Excess skin question

I know I have a lot of weight ahead of me to get rid of and I am hopeful and encouraged that I will do well on this journey, but one of the questions I have is about excess skin.  I am nearly 50 and I realize I will probably have more issues with this than someone who is younger would have.  It would be a long time before I would be able to save up enough money for plastic surgery as well.  So how bad is the excess skin when you lose 150 lbs or more?  Is there anything you can do ahead of time or as you are losing that will help to keep the excess skin to a minimum?  What do you wish you known about how to deal with it earlier? 

Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can give. 

I won't lie. I have a TON of loose skin on my thighs, upper arms, stomach and butt. And I'm only 34. Also, I've lost a lot of breast tissue, though I'm still frustratingly a G cup, just a saggy one. As unpleasant as it is to look at, I'd much rather have lost 180 pounds and have this skin then have it be all full of fat again.

I haven't had any rashes or issues from it (yet), and can hide a lot of it with clothes. I am starting to think about saving for plastics and I wish I had started saving earlier and spent a little less on clothes on the way down. Don't let worries about skin hold you back--it's more than worth it to get my life back! Good luck!

I had my RNY at age 42. Losing 200 pounds left me with tons of loose skin. There is really nothing you can do. Invest in some shapewear to keep it all in place. Research residency plastic surgery programs in your area to save money. You could also get a loan. Good luck on your journey!!

ETA: Here is what my excess skin looked like. I was able to hide it in shapewear, but I had to get rid of it for my mental health...

Hi,

I am 10 months out and I've lost 186 pounds.  I have loose skin, but I am also surprised how well my body is doing at tightening up over time.  For example, for a while I had lose skin on my neck, but it all tightened up, and it looks fine now.  At one point my face looked older - lots of wrinkles - but again, it got better.  I do have a lot of loose skin on my inner thighs, and now that my belly is finally shrinking, I see wrinkles of skin there too. 

I also should mention that I'm 65.  I've read posts where people say that their skin continued to tighten for 6 months after they reached maintenance.  So I am hopeful that I can keep the plastics to a minimum. 

I want to tell you, that the excess skin is a small price to pay for being so much healthier. 

best wishes,

Carol

Insurance might pay for it to be removed if there's a medical condition attached to it, bad rash?, I'm not sure, best to check with insurance & try to get info from your surgeon about plastic surgery & getting a low cost estimates.