Extra Skin after Weight Loss??

thechatrooper · March 29, 2005

Hey everyone!

I'm due to be banded in about three weeks, and one of my biggest concerns is the fact that I might be left with a lot of excess skin after weight loss.

I know two people personally who have gotten the surgery, and both were young (21 and 28) and they were left with LOTS of extra skin and both had to get body lifts, plus one got a breast lift and another got implants. I'm 21, 5'6 and 250lbs. Will I be stuck with lots of extra skin as well? I'd really like to avoid having to get plastic surgery... I hate the thought of it.

I'm planning on buying an elipticall machine for my house, but I don't know if that will be enough. What kind of excersizes are good to help tone up before excess skin becomes a problem?

(I'm an hourglass shape, so my weight is carried pretty evenly, but is mainly in my upper arms, chest, abdomen below my belly button, and upper thighs.)

Has anyone tried to use skin firming cream religiously after surgery? If so, did it work?

Is there anything, anything, anything I can do to prevent my breasts from becoming saggy??

Has anyone tried seeing a dermotologist for advice? I'm thinking of doing this.

Thanks for any help anyone can give!

Lisa

Mariposa Bella · March 29, 2005

I too wish there was a miracle lotion out there, but I don't know that one exists. I personally have been pregnant too many times for my belly to go back in place, my personal trainer says that I could do thousands of sit ups everyday and not be able to get rid of my pouch, so I am having a tt in July. Sorry if I wasn't any help.

And excersising will help tone up, we all have different elastisity on our skins and you might be one of the luckey ones, I know women that have been pregnant three or four times and dont have one stretch mark, and others that were pregnant only once and have tons of them, so we are all different and it would be hard to say. Good luck.

Alexandra · March 29, 2005

Hi Lisa,

The amount of excess skin one has after weight loss is largely a matter of heredity and age as well as the amount of weight lost. It's also a matter of perception. What's "lots" of extra skin? Whether you feel your body is acceptable after you lose weight is something only you can decide. There are no magic tricks. Exercise will help tone up the muscles under your skin, but it can't do anything about your skin itself. And if there were really a cream out there that could make any difference, we'd all know about it.

Zoe · March 29, 2005

Hi Lisa -- I agree with Alex. But since you're "21, 5'6 and 250lbs.," the odds are in your favor. You're young and your BMI isn't over 50.

thechatrooper · March 29, 2005

Hey Zoe!

I noticed that you get your fills through Dr. Horgan.

How do you like him? I am set to get my surgery done through

him this month, but haven't met him yet (My consult is this Friday, surgery is 2 weeks after)

Do you go to the support groups at MIBC as well?

La_madam · March 29, 2005

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5132&highlight=excess+skin

This is is a thread from sometime back about loose skin, if you do a search here under Excess Skin several threads will come up with lots of info for you. I have been fortunate, so far I am ok in the loose skin, my arms are the only area that Iam concerned about. I just keep doing my free wieghts and hoping for the best

smellycat · March 31, 2005

Hello thechatrooper--

My surgery is April 6 with Dr. Horgan. When is yours? I met Dr. Horgan briefly at a free seminar, but when I went for my pre-op testing I saw other doctors, not Horgan.

--smellycat

thechatrooper · March 31, 2005

Hey Smellycat!

My consultation is this Friday (April 1st) and since I'm self pay, my surgery will be about two weeks later. I saw Dr. Horgan at the seminar too, but never got to meet him.

Keep and touch and let me know how your surgery goes with them!!