How bad is the skin thing really?

[Sappho]

I am excited about my surgery but v.v nervous about being left with excess skin. I know it is better than being this size and prob a bit shallow but it is really worrying me. I wonder if anyone could share their experiences with lose skin after losing all the weight. Is it pretty much the norm to have lots left over? I am 30 and have about 9 stone to lose. Thanks as always

 

[Fat Again]

Hi Sappho
Everybody is different, some people are lucky and are left with minimal amounts of skin, it depends on your age, the amount of weight your losing etc.
In my case I previously lost 19st and had 2 stone of excess skin. I did have an upper arm lift to get rid of the bingo wings, I still regret having that op today ! the pain was unbearable and I've been left with disfigured arms and still some pain and numbness. I was going to have the lot done, breast reconstruction, full body lift and upper thigh lift, but pulled out of the surgery to have a baby.

I have my baby now and have piled the weight back on. My bypass op is on the 15th November 09, and I have no intention to undergo any op's to have any skin removed. I'm going to be happy living with it this time round.

I'll just invest in some good hold in knickers, no one can see your excess skin under clothes, and remeber excess skin is not a danger to your health, unlike the excess weight.

Your still young and 9 stone ain't an excessive amount to lose, you should be fine. Drink plenty of water, I've read that helps.

All the best
x

 

[Gail-michelle]

I had 9 stone to lose, ime half way there at present and I have to say, mine is going back to normal, obviously its not as taught as I would have liked but I look fine so far in my nickers and bra. I have recently joined the gym as well to get a little more toned so only time will tell. Hope this helps Gail.x

 

[serenitylove]

i was 25 st and have lost 7 st i have ewwy skin bits on bingo wings boobs look saggy and my inner thighs are never going to been seen again as they look like deflated ballons but i carried alot of weight on legs i hate it but its better than being fat if im honest

 

[shelbell]

Hi, I'm 30 and have lost 9 stone at my lowest, although put a few pounds back on during pregnancy. I have one child already, which may make our circumstances different. I have a fair bit of excess skin, my arms aren't too bad, but my tummy has an apron, my bum is now behind my knees, and my inner thighs are very loose.
I should be able to have a tummy tuck on the NHS as they are funded where I live, but I have to wait til Feb 2011 (2 years after reaching BMI 26), but if I want anything else done I will have to fund myself.

I won't lie, at times it has really got to me and been hard to adjust to. Trousers are a difficult fit, because I have this layer of skin around my lower stomach and my thighs are bigger than they should be, but all in all I feel a million times better than I did before losing the weight.

 

[Tyraboots]

I look at it this way. I've got about 10 stone to lose. I will have loose skin, my only hope is that it isn't the hang down type. But in the unlikely event that Hugh Hefner phones me and asks me to grace the centrefold of Playboy magazine, I will just have to live with it. I am approaching 50 c'est la vie.

 

[Meggie]

I have the same concerns and it took me a while to accept that fact if I'm honest. I already have a bit of an apron so know I'll have that still. If I'm having my doubts then I look at myself naked in a mirror and remind myself why I'm doing it! I'm 28, about 9 stone overweight and look awful naked!!! I'd rather look good clothes and have a bit of saggy skin than look awful clothed AND naked as I do now!!!!

 

[Meggie]

Obviously it is for health benefits too but I want to look nice at the end too!!!!

 

[Sappho]

Thanks for all your honesty. I guess it is better to at least look good in clothes than never look good at all! I guess everyone is different but I def think there will be some skin issues. I think I must prepare myself for that so I am not disapointed.

 

[Meggie]

My mental image of myself post-op often looks like this....................

http://scifilessons.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/jabbathehut.jpg

(with a smaller belly!!!)

 

[rybens]

meg lol lmao thats my mental image of me now !

 

[Meggie]

Haha me too!! I quite often use it as my facebook profile picture!!! That or Linda Blair from the exorcist!!

 

[rybens]

im sure you wont look like either lol

 

[Meggie]

My friends HATE both pics!!! It's usually a pretty good indication of how I'm feeling about myself though!!!! That pic doesn't get used that often so all is well!!!!

 

[katstofat]

ty meggi ive been feeling very down but that pic made me laugh ty............kath x

 

[angelwings25]

i'm mega worried about the loose skin factor, have my surgery 3 weeks tomorrow (27th). I'm kinda hoping palmers cocoa butter (specially for rapid weightloss effects), swimming, other exercise and the fact that i'm only 25 will be my saving grace

 

[wannaloose18stone]

Well I've lost 17 stone so far and although I do have excess skin I'm very lucky in the sense that my weight was evenly distributed over my body so its not just all stomach left hanging. I have bingo wings and bingo thighs now ............. lol. I will need plastic surgery before I'm happy with myself, I'm too embarresed to go swimming or walk around in Summer with a top off. And I'm terrified of meeting a woman and having to "get naked" pmsl.

 

[ditzeeblonde]

i'm mega worried about the loose skin factor, have my surgery 3 weeks tomorrow (27th). I'm kinda hoping palmers cocoa butter (specially for rapid weightloss effects), swimming, other exercise and the fact that i'm only 25 will be my saving grace

Hey Angelwings... I'm just down the road from you in Nutley. Where are you having your op done? Good luck for it. Linzi. xx

 

[phatgirl]

I have lost 10 stone over the last year since I had my bypass. A good majority of my weight came off in the first 6-9 months but it is still coming off but slowly now. I will be honest and say I have lots of excess skin, mostly concentrated on my tummy, apron area, bingo wings & bingo thighs (thanks Paul for that term). I am not happy with the appearance of my flabby jelly/wrinkled skin but I honestly can say that I am happier with it as a trade-off of being a healthy weight. I will have surgery to correct some of it as it does bother me but I also love, love, love how I look in clothes. Mind you I have magic knickers in various forms that I wear with everything! Hubby says that I don't need to wear what we call 'my kit' all the time but it makes me feel more confident which is really what it is all about after all.

So bottom line, I wasn't real with myself with how my loose skin would make me feel so I was more disturbed by it than I thought I would be. However, I am so very happy with the results of my weight loss that I would absolutely choose loose skin over obesity any day!!!! It is sooooo worth it I tell you. SO my advice is be real with yourself, ask to see people's loose skin pictures if you are curious or look on the internet because to be forwarned is to be forarmed! Imagine the worst and then you can be happy when yours is not so bad, and heck you could end-up one of those lucky sods who don't have much loose, I call them jerks but in a friendly way, sorta...lol:jelous::sigh:

Nic

 

[Sappho]

Thanks Phatgirl, you are so right!