Loose Skin & Hair Loss

I have flappy bits. I don't care. I wear sleeves because my arms are cold, not because of batwing coverage.

I had a couple of kids and spent a long time obese, so my stomach was never going to be great. 

Hair loss was only bothersome because I have curly hair and had lots of little hair horns sticking up when it grew back. It was a very minor annoyance.

I have saggy skin on my arms,stomach and a tiny bit on my thighs. The first summer I was thin I only wore 3/4 sleeves to cover the arms up but by the second summer my self confidence was better and I felt great so I said what the heck. Now I let my arms show to be comfortable and if others don't like it,they can look away. I realized finally that even with the skin I look better than most 57 year old women. If I were young or rich I would fix the arms and stomach but I'm neither so I'll take what I have. My hair did get pretty thin but grew back quickly and had a bit of curl too when it came back which was a nice change. It was all worth it though to be 155 pounds lighter and rid of co-morbidities like diabetes,high cholesterol and triglycerides and uncontrolled high blood pressure . 

I lost a ton of hair, but I also realized that I HAD a ton of hair.  It was only noticeable to me.  It was sort of alarming to see the clumps and clumps of hair in the shower during the roughest months (3-8), but it went away completely and all grew back.  Yeah the extra skin sucks, but you might get lucky and it won't be that bad.  

But you know what was worse for me than losing hair or some loose skin?  Spilling on to the person next to me in an airplane, or worrying about sitting on a picnic table wondering if it's going to tip over, or wearing hoodies in the 95 degree heat to keep my body covered up, or being out of breath walking up a few flights of stairs...etc

I'll take these side effects any day. 

Thanks for all of your support!  Anyone do plastic surgery?  Happy/not with results?  I know that everyone says they would do RNY all over again.  Would you do plastics all over again?

T minus 19 days....

Insurance has denied coverage for abdominal skin removal even though the WLS surgeon says it is a medical necessity for me due to bowel obstruction surgery; it's wait and see at this point. Female support group members that have had plastic surgery report satisfaction all the way around with most choosing the stomach and breast areas. In my 50's, the eyelids and neck would be my first choice.

There is a plastics forum -- http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/plasticsurgery/

I have lost about half of my hair since surgery - no big deal, it will grow back.  I do have a lost of loose skin and will get more, also no big deal.  I am just glad the skin is less filled up with fat than it used to be :)

Loose skin is more than just a cosmetic issue for me.  Not until having bowel obstruction surgery was it suggested by the WLS surgeon to have abdominal skin removal to help hold in my "free-range" intestines.  Hair loss was more like hair thinning; it prompted a halt to dying my hair.  Between gray hair and an older-looking, thinner face, I turned into my mother. 

I try to see the good about me. Try not to pick ourselves apart.  The skin is not that bad. I don't like it. But I would rather have saggy skin and be healthier.