Will loose skin happen ?

[biglady904 65]

I'm 6'3 and I'm about 428 my surgeon says he wants me to be about 240 but I'm wondering with WLS does loose skin happen ? I have people tell me because I'm young that it won't happen but that's something I'm worried about. And can I prevent it ?

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[KristenLe 5,979]

Loose skin can be dependent on age, amount of weight to lose, genetics, yo-yo dieting (gaining & losing), etc. I don't believe there's anyway to prevent it at this point. I figure loose skin is better than the alternative and if it's really bad - I'll be getting plastic surgery.

[sgc 538]

Loose skin can happen with any weight loss and not just surgery. Age should help but when you are going to lose 200 pounds, I would expect some loose skin.

[JamieLogical 8,708]

It doesn't matter HOW you lose weight... if you lose over 200 pounds, you are going to have loose skin. Most people will have loose skin even if they only lose 100 pounds. I had skin removal surgery after only losing 90 pounds.

There are a lot of factors that come into play, but with that much weight to lose, you are definitely going to have some loose skin. As you are losing weight, here are some things you can do that *might* help:

• stay hydrated... Water is very good for your skin
• moisturize daily... ideally twice daily
• take your supplements... Vitamin C and E are shown to help with skin elasticity
• strength training.... building muscle can help "fill in" loose skin a bit

But your age, genetics, how much weight you have to lose, and how quickly you lost can all play a role in how much skin you'll end up with.

The thing you REALLY need to keep in mind is that, while loose skin isn't desirable, it's not going to kill you. Carrying around an extra 200+ pounds WILL kill you.

[JupiterinVirgo 846]

Losing a large amount of weight will inevitably leave extra skin behind. There is nothing you can do about it. You can have it removed when you've reached your goal, if it bothers you that much. But honestly, loose skin, even never removed, is still leaving us all in a much much better position than having all of that skin filled with fat. I don't know why so many people worry about this so much as if we are protecting our fat-why would we struggle with the thought of trading in fat for extra skin? The fat is what is killing us, causing us pain on a daily basis. Extra skin is not a big deal. And if it's a big deal to you, then after you're finished losing all your weight you can have it surgically removed.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

It doesn't matter HOW you lose weight... if you lose over 200 pounds, you are going to have loose skin. Most people will have loose skin even if they only lose 100 pounds. I had skin removal surgery after only losing 90 pounds.

There are a lot of factors that come into play, but with that much weight to lose, you are definitely going to have some loose skin. As you are losing weight, here are some things you can do that *might* help:

• stay hydrated... Water is very good for your skin
• moisturize daily... ideally twice daily
• take your supplements... Vitamin C and E are shown to help with skin elasticity
• strength training.... building muscle can help "fill in" loose skin a bit

But your age, genetics, how much weight you have to lose, and how quickly you lost can all play a role in how much skin you'll end up with.

The thing you REALLY need to keep in mind is that, while loose skin isn't desirable, it's not going to kill you. Carrying around an extra 200+ pounds WILL kill you.

These are great suggestions.

Also, if the skin causes you issues (mobility, chafing, etc.), be sure and talk about it with your PCP. Having a documented history may help you if you do eventually decide to have skin removal surgery.

[dashofsunshine 875]

Yep. There will be some. Hydration, age, exercise, genetics, etc...all play into how MUCH...but you are going to have some loose skin. Just expect it and don't be let down when it appears. Do what you can to tone it and be proactive. It doesn't end up as rolls and rolls of skin for everyone. I lost 175 lbs, no skin removal, and this is me now. I have some on my stomach and a bit on my arms, but nothing debilitating. Some people have more than others, but don't let it get you down. Exercise and hydrate and when the day comes, if you'd like, you can get it removed! Your health is worth it

Edited May 15, 2016 by dashofsunshine

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@dashofsunshine Your success is inspiring. You look beautiful! Congrats.