Question:
any african american's experience hanging skin
i am african american female age 39 with huge boobs and i hear that lots of women have hanging skin after wls. is that true for black people too and does your age make a difference? will the fact that i'm black prevent me from having deflated breast if i have breast reduction before wls? i am a 52i and think if i lose some fat my breast are so big it won't hurt them even after reduction/? ANY ADVICE? — r4life (posted on March 21, 2007)
March 21, 2007
Well, let's first start off with the fact that you are not different from
anyone else just because you are black. ANYONE who loses a large amount of
weight it going to lose it from EVERYWHERE including their breasts. Are
you asking if your breasts are mostly fat and will go away leaving you a
huge amount of loose skin, only time will tell. You may have very fibrous
breasts with more fibrous tissue vs fat, but delude yourself by thinking
that you will not lose some in the breasts. The best exercise to help with
this area is either swimming or pilates in strengthening your chest
muscles. Good luck with your surgery...........
— Kari_K
March 21, 2007
Hi, I too was big busted pre surgery.. it seems that it would be best to
lose all of your weight first and see how your breasts are after the weight
loss, then get a breast lift at that point.. thats what i did.. if you get
a reduction done before and then lose the weight you will still end up with
sagging hanging breasts anyways and still need a lift.. why put yourself
through both surgeries..
I went from 44D to 34/36B and I even need a little padding.. its so weird
to not have those huge breasts hanging, but I feel so much better without
them. no more back pain, yeah!!
Best wishes!!! April
— April
March 21, 2007
The question of extra skin seems to bother most everyone. I heard an
intersting quote this morning from Jared(The subway dude), and his comment
was 'Would you rather have the skin and the fat, or just the skin?' Easy
choice if you ask me.
— CChappell
March 22, 2007
I completely understand about the uncertainty with the breast. I too have
large breast and at 4mths out from surgery have gone from a 46DDD to a
38DD. Most of it is now loose skin, I plan on waiting until goal weight to
make decisions and see how things "land". ha ha Exercise will be
the best thing to help with the muscle structure underneath the fat. It
would be a big help for any lift or reduction you may decide later.
— reach1more
March 22, 2007
I too am an African American woman. It seems that we achieve better
results in tems of skin apperance. I say this from what I have observed.
I reside in Metropolitan Atlanta. I have met a few hundred people that
have had weight loss surgery at various support groups that I attend. I
started out at about 305-312, wearing a 46DD. I am now a 34B-C. Exercise,
diligent, relentless exercise, before during and after is the key. Lifting
weights, etc. I started a rigorous program almost two years prior to my
surgery. As a result, my once huge breasts, that hung now actually have
lift. I was able to build up the chest muscles. I would read various
information on how to lift, (light weights to build muscle). I went from a
size 24-28 to a svelte size 6. I have not, do not need any type of
reconstructive surgery. I am 5'10", 48 years old, 3 years and two
months out. The first year of surgery, my body changed and transformed.
At times it appeared that my very large rear end had flattened out. The
skin that appeared somewhat loose transformed through exercise. My butt is
now once again very curvaceoulsy round, smaller, lots smaller but quite
shapely. New people in my life would never ever guess I was ever fat. I
also have great definition in my biceps, triceps, thighs, calves, back :-).
God is still in the blessing business
— FOXY
March 22, 2007
Everyone has a different experience with loose skin and I don't think skin
color plays a factor. I'm white, 26, almost 1 yr post-op. Down 146lbs. I
went from 44DD to a 34C. And I can tell you that the boob issue is a very
sensitive one for me because all that's left is skin! They're wrinkly and
I have to mold them into place in my bra. LOL. In my case, once I
stabilize in weight (and probably after having kids too) I will look into a
breast lift or even implants. Now my mom had RNY in 1992 and had a
reduction post-op. She was almost more happy with that surgery than the
WLS. I would wait until after your WLS to do anything. One, you don't
know how your body will react. Two, exercise is a great thing - toning can
really strengthen your chest muscles. And three - my mom said it isn't a
fun surgery and I'd hate to see you have to do it twice (reduction prior
and then a lift post-op). For now, I've gotten some good bras to lift the
girls up and I just hold my head high and enjoy the benefits of not
weighing 300lbs! Being healthy is the most important anyway. Best of luck
on your surgery. Blessings, Sarah in VA
— platypus
March 22, 2007
Hello, I am 36 and had a breast reduction at 18. They came back with
weight gain and now sag something terrible. I dont think anything will
prevent the deflated breast syndrome and I certainly would not recomend
breast reduction before WLS. I plan to have a breast reduction at the end
of this year or early next year because my breast sag really bad and now
they are getting flat. There is little elasticity and I have already
consulted with a plastic surgeon. I am about a 40DD but cannot find bras
with enough support to lift them,, they are extremely heavy and I have lost
51 pounds.
You will probably lose a lot of breast tissue and may need to consider
reduction but its not definite, some people have no problem in that area
and consider it a "battle scar". I have plastic surgery
scheduled in September for my tummy tuck, I had hanging skin in that area
already and know it is gonna get a lot worse real soon. THe other area is
my inner thighs, they look pretty bad right now but I dont know if I am
able to work out and get them in shape or if I will have to get them cut
too. I'll assess that later, maybe after I am 1 year post-op in December
07. I had 103 pounds to lose to get to goal so I am halfway there and
these are the areas that I feel will need work. Good luck to you and let
me know if you have any more questions. Angela
— A Q.
March 22, 2007
Rosalind..believe it or not...the color of your skin has NOTHING to do with
hanging skin."Fat" on the other hand is totally color blind and
will land it's ugly face Anywhere, Anytime and on Anybody. It doesn't
discriminate. Your breast don't even know that they're Black. All
nationalities have had this surgery and it just depends on the individual,
as to how their excess skin will hang. You may want to hold off on the
breast reduction until you see what the actual WLS does to your breasts. A
previous writer suggested weights and that sounds like an excellent way to
go.Best of luck to you.
— purnellj
March 22, 2007
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS . WHEN I ASK ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN SKIN I
DON'T LITERALLY MEAN THE COLOR. IT IS TRUE THAT THEIR ARE CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTCS AND TRAITS THAT CERTAIN NATIONALITIES HAVE. FOR EXAMPLE ,
AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE USUALLY PRONE TO SICKLE CELL ANEMIA, AND PEOPLE WITH
WHITER COMPLEXION SUNBURN EASIER OR QUICKER AND TURN RED, SO I WAS
COMPARING THE ELASTICITY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SKIN BECAUSE FROM WHAT I HAVE
OBSERVED SOME DON'T GETOBVIOUS WRINKLES IN THE SKIN UNTILL THEY ARE UP IN
AGE. I AM NOT STEREOTYPING I SPEAKING FROM WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED.
— r4life
March 23, 2007
Uh...African-Americans are "usually prone to sickle-cell anemia"?
That's not true, I'm happy to say. Sickle-cell disease is a genetic
disorder that is found among people of sub-Saharan African descent, but
also among other ethnic groups in the Mediterranean, India, and elsewhere
where malaria is or has been prevalent. (In one of those evolutionary
paradoxes, the gene makes one less susceptible to malaria.) In order to be
afflicted with sickle-cell anemia, one must inherit the trait from both
parents. In the U.S., the incidence of sickle-cell anemia among blacks is
only 8 percent, and falling. And it isn't something that can be brought
out by or influenced by behavior and personal choice, such as sunburn or
Type II diabetes. You're either born with sickle cell, or you've escaped
it for life. And I might as well add that I haven't seen any evidence that
people of color have less need for breast lifts or other plastic surgery
after WLS. The massive weight loss tends to leave us all deflated and
hanging in the wrong places...though it's oh-so-worth-it anyway!
— Virginia N.
March 23, 2007
This question appears to be troublesome for several members. All skin is
not equal..........African Americans do not wrinkle as a norm, this is
fact not fiction. This is not a guessing game, it is reality. Our skin
fares better through the dramatic weight loss process because of genetics.
Crows feet, and wrinkled skin eludes us with greater frequency. If and
when an African-American experiences wrinkled skin, they are well up in
age, well beyojnd 60. We enjoy the blessing of darker skin (melatin).
In actuality, the darker our skin, the likihood of living a wrinkle
free life increases exponentially. This also translates into the issues of
weight. No one should be offended. It is not true that everyone will
experience sagging breats. While it is true breast tissue is fatty tissue,
it does not automatically mean the breast will become limp sagging
nightmares. As I initially posted, my breasts do not sag........... I am
48 etc.
My honest recommendation remains the same...........exercise, build muscle
to minimize the effects of extreme weight loss. Follow the rules and be
blessed :-)
— FOXY
March 23, 2007
All skin is not "equal"? I wish you'd put that differently,
Carmen. It is true that all skin is not the same. And the skin of blacks
does age differently than that of whites. It ages differently, but it does
age. The plastic surgeon on that Health Channel show has written a book in
which he explains that blacks age more quickly in the lower part of the
face, and whites age more quickly in the upper part of the face--where
aging is perhaps more noticeable (crow's feet and so on). But those who
are insisting here that black skin doesn't wrinkle (would that it were
true!) are making a leap in assuming that dark skin's resistance to some
aging means that it will also snap back into shape after the stretching out
of more than a hundred excess pounds is followed by the massive emptying of
post-WLS weight loss. Aging and weight loss are different processes. I'm
no expert, but my plastic surgeon has many black patients, and if you watch
those "before and after" medical shows, you'll see plenty of
black patients among the post-WLS'ers getting plastic surgery there.
Exercise is a great idea for many reasons, but it won't make plastics less
necessary for stretched-out skin because the skin contains no muscle.
Anyone might have won the genetic lottery as an individual, but it's idle
to believe that any entire race has done so. My advice is not to go into
WLS expecting that your color will make plastic surgery unnecessary.
— Virginia N.
March 23, 2007
why the heck are people getting so defensive. as soon as i bring up race
people start arquing. i only asked a simple question i am not implying that
one race is better then another. there is beauty in all nationalities. the
fact that we all have different characteristic traits makes us enteresting.
since i'm black i was asking blacks what some of their experiences was if
their is no difference then there isn't. i'm ok with that. thanks for the
info on sickle cell i had always heard that it more common in blacks i only
tried to use an example but i guess it was a bad example. but i think
people got the point. i was trying to talk about some different
characteristics of nationalities. does any body feel me. maybe a plastic
surgeon can answer the question since they are pros. this is not about
who's skin is better or black vs. white so all nonblacks can calm down. i
am not a racists.i am trying to get an idea of what to possibly expect if i
decide to have wls. i know everyone is individual, but i wanted to ask
anyway without people getting defensive or stirring up drama. this web is
for help and questions. i simply asked a question. don't anyone take it
personal. i apologize if anyone did.
— r4life
March 24, 2007
Rosalind, I am an African-amer woman, I had RNY 12/03, I went from 318 to
155 lbs. I went from a 48DDD to now a 34DDD, I have hanging skin in my
inner thighs, my stomach and not to mention my breasts that look like
deflated eggplants (all skin-yuck)there is no money in my budget for
plastics right now so I wear good bras and try to keep my clothes on as
much as possible-lol but to answer your question, I would loose all the
weight that I wanted to loose and then consult for plastics (IMO-I would
give it 12-mnths after you reach your goal weight before any plastic
consult-) hoped I helped...
— msstacey
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