excess skin

hi im new to this board im not 20 but im 18 so close enough lol anyways im going to be having surgery on feb 12 (vsg)m and lately iv been really paranoid about excess skin iv been told by my doctor that it shouldnt be too bad beacuse of my age but i just wanted to know how bad is excess skin after wls surgery?? christy<3

Hi Chrsity! Welcome to the 20's board and congratulations on your upcoming surgery!  As for excess skin - it'll be different with everyone, so there is no straight answer I can give you I'm afriad.  Your age is definately a cir****tance in your favor but you are going to have some excess skin no matter what you do.  That is what happens when you lose a substantial amount of weight, whether you lose it with surgery or weigh****chers or whatever.  There are some things you can do to try to minimize the skin though - take your vitamins (there are supplements like biotin that are supposed to be good for skin health, so maybe add a biotin supplement to your regular vitamins), exercise, stay hydrated, get enough protien and keep your skin moisturized.  I have tried all of the different "skin firming" lotions and I don't think they work any better than regular lotion.  They might help skinny models with slight dimples of their perfect thighs, but I know my skin is damaged on a whole different level - however I DO think that moisturizing your skin will help it cope better with your weight loss.   It isn't that bad - when you really look at the big picture, when you stack up 100 extra pounds and all the health problems that come with those pounds up against some jiggly skin, that jiggly skin is really not even an issue.  I look fabulous with clothes on and because there aren't a whole lot of people who need to see me nakes, that is more than good enough for me.  Down the line, when you have lost all the weight, if the skin really bothers you that much you can get it surgically removed.  But for now just be excited about how much better your life is about to get! WLS is an awesome adventure! 

I was 21 when I had surgery, and my loose skin is awful, but I was very heavy (388). You don't look like you have near as much to lose as I did, I think you will be ok... and like Amy said, its better than the excess weight and it can be fixed eventually if it bothers you that much. Good luck!

I dont know why surgeons and people lie about the excess skin - while your surgeon may tell you 'it shouldnt be that bad'.... Im sure he means 'it shouldnt be that bad compared to somebody twice your age and size'... but in your mind it will be 'that bad'.  Honestly being young I feel it makes it harder to accept the excess skin. I started to gain weight in the 8th grade and just got bigger and bigger each year. I never had a good body my teenage/adult life... never wore a bikini and until last summer never felt comfortable at the pool (I grew up in South Florida!), I still stay away from short/sleeveless shirts at all costs. Basically my advice is to start saving for plastic surgery now because you will want it. Some areas may come out better than others and you may find you can 'live' with certain things... but others you will not want to. No matter our age or size it seems the majority of us have issues with the arms, breasts, stomach and thighs. Personally my arms and stomach are what I hate the most, I can live with the breasts and thighs... however it would still be something I would love to have 'fixed' if I ever can save up the money. I already went for a PS quote and for the 'full package' I am looking at $30000-$40000.  I too was told I would be 'fine' and I really wish somebody had been more honest... I could have been saving for the past 2 years at this point! In the end if you decide you dont need/want it or need less than you saved up for then you have $$ for a vacation, new car, clothes whatever you want.