you know? I don't drink soda, i love tea and coffee, i have a questionably unfortunate addiction to monster energy drinks, I cant drink tap Water because it makes me vomit (plus im anti tap because it infected me with a stomach disease) but when i buy bottled Water i often legitimately forget to drink any before its gone, i don't really eat a lot i dont think? But i have some very serious self esteem issues (always have) that have gotten drastically worse as i gain weight, i get so depressed that i just want to stay in my room and hide from everyone (including my boyfriend of 2 years cuz he doesnt understand that telling me how "beautiful" and "perfect" i am just makes me want to cry and crawl under a rock)

So enough about me cuz thats a little much to burst out with from the start lol the bottom line is: I don't want to be overweight anymore, I want to see myself as beautiful as he does or even a fraction of that is fine i guess, i want to be better, i want to dance and go for walks and hang with friends without feeling disgusting and paranoid. Im not sure which surgery to go for so any help on that would be awesome. So yeah... Any advice from anyone would be very much appreciated

[BHoenig 31]

@@Onyx999 I'm going to be brutally honest here. Please don't take offense, but I don't believe in sugar coating things. First of all...plans to drink on your 21st birthday should never ever be a factor in whether you do this. Most doctors say you can have drinks in moderation in the future. I'm assuming like almost everyone else on the planet you have had drinks underage so it's not like you're missing your first drink. I was pregnant when I turned 21 so I missed that right of passage, but growing a healthy human was so much more important. So is your health!!!

Getting rid of those energy drinks is best for your health whether or not you have the surgery. They're damaging and dangerous. That addiction can be broken in prediet. I didn't have a liquid prediet but a lowfat one for two weeks. Dropped twenty pounds alone. Some have liquid diets. All depends on your doctor.

Doing this at 20 is going to be the best shot for your skin to shrink. The younger the better and at 20 you have an excellent shot at not needing skin removed. Don't delay.

And finally...yesterday #DearMe was trending on twitter. Let me be your #DearMe...don't waste one more day being unhappy in your body. Don't let food control you, you control it. There is nothing scarier than if food has that much control over you. Get healthy, try to be happy, and get over the mindset that turning 21 you need to do this or later you'll want to do that. It all comes down to how bad you want it and if you want it more than that one night on your 21st birthday when you can order a drink. Losing weight will affect the rest of your life. You're 21st birthday is one day in a long life of milestones. No reason you can't order that drink...doesn't mean you have to drink it!

[Onyx999 4]

@@Onyx999 I'm going to be brutally honest here. Please don't take offense, but I don't believe in sugar coating things. First of all...plans to drink on your 21st birthday should never ever be a factor in whether you do this. Most doctors say you can have drinks in moderation in the future. I'm assuming like almost everyone else on the planet you have had drinks underage so it's not like you're missing your first drink. I was pregnant when I turned 21 so I missed that right of passage, but growing a healthy human was so much more important. So is your health!!!

Getting rid of those energy drinks is best for your health whether or not you have the surgery. They're damaging and dangerous. That addiction can be broken in prediet. I didn't have a liquid prediet but a lowfat one for two weeks. Dropped twenty pounds alone. Some have liquid diets. All depends on your doctor.

Doing this at 20 is going to be the best shot for your skin to shrink. The younger the better and at 20 you have an excellent shot at not needing skin removed. Don't delay.

And finally...yesterday #DearMe was trending on twitter. Let me be your #DearMe...don't waste one more day being unhappy in your body. Don't let food control you, you control it. There is nothing scarier than if food has that much control over you. Get healthy, try to be happy, and get over the mindset that turning 21 you need to do this or later you'll want to do that. It all comes down to how bad you want it and if you want it more than that one night on your 21st birthday when you can order a drink. Losing weight will affect the rest of your life. You're 21st birthday is one day in a long life of milestones. No reason you can't order that drink...doesn't mean you have to drink it!

I too am brutally honest, so thank you for not sugar coating. But i didnt realize last night that a lot of post op ppl have a problem with alcoholism so i wish now that id used better examples. No ive had drinks in the past and never been a "drinker". I was worrying about limitations that WLS would give me, simply so that i would know about them. I already have limitations from being fat! Haha so naturally this isnt really a problem for me, but if id have to be vegan bcuz of WLS id want to know. Ya know? I don't watch TV, so i'm not sure what a dear me is?

[AvaFern 3,516]

In terms of loose skin, I never had considered plastic surgery until I thought it might be fun to have new boobs. I had always wanted fake boobs because they are so firm and perky and mine, even when I was large, look a lot more like udders than they did anything sexy. When I went for the consult for my breasts, I liked the doctor so much I researched an abdominoplasty and randomly decided to get both procedures done. I have never had a flat stomach. Even when I was thin, which was every other year or so, I always had a tummy, so it was either Spanx or I couldn't wear a lot of tight things. I was SO happy with my abdominoplasty procedure that I almost forget how thrilled I was with my new boobs! It felt so fantastic to just throw on a pair of pants and a tight shirt, or a tight dress and not worry that my tummy pooch might show.

After that, I decided that plastic surgery is the bees' knees and I had a groin incision thigh lift and a brachioplasty. I'm kind of shallow so I was concerned about the scars on my arms. I am happy with the results on that procedure for the most part, but at my final procedure later this month (a posterior body lift and auto buttox augmentation) we're going to fix my thighs a bit. I am 100% sure I will still not like how I look in a bathing suit or naked. I am never going to be the woman that a man proudly stands next to while she is wearing an itty bitty bikini on some beach. I am however the woman that now looks damn good in just about every type of clothing and for me, the price of plastics made that feeling worth it.

So...when I got my sleeve, plastics was not even something I had thought of to think about, and it only came up when I was about 30 pounds from goal and randomly decided I wanted new boobs. I am very happy with the work that I have had done, and yet there are still times I stand in front of the mirror and I'm ashamed of the scars on my arms that people can see if I don't do a good job with makeup on them, I'm worried that a guy might see me naked and think...holy CRAP she has had some work done, and I am bummed that all the money I spent is still not going to make me attractive in a bathing suit. No matter what I do, I will never be hot and that makes me sad. Ultimately I didn't like myself a whole lot when I was fat and even after thousands of dollars in plastics, I still don't like myself a whole lot now, but it is a whole lot easier to fake it when 99% of the time that people see you you are dressed in clothing where you look fantastic. So I guess the shorter version of my post is that plastics didn't make me like myself, it didn't make me hot, but it sure gave me the confidence I need to fake it.

Good luck to you in your sleeve journey!