Search the Community

My insurance covers tummy tuck/skin removal of the stomach. Not sure what other areas. I have my Dr appt this month to check it out. Not super bad, but I wasn't having the weight loss surgery to still have low self esteem with the excess skin. Check with your insurance. Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

The science of transdermal patches are real, effective and proven. I can't speak for vitamins or this brand. Ever heard of nicotine patches, prescription pain medicine patches or DMSO? That stuff is 100% effective. It uses a "vehicle" to transport the product into the skin. Your nutritionist may not know about transdermal patches. If you plied sanitizer or alcohol into a transdermal patch, theoretically it also could cross the skin barrier and enter the muscle/blood using whatever vehicle they use. Nicotine patches work. It might just be possible!

I have been using Vital Proteins myself for the last year or more. I definitely notice a result in my skin.

@aug21girlCongratulations on the start of your journey, looking forward to hearing about your progress. I’ve lost about 90 pounds in 6 months but in relation to excess skin, I think a lot of factors come in to play in terms of age, skin elasticity, where you hold a lot of your weight and how much weight you have to lose. I’m in my 40’s and my skin doesn’t bounce back like it used to!! My stomach isn’t too bad at all but my arms have some serious bat wings and my upper thighs look like they are melting downwards lol 😂. You can’t notice it with clothes on but I am considering an arm and thigh lift once I have reached goal and given my body a chance to settle. I also have a bit of a turkey neck now but that seems to get worse and then improves a bit, then gets worse again and so on, so will have to what happens to that area after I reach maintenance. Even if I couldn’t get plastic surgery, I would still have gone ahead with WLS, no regrets at all.

Hi all , New to forum! 2 weeks post op exactly. Started at 294 pounds pre op 15 days ago, and have lost 15 pounds in the last 2 weeks on a largely liquid diet. The photos are mega-inspirational - glad to have found the website. Pls can I ask especially those who have lost 75-100 pounds in 6 months - were you left with a lot of excess skin. What measures can you take to prevent this. Exercise / pilates etc?

When I asked my NP about these she said she has asked several companies to send her the research with proof that they really do absorb through the skin and not one has yet to send it. So do your research. She said it mustn’t be simple that it absorbs through skin otherwise things like hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes we use on our hands (and she says she uses a ton of all day) would be absorbed into our bodies and that sorta made sense.

I'm probably going to try the collagen and biotin supplements for skin and hair. I don't think it will hurt.

I know you said that you don't want to hear it, but it has everything to do with the fact that you started at a lower weight than most. People have high expectations, unrealistic expectations, when they have their surgery. I'm one of those people who was guilty of those unrealistic expectations. Stalls happen. And yes, they can happen early. The fact is, that you ARE still losing. Is it frustrating that it's not as fast as you want? Yes. Does it make you want to scream or throw your scale? Again, yes. All you can do is tell yourself that you are doing everything you are supposed to and maybe just avoid the scale for two or three weeks. I've had more stalls along my journey than anyone I've ever seen on this site. My longest one lasted 40-something days (I literally forgot the exact number, but it was in the 40-something range and was May-June 2021) and I thought 'This is it. This is as far as I'm going to go' and I was beyond frustrated because at that point I was stuck at 186, which was only 6 pounds from my goal weight. Then, my weight loss suddenly kicked back in and in the following two months I lost 8 pounds (which is amazing considering I was lucky to lose even 2 pounds in a month at this point as 1 had been the norm for a few months). I'm currently dealing with a 20 day stall, but I don't care as much because 1. I've already met my personal goal so all the extra weight loss is just a bonus, and 2. I'm in physical therapy for my arthritis so inflammation is a THING! People telling you not to be frustrated, honestly isn't going to help. It isn't going to make it go away. But, it's normal. Also, everyone loses weight at a different pace. Sometimes slow and steady is the better way to do it (honestly, I think your skin may bounce back better that way as well. So maybe just try to look for some positives, even if it may seem impossible to find them with how frustrated you undoubtedly are).

I read a couple of posts from people who were told by Kaiser that skin removal and other post bariatric plastics are not part of their plan. I don't want anyone to suffer for years as I did because of being told the wrong information! I'm learning to push back when told NO since often times the people on the other end of the phone tend to not have all the answers or are told to derail people with questions from learning the real truth in order to save $ Anyway, there was a class action in 2015 against Kaiser sparked by post WLS denials. And as it turns out this can have repercussions for insurance that systematically deems skin removal as an elective surgery that isn't covered in cases of extreme weight loss. Link https://blog.cvn.com/kaiser-ordered-to-broaden-reconstructive-surgery-coverage-after-class-action-trial https://legalnewsline.com/stories/510629463-calif-judge-rules-that-insurer-at-center-of-class-action-over-skin-removal-surgeries-must-broaden-coverage When I went to be evaluated for plastic surgery in 2017, we were told we could have one procedure. Dr said I didn't qualify for a panni because it didn't quite hang low enough, just to clarify...their measurement is 'abdominal skin must cover pubic region entirely'' which is BS with the years of skin rashes I have had. He said I just barely qualified for breast reduction surgery which I had 5 months later, the waiting list was long. He said I would be a C cup (from a DD) and I wasn't happy when I ended up a B but worse things could happen. I'm 16 years Post Gastric BP and should've had a revision 4-5 years ago when weight gain started creeping up, no longer going down... about 15 lbs a year since 2018. I could never break past 170 to reach goal of 155 but I'm goin to pursue the distal revision as of this week. It's now or never, I have to get a social life! The rule is you have to be at your goal and stable for months before a skin removal surgery will be covered by insurance so I'll have to wait longer even longer for that as consequence of procrastinating on a revision! I've been disabled with an autoimmune illness so I never returned to the job I enjoyed after the WLS. I didn't put much effort into pursuing solutions for skin removal after research showed it would be very costly out of pocket expense and not covered by insurance. So I haven't really felt the freedom of losing 140 lbs because I still cover up my body! No swimsuits, no sleeveless anything or clothing that accentuates the possibility of a waist, LOL. I wish I had the confidence of those who wear what they want, no matter their size! I've wanted to leave Kaiser to return the awesome Dr I previously had who actually listened and treated me like a human being. Staying with Kaiser only until these surgeries are done and I'm out of there! Kaiser ruling.pdf

Further to this, RE: excess skin… In my own experience, and sample of ONE, the “notice-ability” of excess skin for me peaked just before I got to “normal” BMI range. I did continue to lose weight after that and then the look of it went from “rolls” to just crepey-looking skin, which in my opinion looks much better on me. Though i credit this to exercise (and further weight loss of course) as the underlying flesh/muscle was more firm. p.s. Full disclosure, i did end up getting plastics so my crepey skin is gone now (well, at least on my stomach and arms, lol. My inner thighs and a$$ are still pretty wrinkly-ish!)

Thank you for sharing your story Plutonium. You really did so well! My goal is to loose 50lbs and I’m nervous that it won’t happen.

I’m almost six months out and I haven’t had any hair loss yet, but figure if I do the only person I really care about what he thinks is my husband and he is too busy checking out my new, thinner body to notice any hair loss…Just kidding…sorta. In the whole scheme of things a short period of hair thinning (which is what it is for most, it’s not like bald spots) it will still be well worth it. But you are not alone with the doubts. My fear was excess skin and I still am hoping I do not get any, but I am still 22 pounds from my goal and even if I stopped losing now and experienced some hair loss, I would consider this surgery a huge success and very well worth it. But I am still losing, very slowly. There are always clip in extensions if your hair thins too bad. I have thin hair anyways so I have tried them just for fun and my hair looked great with them.

It’s okay to have some concerns. It’s a surgery you’ve never experienced before. You have nothing to compare it or life post surgery with. The reality is the complications are pretty low especially compared with other surgeries or just from being obese. Many are minor & are related to how you individually react & heal & they pass in time or are easily remedied. Yep, the hair loss can be a bit scary but it’s a short term side effect: 3-4 months usually. While your natural hair loss cycle is temporarily accelerated your natural new growth cycle remain unchanged. So while you’re losing more you’re still growing new hair - it just takes a couple of months for the new growth to get to a length you can notice it (likely as fluffy bits). I mean you don’t usually notice your new hair growing in but it is all the time. No one noticed my hair loss other than my hairdresser & my mum but she was looking for it. I’d so much rather temporarily lose some hair then still be obese - small price to pay really. Much like ending up with loose skin - loose skin wins over obesity every time. All the best & I hope you get your official approval soon.

4 years post VSG. No regrets. I was 310 lbs at 22 years old. I'm now ~230 lbs but at one point I was down to ~198 lbs. I didn't have any hair loss, but I have very thick hair anyway. I have PCOS so my hormones are messed up anyway too so I was on birth control for the extra estrogen, this could have helped prevent hair loss. My mom had the surgery (same doctor and procedure) at 51 about a year before I did. She has naturally thin hair and was post-menopausal. She didn't lose hair either. It really is just chance and your hormones (particularly cortisol and estrogen/testosterone ratios). You can talk to your doctor about your medical options to help lessen hair loss. But if you do have hair loss, I think you should just embrace it! It will only last a couple of months (usually) and then it will start growing back. But this could be your opportunity to do something to your hair that you've never done before, cut it super short, dye it as close to your skin color as possible can sometimes disguise hair loss, add hair accessories, etc. Neither of us had complications, she even had a hernia fixed for free at the same time! I was up and walking around within hours of waking up. My mom was walking laps the next day (she isn't that great with anesthesia). If I hadn't gotten the surgery I have no doubt I would have been recruited for "My 600 lb life" by now.

Sounds like a stricture. I know you’re thinking “oh I’m loosing weight!” Sorry to inform you that you are also loosing muscle, including heart muscle. Call your clinic. I’ve been told these things are easy to clear up with an endoscopy procedure. If the clinic doesn’t answer go to the emergency room. Sending my best-Meg

Hello All, Please look at the flyers attached. Frederica is looking for people who are dealing with excess skin from weight loss, specifically women. She intends to gather feedback and information on the experiences women deal with. The goal is the develop well suited undergarments intended to address the needs and wants of women who live with excess skin .If you are interested, feel free to reach out. I am 8 months post op from a gastric sleeve. So far, I am 77lbs down. I have noticed loose skin around my thighs and arms. The skin around my chest is also starting to look saggy. Even though the flyer says 100+ weight loss, any female experiencing noticeable loose skin can reach out. Thank you!

I'm 47 and had my surgery in March, and while the hair loss is real along with the loose skin, I would absolutely do it again. I actually started losing in October so I've lost a total of 115 - 70 of that since surgery - and while I have a few seconds of - oh look at that - or well, there's more hair, honestly, fitting into my oldest daughter's clothes takes that right away. I am no longer diabetic. This summer, I got to ride roller coasters and kept up with my family on vacation. Nerves are real. I had them. I think almost everyone does. But I would do it again, and I had a freak reaction to a shot that shouldn't have been a problem that needed 4 extra days in the hospital and a second surgery - and I would STILL do it again. Everyone is different though, and you have to do what's best for YOU.

Hey Friends, I saw a few posts about sleeve to RYGB but not as much discussion as I thought there’d be. I’m having revision this month due to some weight regain (partly my fault and partly due to having a baby). In addition to the the regain I also have a twist in my stomach which is cutting off blood supply to that section of stomach (due to previous sleeve surgery) this has to be rectified. My surgeon says while weightloss is slower he believes I will loose more than my original sleeve surgery. Anyone that has been through this with good or bad results I would love to hear your story. I’m worried that I won’t have the weightloss I’m looking for within a reasonable timeframe. Looking for support, thank you!

I love your positive attitude and that you don't compare yourself to others. You have your own personal goals and that's how it should be! I started at 350. In 11 days I'll be 1 year post op and only at -135. Not bad, but it should be a lot more. I don't follow what I should be doing because I can only tolerate a few select foods. But many are not that good, so I eat smaller amounts. My dietician is NOT happy. He's VERY rude. (Thought he was going to have a major melt down when I said pizza. Like I eat it all at one sitting!) But my doctor said I can do it this way, so I'm listening to him. I think my goal wgt is another 35 lbs, but I'm having the skin removal surgery too, so it may be less. Not sure how much weight that'll be when removed. That consult appt is in 10 days. Also in process of the first knee replacement surgery in November. No cartilage left. Can only do one at a time. Should be all fixed up by spring of next year. Can't wait! Best of luck and stay your positive self! Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

I dropped into the 100's this week. I'd been looking forward to it for so long that it almost seemed unreal that there was no trumpet fanfare when it happened 📯. I haven't shared it with anyone and am savoring it. The last time I remember being this weight for certain was just around high school graduation. But just so my ego didn't get too big, surgery kicked in the next and gave me foamies and pain when I didn't eat slowly enough. That hasn't happened in a long time. I think it was a poetic-justice reminder. On a slightly less exciting note, "the girls" have dropped to a size I don't recall since early high school . I've always been well-endowed, even before being morbidly obese, so it is quite a change. I have broken down and purchased some new clothes. I realized for myself, despite being told, that I look terrible in all my too-big clothing. I think it was a security blanket of sorts. For so long, nothing was ever too big or too loose. I still hate shopping. I have no idea what size I need from what store. I asked the doctor in my program for a suggestion for a therapist. I couldn't get an appointment until February. But I was able to get into a cancellation next week. I'm excited as I had some very specific criteria for a therapist, experience with bariatric patients was only one. I'm looking forward to having someone to process changes with as well as the road ahead. I again want to thank all of you on this board for the ongoing advice and support. I'm grateful for having found you. I belong to a few FB groups and am astounded by the misinformation and lack of preparation/education that is out there. That's all ❤️

Miralax doesn't work like other laxatives, so it doesn't really have the problem of making your bowels dependent on it, from what I understand. The only real issue is that you do have to be drinking enough water/liquids, because it works with the water in your body. I would start by taking a capful everyday (17 grams) but if you start to have loose stools, cut back to either every other day or half the amount every day. That's how it's usually taken for cancer patients (pain meds cause constipation).

Yes on the skin and no I dont feel like its worse then being overweight but it does suck after doing all the work. You are never too old to feel better.

Thank you! I think me and the 3 other patients my surgeon did got in by the skin of our teeth. My surgeon even commented that morning that she was surprised we didn't get cancelled. The hospital was full, and so there were several, I'd say half the floor I was on, were COVID patients. They had some sort of plastic over their doors. The nurses reassured me when I was walking (we had to walk the floor 14 x before the surgeon would let us out) that the air filtration in those rooms pushed everything outside. So far, no covid, so that's good. Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

I have so far lost 175 pounds, and I want to lose at least 30 more. I have a ton of excess skin on my lower stomach and thighs. I will take it ANY day over being as big as I was. I was afraid the loose skin would be heavy or uncomfortable, but it really doesn't bother me at all, and it's easy to hide with clothes. Although I am not too worried about hiding it on my legs. I proudly wore shorts all summer! I feel like I worked hard to get this point and I don't care what anyone thinks about my loose skin as long as I am happy, I which I am. I may have it removed in the future, but it's not likely since I already had to pay for my wls out of pocket. It doesn't bother me if I have to live with it. My life is a million times better when I weighed almost 400 pounds! Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app