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Hi Everyone! I feel great! I am down to 147. Another 15 to go. It has been relatively easy but I did work at it. I feel I am now introducing things into my diet I wasn't before so the loss may be less. And I am ok with that. My focus right now is to tone, do weights, and HIIT classes as I am certainly seeing the crepey skin. That I am sure will be my next adventure....feeling comfortable in my new skin. I need to do whatever I can to reduce that look. I plan to do some skin tightening laser treatments to see how that helps. So I feel if it takes me 3 months to get off the last 15-17 pounds but I am working out and seeing definition, I am good with it! Butttttttt.....BEST decision I EVER made!!

Ok, finally got around to taking a current pic of my arm scars, which are by far the worst of my plastics scars. NOTE: I am probably an example of the worser-case scenarios in terms of wound healing, most people will fare much, much, better than I do. So don't get freaked out! You can see in the before pic (taken 11 months AFTER PS!) that my scar is pretty red/purple and very RAiSED. After the first round of steroid shots, there was a visible difference about 1-2 weeks after. It flattened out quite a bit, and got less red. The skin around the scar also started to pucker a bit (which was something my doc told me may happen). I got a second round of shots about 2 months later, and now, two months after that, my scar is completely flat, even lighter, and the pucker/dimpling is gone. I am deciding if I want to go for a 3rd round or just wait it out. The injections HURT, man. Hurt, like tears in my eyes hurt. Anyhoo, here are the pics: P.S. FYI ...I have read/been told that steroid shots are more effective on hypertrophic scars (which I have) than keloids. So discuss with your doc if this is a route you want to go down....

I have been overweight since 5 years old.. by the time i did my sleeves surgery 3 weeks ago at 42 yrs old... I could say that being fat needs talent.lol. Tried all the colours n fashion to look slim, tried to be brave going clubbing always as the fattest babe.Tried diet, obesity club, gym n trainers, youtube workouts, home workouts, tomato soup diet, dance 8 hours a day.. but its just so hard to stay a good weight for me without suffering. So in Dec 2020 I had slip disc followed by surgery and main cause was weight and ageing.It almost hit my spinal cord and thank God i was not paralysed. I weighed 98kg at that time. And my weight for the past 30 over years has lead to this as my hectic routine with 2 growing up boys isnt making me any better. And so we planned with the surgeon and finally 2 weeks ago I went for the sleeves surgery.I wasnt even financially ready.But i know i had to do it. I am divorced and was married with a man who cant even walk with me bcoz i am fat.And to me, all my lousy relationships previous and current ones are with lousy man who thinks fat women are in need of attention. So i see that after this surgery, and preparing for it made me focus more on myself. Which is about me and me now should come first.Lesson learnt. Bye lousy miserable life..Am loving myself even more now. See how it goes..i have about 30-40kg to loose at 5'5'' and I am with myself n my own target now. All the best to all of you too. Sent from my CPH1923 using BariatricPal mobile app

Omg thank you so much for this! I think you've solved the mystery. I was on vitamin D supplements before surgery but have not been cleared to retake them since. I'm one month post sleeve and I think that might be it. I drink 70 oz of water daily and use aquaphor and cocoa butter and cerave on my skin about 4 times a day. I mean my skin is so bad, I feel it looks like elephant skin. Anyways, thank you!

Vitamin D deficiency also causes dry skin so keep that in mind if water and lotions do not help.

I'm afraid nothing will spare you from 100% of the skin drooping, but *my* mantra for taking care of your skin (obese, formerly obese, or never-obese) is moisturize, drink lots of water, and wear sunscreen. Good Luck!

Looking for recommendations to attempt to prevent as much facial wrinkling as possible. I have been overweight my whole life and honestly had enough cheeks to prevent wrinkles from showing. As I lose weight I notice that my skin is dry, pores are large and wrinkles are developing. I have also noted viewing success stories pictures that they appear older after losing weight, no offense to anyone. It is a small prices to pay for being healthier but just wondering what has helped or worked for others. Thanks!

My weight came off in a painfully slow...but steady...trickle. You didn't gain it in six months. You gained it over years and years. Be patients. Slow weightloss is healthy and your skin will have more time to reduce...less dramatic bagging.

So I am 39 years old, I’m down almost 110 from high weight, and I still have 66 lbs to go to hit goal which is in a healthy BMI range. Almost 4 months post op. At this point I don’t have much in the way of loose skin and I’ve not noticed my face looking “older” than it did prior to weight loss. It looks a lot more angular, but that’s to be expected. I had forehead wrinkles prior to weight loss- and I say “had” because 20 units of Botox every 4 months or so have taken care of these before and after surgery. Overall, make sure you wear sunscreen every day, moisturize, and take care of your skin. If wrinkles appear anyway after surgery and they bother you, get filler or Botox.

I just joined. This is my very first post. I had RNY 18 years ago. Two years after my RNY, I had a facelift that included my turkey neck. The results were amazing. No complications. I also had my arms done. My recommendation would be to find a plastic surgeon who is skilled in removing loose skin after WLS. It does make a difference, in my opinion.

hi Changes4Life, I really appreciate your candid and kind result. Its awesome to have you post.... Im feeling much less alone in all this, Im so sorry you as well have been through so much and grateful your still ontrack and thankful for the life its afforded you, even though its been a very tough go at times! Im definitely happy I got my life back through the surgery, yet if the complications take my life that would be brutal now as a solo parent of two younger kids. I just read a neurology article that states most patients do best with nutritional supports given by injections and not orally. That a large percentage - up to 20% develop neurological disorders even when taking appropriate oral supplementation. This I didn't know about except that it would be prevented by oral supplementation... this article states this isn't so for 2 out of 10 patients. I also learned the neurological disorders are related to how much you loose and how fast, meaning the majority of issues come from loosing the weight in less than 1year. I was 450 pounds and at my lowest was down 293. I lost the weight extremely fast. Ive kept all but 25 off in almost 12 years. to add to my diagnosis list; They just discovered my colon in entirely air filled distended and dilated without air/fluid levels, thickening and no obstruction, meaning now bowel disease but its of unknown origin and significance so its being investigated. it can be related to neurological disorders and vagus nerve issues that eventually cause a paralyzed intestinal system. Im praying and hoping for the best outcome possible. Im just also putting all this out there in case any of the people on this site themselves with any similar struggles and if so may be able to help direct their drs to a 'possible' association with bariatric surgery post complications in order to receive help that's more targeted to correction in a more effective and efficient way than having years go by with a lot of I don't knows. I hope my post not only connects but also helps others in their after surgery care should odd seemingly unrelated symptoms arise and they don't know where to begin... I definitely had no idea any of this except depleted vitamins and minerals could be a play. im definitely not against surgery!!!!!!!!!!! just in my case I hope what drs have missed and if all these accumulated health struggles - not present pre-surgery so these possible and (rare?) complications of post bariatric surgery, as im now reading in literature, that this surgery does not end up shortening my life... if it does only because of a lack of awareness by patients/drs/and specialists, simply because it took to long to figure out the brain/body system complicated connections to the gut or in my case it wasn't fully disclosed or known at the time, I pray this information will help someone in the future who is also seeking answers to complicated health struggles. I've been actively seeking help since 2017, the symptoms have now become physically undeniable;e and hopefully I can be helped in time to continue onward with my beautiful life being present to be involved with my incredible children as they grow up. im thinking of you all and just pray that if someone finds themselves with mounting medical complexities this information will help you advocate for yourself and possible change in the medical systems to provide in my case, better post op care and immediate investigations with this many unexplainable medical complexities post surgery. im glad I had the surgery.... I just want much more time her to enjoy life. just aceesperate mom seeking help and community.

Nothing worse than getting stuck or semi stuck. Been there and done it. My issue is corn on the cob. I can eat a big ole hunk of steak with few issues...but if I eat too much corn on the cob, look out. Not sure how or why it packs up...but it's the one food that I'm a little scared of....and it stinks, because I love it. Next time you're stuck, try this: put your hands on top of your head to open up your chest as much as possible, walk and take long deep breaths. Your diaphragm pulling down will stimulate your stomach peristalsis to move and try to budge what's stuck. The movement of walking and gravity can help it along. If you're only semi stuck and don't have saliva backing up, sips of warm water while you walk around and breathe can help. If your saliva is backing up, just keep breathing. Don't curl up or hold yourself, or bend forward at the waist if you can help it. Get your lungs full of air and keep moving. Not sure where I read this trick, and I've only been stuck/semistuck a handful of times....but it helped a lot and did the trick. I've never vomited. It's always eventually worked loose. Stay calm, walk and breathe.

Honestly when you first lose your weight, you may look drained or drawn. But, once you’re into maintenance, your weight stabilises, you’re eating more & eating some good multi/whole grains, that drawn look disappears. I also think after a few months in maintenance your remaining fat seems to rearrange itself. I know that sounds strange but I swear it happened to me. And at 24, your skin is full of its natural elasticity unlike we over 50s whose skin elasticity is much depleted. ☹️ Just think when you lose the weight you’ll be able to see the real shape of your face, your jaw line, your cheekbones. Even my eyes look better & bigger cause my eyelids aren’t as heavy & droopy anymore. I was even told the other day I had lovely cheekbones & I was like cheekbones? What? Who me? But if it does bother you there are things you can do. I added liquid collagen & liquid silica to my drinking yoghurt several times a week while losing. I don’t know if it helped but it didn’t hurt. The are non surgical treatments like radio frequency which stimulate collagen growth. Or you could try fillers, etc. They’re all short term but ... Good luck with your surgery.

Yep, when I was younger and thinner I had a non-issue neck. Then I gained weight and I suppose any aging/slackening of the skin in that area was camouflaged by the excess fat. Fast forward to after weight loss and my neck was actually the first thing (after an arm lift) that I realllllllyyyyyy wanted to get done. Didn't end up getting it done as it didn't bother me as much after a while, but now I think it looks odd. Its not so very flappy nor droopy (but it is definitely NOT firm), and I have these weird vertical lines of skin that makes it look like I have a giant hole in my neck (see 1st pic below), and it gets more prominent when I'm smiling. Weird. Depending on your age/genes/amount of weight lost, the degree of sag will vary. You won't really know how your neck will fare until you get to your desired weight. Of course there is always face/neck lifts. I've also recently read that botox is injectable into the neck muscles (I didn't know this!) that results in a firming look. Will be asking about this at my consult next week. See second pic below of a before/after pic I lifted from a random site. So there is hope...(I hope!) P.S. I'm 50 this year.

Dare, you are spot on with the above comment! I definitely look older thanks to my floppy neck, but I'll take that any day over being obese and unhealthy. And there is always plastic surgery to minimize the effects of loose skin (although I'm not interested in that myself.) I was 59 when I had surgery and had decades of obesity behind me. I want to mention that I lost 90 pounds in my late 20s with Optifast (aka "the Oprah Diet") and had no saggy skin--everything bounced back and I looked fantastic. I'm sure that was due to my age and the fact that I had not been obese for very long. Needless to say, I gained back all that weight, and then some.

Thanks all! I’m 39 but look way older now. I was sleeved in 2012 and had acid reflux and weight gain w it. So they did bypass to fix the acid which I love but I dropped so fast in 2 months. Had my bypass 11/2 and I’m 5’3 176. Goal is 150 and then I get my PS. I went yesterday to the cosmetic n laser np. She said not a big deal but to me man it’s really really saggy and bad. I’ve never had it before and it bothers me more than anything. I guess too, I’ll take being healthier over tight skin nice neck lol it’s just hard seeing it

I loath my chicken neck/waddle. I will probably end up having some work done on it and my face, but first my body gets some attention. Wearing a face mask actually makes me feel more confident, since it covers the worst of the sagging in my lower face and neck. Still, I wouldn’t trade my improved health and body for less saggy skin. So excited for you, @catwoman7 and @ms.sss! Please keep us posted!

to be honest, most of us are so happy not being fat anymore that we're really not that concerned about looking older. I'm not. Yes, I look older (but I'm also in my 60's), but I'd much rather look older than weigh over 300 lbs again. Huge no-brainer. And as Creepimp said, you're young enough that you may still have some elasticity left in your skin. I wouldn't worry about it. Once you get to where you want to go, you can always get a facelift IF you even "need" one (and you might not)

I’ve lost 175 pounds and my face definitely looks different, but I think much better. I was a little concerned about looking older because I have seen some info saying that massive weight loss makes you look older, but honestly, that was among the least of my concerns. I think I lucked out in the chin department — I had big-time double-chin at my highest weight, and I can see some slight sagging now, but not nearly as bad as I feared. And I am almost 40, so it was probably going to happen soon, anyway. It is weird to me to see my face in the mirror because I feel like I don’t look like myself. My face used to be so big and round, and now it is so angular because my jawline is so prominent. And when I smile, I have dimples that I didn’t used to have. It’s hard to say if that makes me look older, or just different. I’ve always had dark circles under my eyes (even as a kid), and they’ve gotten worse since surgery, but that might be temporary. I don’t have a ton of sagging skin or wrinkles on my face, though (my body is a different story...).

At 24, you have the advantage of having some spring left in the connective tissue in your skin. You're already gorgeous! You won't have issues:) I had surgery at 46...and I'd been fat for so long, that my memories of me being thin....were me in my 20's. Somehow, I had this weird idea that I'd look like that again. "I want to look like I used to look"...but I was remembering a very young woman, you know? Somewhere in there....20 years or so happened...and it was shocking to notice that. So yes, I do look older. But I think part of that is just I AM older. I do not enjoy the little turkey neck wrinkles under my chin. They annoy me a little. Being almost 50 annoys me in general. LOL. I feel younger! But I LOVE being able to run again:) I LOVE being healthy. I LOVE how I look...a few wrinkles here and there be damned. No regrets. Not even for a microsecond.

Hi everyone, this is my very first time posting after reading so many of your posts. I am currently at the very beginning process of getting weightloss surgery and its the worst knowing that i have 6 months to go. I am 24 years old and I have been overweight since i could tie my shoes. Ive always been in the 250lb- 280lb range. But, recently after the birth of my 3rd baby i currently weight 316lbs. My body has been through it. But im still fairly young so i dont know how my skin will look once i (hopefully) reach my goal weight of 135lb- 140lb. Ive heard horror stories of people who have lost massive amounts of weight ( i need to lose about 170 ) and looking OLD as a result. Mainly their face loses all volume and those unsightly smile lines become super intense. My question to everyone is: if you already had the surgery and lost all the weight, does your face still look full and youthful or do you think weightloss has aged you?

Anyone get really wrinkled saggy skin under chin on neck? If so, do you just deal with it? Does it bother you? Do you use anything that helps the skin tighten? My doc wants $600 for a ultrasonic thing to tighten the skin and I’m considering. Thanks for your response.

I am 6 weeks post op and I am stilling having pain. The main incision is on the right and the pain i am having is internal. The incision healed perfectly with no issues but I am having a sharp pain in my muscle that comes and goes. I want to start exercising but I can't because its so hard to bend due to the pain. I can't fully turn to either side while sleeping, i turn to the left - i feel like its being pulled.. turn to the right - i feel pressure. I can only turn half way to the side while sleeping. If I sit down at a height where my stomach is being pressed, pain. Sometimes I can't sit Indian style because I have that sharp pain. The pain sometimes radiate to my side. At first the pain was deep at the incision site but now i sometimes feel the pain is deep on top of the incision site. I spoke to my doctor and all they ask is about is the incision site, which is perfectly healed. They tell me to take Tylenol ever 6 hours, i dont want to take all these pills. My father had the same surgery and he never experience this type of pain. However, mine was robotic assisted. Its driving me nuts because I want to exercise and really lose the weight, I am currently losing a pound a week or none at all. I also want to avoid as much loose skin as possible by exercising, I know i will still have some but the quicker I act the better it will be. Did anyone else had this pain? Does anyone have an idea as to what it might be. Also I have this tingling/numbness on my left thigh. Never had it before, started happening two weeks after the surgery. It happens when I lay down to go to sleep, its effecting my sleep.. can't sleep unless I bend my legs. Has this ever happened to anyone? I don't know what to do. I got a sono of the lower extremities, no clots.

Thanks! 90lbs of that weight loss was actually pre-surgery, but the rest was after I got my sleeve in June. Yeah, I have quite a bit of loose skin. It’s most problematic around my belly, but it’s present in a lot of places (arms, thighs, butt, sides). I’m not quite done losing yet, and I want to be at a stable weight for a while before I consider having surgery to remove it. I’m hoping that it gets a little better on it’s own over time, but I admit that’s probably wishful thinking. I’m pretty terrified of the recovery after plastic surgery, so I’m not in any rush to do it.

Wow! That is fantastic!!! Any issues with loose skin?