Question:
Flabby Skin...Does everyone have it after surgery?

I am 26 yrs old, 5'9 Tall, 271 Lbs. Is there anyone out there around (or was around) my age, height, and weight who did/did not have alot of excess skin hanging? I am tall so I don't really have alot of weight in any particular areas, it's all kinda spread out all over my body. I am praying I won't have alot of excess skin. Any comments will be greatly appreciated! Thanks~Melissa    — WannaBSlim (posted on February 10, 2006)

February 10, 2006
Not everyone has excess skin. I did and had a tummy tuck and arm lift, but there are several people in our support group that lost 150 - 200 lbs. that do not have saggy skin.
   — tazfan

February 10, 2006
Melissa: You are 26 years old! You are quite tall. I seriously DOUBT you are going to have a problem with much excess skin! You will most like likely be one of those who gets a fabulous shape with relatively little excess skin--especially if you exercise.
   — gerardlovesjoy

February 11, 2006
Melissa, When I was 22, I was 5'10" and weighed 232 the day of surgery. I lost down to 158. I exercised enough that I looked pretty good. Good luck!
   — Jean Hitchcock

February 11, 2006
I am almost 53 years old and had surgery 13 months ago. I started at about your same weight, and am 5'9" tall. I have lost about 100 pounds and think that I am happy at this new weight. I wear about a 14 usually, and this is the amazing part. Even after two children and 100 extra pounds I really do not have a lot of extra skin. I should be a flabby mess, considering my age, length of time MO (25 years) and also I am fair skinned. I don't even have stretch marks. It is a miracle. Good luck to you, and do not worry about extra skin. You are a relative "lightweight" considering your height.
   — yvonne1953

February 11, 2006
Melissa, I'm 5'8, 32 years old and 265.5 lbs when I had gastric bipass in Sept 2004. I have lost half of my body weight 135 lbs. My skin is not all that bad other then my stomach area but I think thats more related to the fact that I have had 2 c-sections and it was pretty much like that before I had the sugery. The rest of me is in pretty good shape considering I never really exercised before or after the surgery.
   — imgabbie

February 11, 2006
I am down 125 pounds and haven't had a problem yet. I still have 25 to go and hopefully won't need PS.
   — amutterer

February 12, 2006
Melissa, I just wanted to share something that I have noticed with some WLS patients. Please no flaming comments from anyone because I am just sharing what I have observed, I am not putting anyone down...... From what I have observed if the WLS patient had their overweightness (like I am one of them) 'evenly' distributed over their whole body then you will lose that fat from your whole body. I think really flabby and stretched skin comes happens when a WLS patient had a really big torso but slimmer legs, after they lose the weight their torso will have a lot more skin hanging or when someone had a really big bottom half but slimmer up top. My weight came off from everywhere and even though I have some loose skin, it is minimal. I hope that comes across the way I am meaning it to. I am not bashing anyone at all. Kudos to all that have lost weight and are healthier and feeling great. I just have noticed the difference between all WLS patients that I have met along my journey, even prior to my own WLS. I was so worried about hanging skin, etc... prior to surgery but finally I have realized that I don't care if I am 'jiggly' or have flabby skin anymore. I lost 120 pounds and feel great. My health is 100% better and have my life back. The trade off is SO WORTH IT. Good luck and congrats to ALL OF YOU that are a weight loss surgery success! Smiles, Jenna
   — jstatkus

February 19, 2006
I've lost 120 pounds and I don't have a lot of fat left -- even weighing 190 lbs according to my surgeon. I am obsessed with the skin though. My breasts used to be legendary.... my friends, today they are legends. I will definitely need to have reconstruction on them. They have torn tissue inside from the weight loss and they look yucky. My arms have flags, my thighs have drapes as do my mid section and my bottom has a flap of unfilled skin at the bottom... in clothes i look fabulous, out of them.... well, that's another story. Until I have surgery which I've been told I'm a good candidate for even now, I'll just content myself with good undergarments. I'm 5'6" tall and my personal speculation is that skin elasticity is hereditary. I remember that my mother had horrible stretch marks from her two pregnancies and I, after having a 10 lb baby, had them from under my breasts to my incision. I oiled my skin like nobody's business and one day i was vertically torn the whole circumference of my belly and about a week later lateral tears showed up all the way down... what a mess... the good news is that a lot of that will be taken away with the tummy tuck -- hallelujah!
   — Tee O.