Question:
Where does the extra skin go?
I am sorry if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it in all the postings. I have been looking through the before and after pictures and everyone looks fabulous, but where did the extra skin go? Did people have to have tucks? I am just concerned, because after dropping weight so rapidly, there is bound to be excess skin...please can someone tell me? Thanks a bunch.....k — Kresta K. (posted on July 20, 2004)
July 20, 2004
The body is a miraculous thing and some people's skin is elastic enough
that it bounces back when they lose weight. Others just live with the
extra skin and others have plastic surgery to remove it.
— [Deactivated Member]
July 20, 2004
The majority of those who have WLS and lose large amounts of weight do have
hanging/excess/saggy skin. In clothes, sometimes it can be camoflaged.
Out of clothes, quite another story! Some live with the extra skin and
others resort to plastics. For some, having plastics is a medical
necessity. Usually insurance will cover a tummy tuck and a breast
reduction if you can prove medical necessity but not always, depends on the
insurance company, and other types of plastics are rarely paid for by
insurance. A rare minority can lose the weight and the skin bounces back
into shape nicely-these are usually the younger ones who have never smoked,
never had kids and never yo-yo dieted and are also blessed with good genes.
— Cindy R.
July 20, 2004
I think because we lose weight so fast, any skin would have a hard time
keeping up with the loss. For example, the band under my breast measurered
a 54 1/2 before weight loss sugery, now that I am down -152 lbs, I measure
a 34 band under my breast, that extra skin did not go away, it hangs down
on the top part of my tummy. So I wear a girdle and it keeps the hanging
skin from jiggling, and as one other posted mentioned, clothes can hide
alot. I do not think that everyone has to have reconstructive surgeries,
but I would think that most have to have something done somewhere on there
bodies. We lose our fat through BM's, peeing, and siliva. We do not lose
skin that is covering that fat.
— cindy
July 20, 2004
Support garments work miracles! Before I had reconstructive surgery, I
could hide the extra skin fairly well with body briefs and specific
clothing styles.
Linda
— mom2jtx3
July 20, 2004
It all depends on how big the person was when they started. People who
start off with the lower weights (to begin with) usually seem to have their
skin shrink in more as well. I was fortunate in the fact that I weighed
250 lbs when I started and I don't have the hanging skin. I have a friend
who weighed 373 when she started and she has a lot of sagging skin. Also
I'm sure the fact that I don't smoke and have good genes helped also.
Exercise will help to a point, but surgery is what really gets rid of the
excess skin if there is a lot of it.
— msg217
July 20, 2004
I think a lot also depends on your age. I see the younger people shrinking
up very nicely as opposed to us older people. I am 51 and just had a full
lower lift and I love it. Arms are next and then I am done.
— Gail O.
July 20, 2004
— Dx E
July 20, 2004
To Gail Wilcox, I also started at 250, don't smoke and have never had kids,
and did exercise throughout weight loss, and still have hanging skin. Then
again, I am not young and don't have lucky genes...!
— Cindy R.
July 20, 2004
I started at 5'7" and 255 pounds. I am 47, and have exercised 3x a
week since I was 6 weeks out and have had a child. I have bones literally
showing on my shoulders and am now a content 133-135 pounds. All my Drs.
have confirmed that surgery is the only way my remaining skin will
disappear. I am scheduled for a TT on 8/17 but the rest will wait til I
hit the lottery. I can live with the skin. It sure beats the way I felt
and looked as a pre-op.
— Fixnmyself
July 20, 2004
In response to Gail Wilcox also, I started at 241 I am 5'4" my highest
weight was 260 about 1 yr previous to my RNY on 5/7/03 I have had no
children and I am 51 - I have hanging skin, not a lot but there is some
there. Do I have to have PS, probably not but for my own state of mind I
will somewhere down the road when I am finished loosing weight. It all
depends like another poster said your genes and how much you have lost and
how long you have stretched your skin with the extra weight. And by the way
in the before and after pictures, many people have had PS and others have
not, clothing worn properly can cover up a lot of flaws so to speak. You
would have to write each person individually to find out what they have had
done to look so great.
— ChristineB
July 20, 2004
In response to everyone else's response (lol), yes I am sure it varies from
person to person. Just like it varies how much weight each person loses,
even if they start at the same weight. For instance there are some people
I have seen who started off weighing 250 (like me) and who are now in size
5 and 6 clothes. I am in size 8's and 10's and it doesn't look like I will
lose anymore. So it varies with the weight; just like with the hanging
skin. I do feel that insurance should pay for this if they paid for the
surgery in the first place. Let's just hope that eventually they will get
the picture and start taking care of this for everyone. Cause I would love
to have them pay for me to have a flat stomach now!!!
— msg217
July 21, 2004
I started at 268#s at 5'3". I have 4 kids. I have no hanging skin.
Hydration helps alot. Check my profile. I went to work for Hooters...and
those uniforms dont hide a thing....the hose are great though. Good Luck on
your journey.
— hooterzgirl75
July 21, 2004
I just wanted to share that I am 47 years old, lost 147lbs after 2 years
post op. I feel GREAT, and would recommend this to anyone, however, I would
warn them about the hanging skin. I was not prepared for the amount of skin
that would be left over. I guess I should have figured that out, but I was
to caught up in the idea of losing the weight. I am praying that my
insurance will cover the TT, and upper arm reduction. I am very self
conscience about my arms now. I know that I should not complain, because it
beats being fat. I guess it still stems from poor self image. We want to be
perfect and never will be, at least in our eyes. I won't even wear a
bathing suit because of the loose skin, it wiggles and jiggles when I walk.
You would think the insurance companies would understand this and make it a
part of the package. Sorry to sound so negitive. I really am happy I have
lost all the weight, I just wanted to be complete.
— Connie B.
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