Question:
Loose skin starting to show at 2 1/2 months Post-Op...
I was wondering if there are any Long Term Post-Ops that had alot of loose skin starting so early and did you have to have plastic surgery to get rid of it. I am 23 and my surgeon seems to think that it will take a year for my skin to "bounce back" I am NEVER going to have the money to have plastic surgery and I was just hoping some of this skin will go back to normal. I am only 2 1/2 months Post but I notice it real bad on my inner thighs and arms. It's like the consistancy of my fat has changed. I have lost from 350lbs to 275lbs. Any thoughts that might ease my worries? — Sabrina Plunkett (posted on January 16, 2004)
January 16, 2004
Hi, I was 27 and everyone said I was lucky to have youth on my side and
maybe it helped some, but I have tried everything! Mine is not too bad, but
I would still like a few nips and tucks. I am getting a tt next week and
only b/c my ins. is paying for it as RS. I'm glad b/c my tummy is really
bad(the worse) b/c of having 3 kids back to back and losing over 100lbs. It
all has to do with genes and the elasticity in your skin. Make sure your
toning with weights that does help some, when I slack off the flab gets
worse. Good luck!
— Sandy M.
January 16, 2004
I am only 6 mos post op but my skin is already better than it was a 2 or 3
mos post op. I'd give it a year after you've reached goal before deciding
to do plastics, if you can.
— mrsmyranow
January 16, 2004
Hi -
I'm about 1 month post-op, and very concerned about not getting saggy skin.
The other day, I typed in "saggy" under the Q and A search, and
one "tip" that was mentioned a couple of times, and a couple of
people seemed to swear by, was an "Omega 3 fish oil" supplement.
I don't know. I figure it's worth a try. Doesn't matter what brand. I'm
trying it! :-) Brenda
— Brenda R.
January 16, 2004
I'm 7 months post-op and have really started to notice my loose skin!! My
arms, my belly, my breasts, and my thighs are looking pretty bad!! I look
forward to having plastic surgery.
— Terri G.
January 17, 2004
I believe your doctor is correct - you are only 23 and once you've lost
enough weight to exercise try to do so - esp. with weights to build muscle
under that skin - as I was overweight for about 5 years I don't think I
will have that much skin to worry about. Also, since you are so young, if
you do need a plastic surgery you have a lot of time to save up for it.
— Anna M.
January 17, 2004
I am a few months over 2 years out. I started lighter than you and didn't
really notice any 'disturbing' hanging skin till about 6 months out...and
it only got worse from there. By the time I got to the lowest, I looked
awful. But over the last year things have been pulling back together. I
do not, nor will I ever look like a 19 y/o, but I am not disgusted with my
skin. I will most likely never have plastic surgery, as it really doesn't
effect me all that much. Everyone is different though. It has as much to
do with genetics as it does with age, high wt, and excersize. Only time
will tell with your situation.
— RebeccaP
January 17, 2004
My mother had a similar problem with her skin. It eventually became a
health issue causing yeast infections to occur in the flaps of the excess
skin. The surgeon submitted a request for removal of this skin, a.k.a.
plastic surgery, and her insurance company paid 100% of the surgery costs.
I am 2 1/2 years post-op and will be requesting the same service from my
insurance company in about 1 year, because i'm pregnant right now and I
have to wait. Give your skin a chance to try to bounce back a little bit
but it may be inevitable that further surgery is required. Be advised, the
tummy tuck surgery for some reason is more painful than the WLS.
— Kelly T.
January 17, 2004
I was a lightweight(248) and my skin has not bounced back. I had to have a
modified brachioplasty on my upper arms and I'll be having about 3 1/2
inches of skin removed from each of my upper thighs in May. Unfortunately,
skin can only bounce back so far. Whne you've lost over 150 pounds, it
doesn't have much bounce left in it.
— Patty H.
January 17, 2004
I'd like to echo what Rebecca said. While a big weight loss invariably
means some extra skin, and some of that won't "bounce back," it's
really, really hard to gauge where you'll come out on the "melted
candle"/"Sharpei" spectrum until you've reached goal,
whatever that may be for you, and "parked" there for awhile. I'm
19+ months out, have been at the same weight for roughly seven months now
(and that was a heckuva lot lower than my original goal), and the skin has
definitely tightened up quite a lot on its own. It's kind of surprising
(and I'm twice your age). I've been weightlifting all along, but of
course, that doesn't tighten skin, only the muscle under it.<P>It
seems like once I quit deflating my birthday suit with rapid weight loss,
it finally got a chance to start recovering. Just today in the shower, I
thought, Dammit! What's that spare tire just above my butt??? And it
turned out to *BE* my butt, finally making an appearance after a year of
being AWOL after all that weight loss. Now I know what the long-term
post-ops mean by "Butt Be Back!"<P> Your skin may NEVER
totally tighten up, though. Whether you'll want or need plastics is an
individual question. And some really need plastics due to rashes, pains,
etc. Just don't try to figure it all out before things have settled down a
bit, and right now, your weight is anything but "settled down."
Try not to worry too much, too soon!
— Suzy C.
January 17, 2004
Exercise, exercise,exercise. I had my surgery on 7/17/03 and began
vigorously exercise after about 2 and 1/2 weeks. Our hospital supplies a
personal trainer twice a week. I exercise at home with Denise Austin on
Lifetime television three times a week and I exercise with friends once a
week. I exercise 6x per week and use weights about every other day. At
first I noticed terrible sagging in the inner thigh area and even in the
butt area, but I can say that the exercise has been my saving grace.
— Von H.
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