Lap Band --> Slower Weight Loss --> Less need for plastics later on??

Anyone ever hear of this association?  Did it influence your choice of surgery?  (If the body has more time to adjust to weight loss, then it is more likely to absorb excess skin along the way, reducing the need for post bariatric skin removal).

I don't think I've ever heard of the body absorbing excess skin, honestly. I think it's luck of the draw. Either your skin is elastic enough to snap back or it's not. Rate of loss doesn't have anything to do with it, in my opinion.

Once skin is stretched to a certain point, there's nothing that can be done other than removal from what I've seen (and experienced!)

 Regardless of how someone loses weight, the slow approach is far better.  The best way to reduce the loose skin issue from weight loss is to fill it up with muscle as you're losing weight.  You not only look better, but you will also have a higher metabolism to help prevent regain.  With any weight loss, you lose some muscle, but you lose much more muscle when you lose very rapidly.  You have to give your muscles enough nutrients to grow.  

But, other than that, yeah, as NM said, it's often other factors, like genetics, skin type, age, how long you carried the excess weight, and skin damage, that determine how much loose skin you have after losing a great deal of weight.  Loose skin is better than obesity under any cir****tances!

MM

NOT!  You have what you have when it is done whether you lost weight a pound a month or 30 pounds a month - the emptying of fat and the loosening of skin is just faster. 

Genetics, how you carry your weight, age, how much you were overweight, how long you were overweight  are determining factors of your end result.

Well not so end.  Skin is never ever absorbed by the body or lost NEVER, ever!!!  you can tone your muscles and have your skin "appear to be" tighter though loose skin is loose skin.  It does change over time - it is said that your skin will mold where it will remain in about a year after weight loss.  I found this to be very true myself.  Though I could never hide the fact that I was "obese".  I am however decent and I'd take loose skin over excess weight any single day of my life.

PLEASE DO NOT BASE YOUR SURGERY CHOICE ON THE PACE THAT YOU EXPECT TO LOSE YOUR WEIGHT. THERE ARE TOO MANY MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER.

Blessings,
Leila

I agree with NM.

I dont know how much of this is true either but this is what I heard.  I heard the places where you have stretch marks will never get tight again you have stretched the skin out to much by then .

Dont know if that is true or not but that is just what I heard .  If its true then my tummy is in for some real trouble lol

It really does not impact your needs for plastics later.

Genetics, age, sex, exercise seem to contribute much more than rate of weight loss.

Once your skin has had to grow to accommodate your body, it does not 'shrink' or disappear.
Some people have better elasticity than others (just like some people have less scar tissue issues than others).

You don't absorb excess skin.
Exercise can tone muscle, but it is still muscle that is under excess skin.

I never even heard of that  I still have a lot of skin. My decision for lap-band was more because It was safer and I didn't want anything permanently cut.

Jen

I don't think slower weight loss has any effect one way or the other on excess skin after massive weight loss. I sure have plenty of excess skin. I've heard several plastic surgeons talk about this at support group meetings and WLS conferences (including an OH event) and they all said that the chief factors in skin condition after weight loss are age (skin loses elasticity as we age) and genetics.

Jean