Question:
Is there any way to lessen the amount of loose skin I'll have? Do Body wraps help??

I am pretty dern certain I will have a good amount of loose skin. I think I heard somewhere that getting body wraps (seaweed, etc) helped with loose skin while dieting.    — TheButterflye (posted on May 15, 2010)

May 15, 2010
You will always have some loose skin just due to the lack of fat under your skin when you lost your weight. The best way to decrease it you MUST exercise. This will help. Body wraps are a temporary solution to some of it but again, not all of it. Thone only permantent is surgery.....but if you do not follow your program your fat cell will return. Hope this helped and good luck on your journey
   — karensaporito

May 15, 2010
Body Wraps are not cheep, but walking is free! I too should have had a great deal of lose skin, but I started walking even before my surgery and once I had dropped enough weight I started RUNNING. Running has helped my legs, but I also go to a gym and work my arms pretty hard..I am 46 and still have "granny grabbers", the loose skin under my arms, but I have no doubt it could have been worse. MOVE- MOVE- MOVE-EXERCISE it works!
   — kfgates

May 16, 2010
It depends on several factors. Remain hydrated at all times. 1.) Water is very important for skin health. 2.) Use lotion often, several times a day. Do not go for that expensive skin tightening stuff, just lotion. I used vitamin E fortified and coco butter lotion, twice a day, morning and night and sometimes during the day. 3.) Take your vitamins, there help you maintain healthy cells and healthy skin. 4.) Walking is good but it isn't enough because you are only working certain body parts, legs, arms (if swinging them or using weights), hips, etc. Try doing other things, lifting weights (light not body builder style LOL) 5.) <<<***MOST IMPORTANT THING***>>> You WILL NOT shrink all the excess skin and if you are lucky and I mean LUCKY, it will return on its own a lot but figure it isn't going too and then no matter what you will be pleased. Why set yourself up for dissapointment? One big thing to keep in mind is your size. If you are really large you will have excess skin. Think about it, if you have a big ass you are goign to have a saggy ass. If you have large upper arms they will be saggy. The only way to keep from getting saggy skin is to not lose a massive amount of weight (UNHEALTHY LOSE THE WEIGHT and take the extra skin) or don't get so large in the first place (too late for that or we wouldn't be on here eh?) I weighed 570lbs the day I got out of the hospital (Oct. 13, 2009) today I weigh 230lbs. I have weighed 230 since about a year out. Think about that, I lost 340lbs in 12 months or so and there just was not enough time for my skin to 'bounce back' so I have lose saggy skin but I will take it!
   — Jaime Breckenridge

May 16, 2010
Honestly, you will definitely have loose skin, and the only thing I know to minimize it is to exercize and target areas like the thighs, upper arms, abdomen and buttocks. Rubbing with a collagen based cream won't hurt and might help keep the skin more elastic, above all avoid confining the skin and keeping the blood flow constricted, as this makes the skin cells die and atrophy. Keep moisturized with hot soaks and immediately after you get out, massage a good moisturizing creme or lotion into problem area. This seals the moisture in, but never put oil on before soaking or bathing, this keeps moisture out. Finally learn to thank God that it will be a problem, because that means your surgery was a success. :-)
   — Dusty Ray Vaughn

May 16, 2010
Thanks everyone. I know of surety there is no way to avoid loose skin, however I asked because I wanted to do my part to at least make the best of a bad situation, if you will. I will definitely begin to make lotioning up a habit of mine. I only do it as needed now.
   — TheButterflye