Losing Weight Skin Question

[Fierce Critter]

Nienna said something in another thread that got me thinking.

When you lose a decently large amount of weight - I'm talking around 100 lbs taking you from obese to average - can you really do anything to tighten the skin without resorting to plastic surgery such as tummy tucks & removal of excess arm & thigh skin?

I hope anyone on this board who has done so would be willing to be open about the fact. I really value firsthand knowledge over what people have read or "heard of."

[Head Wreck]

i dont know. i'm gradually loosing body fat and gaining muscle mass so i havent had this problem (HW is now 12 stone and i have found muscles in places i didnt know i had muscles). but i am also curious to know

[Destroit]

Quite honestly, I was astounded over how much your skin doesn't really sag. I lost uhmmm 70-80 lbs? So it's close enough to 100 lbs. I had issues in the tit area at first and like the tummyness looked a little E.T.esque, but my stomachs normal now and so are muh dirty pillows. Basically, drink milk, make sure you get a glass a day because there is a certain chemical/hormone that actually attributes to the elasticity in your own skin. Try to stay out of the sun and also, weight train. Weight training and regular cardio is CRUCIAL to what you will look like when done losing the weight. If you don't do BOTH (yeah both) then you'll look kinda gross when you're to your skinny point, your shit will look uneven and sag everywhere if you've only been dieting. Some girls think they can do it all by dieting because they think working out is for guys and sweating is gross, and well, let's just say I look better than they do .

Also, age is a massive factor in this, but alas you obviously can't control that one. There are probably creams out there and stuff on the market that can help, but I didn't have to resort to anything like that (prolly 'cause I'm still young and have been drinking milk all along). Good luck!

[creatureofthenyte]

I think if you went to a website like WebMD.com , they might be able to answer your query, or point you to someone that can.

[Nienna]

The answer is, if you have sagging skin after massive weightloss, it may firm up some, but usually not completely.

That said. I'm under 30, and have lost 40 lbs now. I would say the skin has kept up pretty well, but the stomach and fupa areas are kinda dimply and wrinkly. I second the weight training / working out statement, and use firming lotion! My skin seems to be slowly firming up, but I'm only losing 1-2 lbs a week. Right now i'm maintaining for a couple of months in hopes it firms up before I do the last leg of my weightloss. It's nice to eat alittle extra too!

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

My beswt friend lost 200pounds, yes, 200. He had a whole person's worth of skin.

Time. Lots of it.

[bean]

I've lost 125 pounds so far, and I've got a lot more to lose before I'll be happy with myself.

I have extra skin on my arms, back, and the insides of my thighs so far. My thighs and back look like they might be ok if I work them out more.

Only surgery will fix my arms because no amount of muscle will tighten them - they're that bad.

The loose skin became noticeable on my arms after I had lost about 70 pounds, my thighs around 80 pounds, and my back at about 110 pounds lost.

[Crazed Vampyress]

I found this on Medicenet.com

Fat helps keep skin taut. And as we begin to lose that underlying support, our skin may react by looking looser and, possibly more wrinkled. This is particularly true if you're over 35 when you start to lose weight.

"As we age, we don't make as much collagen, and what we do make isn't quite as good as what our body produced when we were younger," says esthetician Susie Galvaz, owner of Face Works Day Spa in Richmond, Va. With less fat to support the skin from underneath, and less collagen to hold moisture and water, Galvaz warns, lines and creases can follow.

"It's not uncommon for women to lose weight and gain years on their face, particularly if they lose weight quickly, or if they don't take care of their skin while dieting," says derma-surgeon Rhoda Narins, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center in New York.

But a slimmer body doesn't have to mean a more lined face, Galvaz says.

First, make sure you lose weight slowly. This gives your skin time to adjust to the loss, and that may reduce some of the droops and drops. Galvaz also believes that firming creams are a must. And, she says, don't wait until lines and wrinkles appear to start using them.

"As soon as you begin your diet, begin using firming creams on your face, and keep on using them while you're losing weight and you will definitely see a positive result," says Galvaz, a dieter who has lost 120 pounds herself.

Dermatologist Amy Newburger, MD, says the two best skin firming ingredients to look for are vitamin C and copper peptides.

"Both have been shown to stimulate collagen production," says Newburger, director of Dermatology Consultants of Westchester, N.Y. "But, make sure you select not only the L-ascorbic form of vitamin C, but that it's stabilized and offers a delivery system that can drive it down into the skin."

One of the most effective delivery systems is liposomes. These are tiny spheres that are used to encapsulate ingredients (like vitamin C) that on their own are too large to get into the deepest layers of the skin. Because liposomes can penetrate skin layers, they enable the vitamin C to reach the cells where collagen is produced.

And no, you don't have to spend a lot for these products. Newburger recommends products from the Neutrogena Visibly Firm Copper Serum line and Avon's Clearly C Vitamin C serum ­ which you can get for under $20.

"Soy products can plump the skin, which makes it look smoother."

To keep the collagen you are making from breaking down, Newburger also suggests serums containing "pentapeptides" -- chains of amino acids that help inhibit collagen breakdown and may promote its production. Her recommendations include the Olay Regenerist line of products, most of which sell for under $20, and Avon Ultimate Cream, for around $30.

"If you're dieting, these ingredients can make a difference in how your face looks after all the weight is lost," says Newburger.

Galvaz says her own favorites are the new creams containing Matrixyl, a combination of pentapeptides and collagen that she says helps to bind moisture in the cells.

It can also help to take some of these ingredients internally [and not just apply them to the face], says Newburger. She suggests 1,000 milligrams daily of ester C (a form of vitamin C that may be easier to tolerate) along with 5 micrograms each of copper and zinc. All three, she says, play an important role in collagen production. (Don't forget to check with your doctor before adding any supplement other than a daily multivitamin/multimineral to your regime.

[Homicidalheathen]

Nope. You have to get it all cut off. I know someone who had the gastric bypass and she is down to near 100 lbs now and is going to have it done. Its expensive. She is single though and can afford it.

The scars for the most part don't show or are hairline thin.

[Homicidalheathen]

My doctor (I had a tummy tuck) said its more elasticity and is hereditary....my mom had saggy skin. There was no way it was going back. All the women in my family had this and had the extra cut off if they could afford to.

I gained and lost 80 lbs with the birth.

Quite honestly, I was astounded over how much your skin doesn't really sag. I lost uhmmm 70-80 lbs? So it's close enough to 100 lbs. I had issues in the tit area at first and like the tummyness looked a little E.T.esque, but my stomachs normal now and so are muh dirty pillows. Basically, drink milk, make sure you get a glass a day because there is a certain chemical/hormone that actually attributes to the elasticity in your own skin. Try to stay out of the sun and also, weight train. Weight training and regular cardio is CRUCIAL to what you will look like when done losing the weight. If you don't do BOTH (yeah both) then you'll look kinda gross when you're to your skinny point, your shit will look uneven and sag everywhere if you've only been dieting. Some girls think they can do it all by dieting because they think working out is for guys and sweating is gross, and well, let's just say I look better than they do .

Also, age is a massive factor in this, but alas you obviously can't control that one. There are probably creams out there and stuff on the market that can help, but I didn't have to resort to anything like that (prolly 'cause I'm still young and have been drinking milk all along). Good luck!

[Crazed Vampyress]

Nope. You have to get it all cut off. I know someone who had the gastric bypass and she is down to near 100 lbs now and is going to have it done. Its expensive. She is single though and can afford it.

The scars for the most part don't show or are hairline thin.

no, not everyone has to get it cut off. my stepsister went from 310 to 180, she did lots of exercising and toning and yea, for awhile her skin was loose but with some time everything firmed up. mostly from what ive heard and read the ones who need the surgery (with little or no alternatives) are people who lose weight very very quickly and their skin doesnt have a chance to keep up. gastric bypass is a good example of this. but if youre losing the good old fashioned way there is hope, you just have to give it time.

[Draco1958]

Nope. You have to get it all cut off. I know someone who had the gastric bypass and she is down to near 100 lbs now and is going to have it done. Its expensive. She is single though and can afford it.

The scars for the most part don't show or are hairline thin.

Have your friend contact a local burn center. A friend was checking into the surgery for when she lost a lot of weight and was told some burn centers take the skin and can save it for grafting and sometimes they will either cover or contribute to the cost of the surgery.

[Fierce Critter]

Have your friend contact a local burn center. A friend was checking into the surgery for when she lost a lot of weight and was told some burn centers take the skin and can save it for grafting and sometimes they will either cover or contribute to the cost of the surgery.

Holy crap. That is an ultra-cool byproduct of losing weight.

Thanks for the tip, Draco.

[Destroit]

I found this on Medicenet.com

Actually this article was quite helpful even for me, only because I knew those firming serums were out there, but with little money I can't afford to experiment. I mean sure they all say they "work", but I never knew what to go with. I think I might try out the Avon one in the article (my skin is pretty much recovered but my tummy isn't perfect and neither is my chest, and well....perfection is what I strive for). Soooo...thanks for the info!

[saechalyn]

Genes seem to have a lot to do with it. I know a handful of people who've had weight loss surgery. One had it in her mid 30's, lost 120 pounds and she looks amazing. A bit of loose skin around her upper arms but beyond that she looks like she's been a size 2 forever. Another was in her early 20's but she looks deflated and saggy everywhere.

Aside from age, losing weight slowly and building muscle seem to be the biggest factors from what I can determine.

[Ash_Sangre]

Ill tell you. I went from a size 2 to a size 36, I weighed over 400 when i was 13. and I lost it all. but it all really depends on the elacticity, and your excersize program, there are some really great ones that helped. when i went back to a size 4 when I was 17. I looked like a wrinkly pug, but it was all firm after 2 years, and I gained back some, i weigh 234 now. soooo., lol. but yea, just do the appropriate things with excersize. and you'll be fine...