Excess skin removal after weight loss (quit smoking, patients, stomach, biopsy)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Has anyone had this procedure? I've lost 63 pounds since spring. My goal is to lose 27 more pounds, for a total of 90 pounds lost. My biggest problem area is my stomach. It looks like a deflated balloon (sexy, right?), and I would like to have the procedure once I reach my goal weight. However, I am deathly afraid of going under the knife. I know there are always risks involved any time someone has surgery. I'd love to hear from anyone who has been through it. (Or anyone who has a lot of excess skin after weight loss and opted NOT to have the surgery: How do you deal with it?) Thanks!
shouldn't your skin naturally pull itself together if you give it some time after your weightloss? (I really don't know anything about this particular part of weightloss)
Wear spanx or something like that to support your skin when it looks like that. Use lotion to keep it hydrated, clean diet and quit smoking(if you do).
I thought I was going to have to deal with that but I just did as posted above. If my skin was not recovering I paused the weight loss (already in healthy range) so it did not have so much catch up work to do.
I really would not get the skin lift at all unless you are having problems like infections from extra skin.
Too many extreme risks. You can always have a tummy tucking bathing suit or shapewear to take care of minor problems.
When you get to your goal weight you may want to try sit ups with a weight on your chest (if you don't have back problems) and look into info on adjusting your body fat. Those can help tighten the skin.
Remember to give your skin at least 2 years to really recover once you lost everything.
I used strivectin on my face and neck. That stuff is awesome. Its expensive but totally worth it if your skin is bothering you. My skin ended up tightening up on its own so I did not have to keep buying it. Thank goodness because the price really ticks me off. LOL
Lately I have been just using coconut oil and suave firming lotion along with a healthy diet. I think having a lower healthier sodium intake also helps quite a bit.
Congrats on your weight loss; best of luck on the rest of your journey.
Start now smearing Vitamin E oil on your skin every day, everywhere. It really does work. Slather it on straight, or mix it in with your regular lotion.
And it will take time for your skin to adapt to its lack of "filling," if you will. Don't be discouraged.
As Pitt noted, it takes a long time for your skin to re-adjust. You already "went under the knife" and survived, so there's no big deal on doing it again. However, a tummy tuck will be painful.
After a year more, consult a plastic surgeon (board certified) and see if liposuction and tissue glue would help. If not and you're still unhappy, go for it! My WLS surgeon is now doing tummy tucks on his patients, but not on the general populace. You could call your surgeon and ask for a referral to someone other patients have used and been happy with,. It's not the usual tummy tuck procedure on us.
Thanks for the replies! Unfortunately there is just too much skin for it to be able to "bounce back". Once I reach my goal weight, I'll probably wait a while and then go for the surgery. Until then, Spanx it is!
Has anyone had this procedure? I've lost 63 pounds since spring. My goal is to lose 27 more pounds, for a total of 90 pounds lost. My biggest problem area is my stomach. It looks like a deflated balloon (sexy, right?), and I would like to have the procedure once I reach my goal weight. However, I am deathly afraid of going under the knife. I know there are always risks involved any time someone has surgery. I'd love to hear from anyone who has been through it. (Or anyone who has a lot of excess skin after weight loss and opted NOT to have the surgery: How do you deal with it?) Thanks!
I gained weight along with my wife back in '82 when she was prego with our child. Of course she lost hers right away and I remained heavy for another year after my son was born. But I eventually lost it all and went back to my old self until a problem I talked about in another thread. That weight gain happened from 2004 to the beg of 2010.
I lost all the weight both times. But the one back in the eighties left me in a situation like yourself. After we divorced I wanted to do some modeling and related things so I had this surgury. It cost me 3500. I'm sure it's more now. The surgeon downplayed the surgury. He made it sound like no big deal.
They wheel you into an operatiing room the temperature of the inside of a refridgerator. Your arms are strapped down away from your body and you are knocked out.
AFTER the surgury, he said you just had major surgury. I was kinda shocked because he never used those words before. After the surgury, when I woke up from the anestesia my eyes rolled up in my head from the pain. I begged for pain releif. They made me tell them my name and what day it was or some other similar type information before they would give me morphine. It was the most painful 20 seconds of my life.
The cost included everything including a few nights in the hosp. I can say, 23 years later, it was well worth it. It even held up after another big weight gain and loss. My stomach is still as flat as it was after the surgury. And the scar is almost invisible.
Last edited by PeepoRsheep; 10-15-2010 at 02:31 PM..
Reason: Actually it was 23 years ago.
As Pitt noted, it takes a long time for your skin to re-adjust. You already "went under the knife" and survived, so there's no big deal on doing it again. However, a tummy tuck will be painful.
After a year more, consult a plastic surgeon (board certified) and see if liposuction and tissue glue would help. If not and you're still unhappy, go for it! My WLS surgeon is now doing tummy tucks on his patients, but not on the general populace. You could call your surgeon and ask for a referral to someone other patients have used and been happy with,. It's not the usual tummy tuck procedure on us.
I'm curious as to what they charge for a tummy tuck now. Did they tell you? I may possibly be the only thing I own that has appreciated.
To help with the loose skin use Nivea or Vaseline skin tightening lotion as soon as you get out of the shower and you are still warm. You can also use Preparation H then cover in Saran Wrap and this will shrink the excess skin. That's what so pro bodybuilders I know suggested including one person who lose 80 lbs.
I'm curious as to what they charge for a tummy tuck now. Did they tell you? I may possibly be the only thing I own that has appreciated.
I think he said about $6K. But everything in UT is cheaper, medically speaking. If you pay cash/credit card, the bypass itself is $18K. I used Medicare/Blue Cross and my 3-day stay for the bypass/liver biopsy totaled about $46K.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
