Hey everybody! I'm new in my journey, and have been wondering about excess skin after weight loss. Is there a way to decrease the possibility of excess skin? If so, how? I would really love to know what needs to be done to avoid weird skin and plastic surgery.

I believe there is really nothing you can do about excess skin. Once the elasticity is so minimal it doesn't "bounce back" there isn't much you can do short of surgery. I don't believe in any creams that work. Excersise is great, but it won't prevent or get rid of excess skin. That being said, it is my understanding that the slower you loose the weight, the more likely your skin will bounce back. Also age, how many times you've gained and lost weight and whether you've been pregnant also factor into the equation. Best wishes!

I agree with what was previously said. AGE is a huge factor. Im pretty young, 25, and my skin has done AMAZING!! With that said, I know its also because I work out a ton and do a lot of TONING. Toning is the key to shaping. You need it. If all you do it cardio, you will lose the fat but be saggy. You need to do a combo of both to ensure tightening. It has been amazing for me. Only problem areas I have had are my arms (which my trainer said is the hardest to get rid of skin) and my boobs. I will need to get a boob job or lift. The skin is pulling. Hope this helps!

I agree with Rockstardiva that toning exercises will really help make loose skin look better and slower weight loss. At 31 years old, you may not have too much problem but it depends how long your skin has been stretched out and genetics of course. I have loose skin, but my arms don't look that bad that I can't wear sleeveless shirts because I have some muscle tone in my arms. You won't ever catch me in a pair of shorts again though! And the stomach doesn't look that great either, but they are my battle scars to remind myself of where I've been. It's not the end of the world. I look well enough in clothes

It all boils down to age, genetics, degree of overweight, number of times weight has been lost and gained, whether there have been pregnancies, and a host of factors that are not really within our control.

Exercise can make the underlying tissue firmer, but does not affect the skin. Getting to a very low BMI helps tremendously for the same reason. Some of the firming lotions work well---temporarily.

But really, the degree of excess skin that remains after you reach your goal is pretty much predetermined. There's no lotion or oil you can use to prevent it. There's no exercise that will prevent it (though again, the underlying tissue's appearance can hugely affect how well the excess skin lies). Rate of loss doesn't really affect it.

It just is what it is.

I've been really surprised at how well certain parts of my body are rebounding. I'm watching other parts of my body, aghast---and hoping that as the subcutaneous fat is lost, I at least am just left with shrinkles instead of the blobbiness I currently have!

(I'm also researching plastic surgeons.)

I once came across this article, it made 300% sense to me, I strongly believe in his theory and I'm planning to see if what he says would work. Time will tell.... but for now it's about proper eating and working out. By the way... in no way, shape or form I'm connected to that website. For me it's about this particular article/information.

My "bible":

The Myth of Loose Skin

Its also important to remember that once your'e obese, most of the excess skin has ALREADY happened. That's why you cant provent it. Our fat hides it, but you either have it or you dont, and its there already. Losing weight doesnt cause the excess skin, getting fat does.

You will feel worlds better than you do now, whatever the outcome. YOu can fix it if needs be.

Genetics plays a huge role - more so than how fast/slow you lose weight.

Also - working out, from the START, will help. A lot of people, while losing weight quickly at the beginning, will skip this step. Just makes for more work and worry later.

I've read it here before and have been wondering how getting to a low BMI actually helps with excess skin. I'd picture having a little fat to fill things out to be a good thing. My goal BMI of 24 wouldn't cut it? I've been thinking that pumping iron in a serious way on top of carrying an extra 10 pounds or so would be the key to sleeveless shirts. Wrong? Obviously different for different individuals but I'm curious about the consensus.

10 extra pound of fat is 10 extra pounds of fat! Its not going to really help a lot, just going to create wobble. Especially when you consider it took 100lb or more to fill out that excess skin.

But a BMI of 24 isnt carrying 10 excess pounds of fat, its a normal weight and getting even skinnier probably wont help things past that point. I've certainly realised (finally) for me that getting right down to a BMI of 20 is not going to get rid of the small muffin top and saddlebags I have, those ARE my excess skin and the places my body is just not going to give up the fat without surgical help. I'm skeletel enough up top as it is already, so you're right, getting uber skinny is not necessarily the answer,especially when you're 43 and looking half decent in a bathing suit is enough of an achievement, let alone putting pressure on yourself to look like a 20 year old in it!.

I think toning totally helps. Other than that, there's not much that can be done. I was very overweight, so I knew early on that skin might become an issue for me. I just decided early on that I'd rather deal with some of the excess skin than to be overweight any longer. Excess skin can be hidden, but when I was overweight, no clothes could mask my size really. . .

So far, my skin is not THAT bad. I wouldn't wear a binkini, but it wasn't an option for me to wear one before my band either! ha ha-- I'm actually much more confident in my body now than before. I do wear a swimsuit though, just with a little skirt so I feel less self conscious. Some of it is just in our heads too. I know I'll never have a model's body, but I'm so happy to be where I am considering where I WAS.

I still want to lose more, but I feel that if I keep working out, my skin won't be that bad.

My "grandma wings" are my HUGEST point of disatisfaction for me....but I have had them for ages....and now that I have lost so much weight they are horrid. I don't think any amount of pumping weight is going to get rid of it - I don't wanna build up THAT much muscle to fill it out and look like a body builder - but I read something about body wraps by It Works....am thinking about trying that. Anything non surgical would definately be preferred!

As far as my pannus - wearing my Body Magic has really helped in reshaping my body and getting things back to where they are supposed to be...so I am happy about that, at least! Just gotta work on these grandma wings..........

Efoliate, Efoliate, Efoliate, I have read that efoliating is a great way to help tighten the skin. It said efoliating gets rid of the old skin and helps to grow new skin. I don't know how much this will help but I am on my journy and I have already started. Along with toning and weight lifting.

The degree to which your skin will rebound depends on a number of things. They do not include how quickly you lose weight or anything you apply topically to your skin. (There are good lotions, however, that can temporarily affect the appearance/tightness; I really like C. Booth 4-in-1 Multi-Action Skin Lotion, especially in the lemon-sugar fragrance. Very light, very nice product.)

It's influenced by age, genetics, how long you've been overweight, how much excess weight you have, how many times you've gained/lost in the past, how many pregnancies you've had, and so on. The latter two---number of times you've gained/lost and pregnancies---play in because each stretch and rebound reduces the skin's resilience.

All that said, I'm 48, have had 3 pregnancies, have gained and lost a bazillion times, have lost 80 pounds, and am really pleased, for the most part, with the way my skin is responding. I still have weight to lose, and think that I will have problem areas (and in fact already have a plastics consult scheduled for May)---but overall, it's not nearly as bad as I feared.

ETA: the lower BMI means that the excess skin doesn't remain filled with excess fat. If you look at most plastic surgeons' before and after galleries, you will see LOTS of patients who headed into the OR with far more than just excess skin--they had a good deal of excess body weight, as well.

By getting down to a lower BMI, you are left with a far easier surgical repair, if you go that route, or simply less excess tissue to contend with. I'm aiming for a pretty rock-bottom BMI for my height because my frame is small, and I really want my only excess to be that which I cannot control. I'm still not sure I will have surgical intervention; I will, however, explore the options.

Edited September 14, 201015 yr by BetsyB

I read that staying hydrated while losing weight helps with the elasticity in your skin. Another way to avoid that is to not lose weight to rapidly....I was just banded 2 weeks ago so I know losing weight slowly maybe hard to do

I once came across this article, it made 300% sense to me, I strongly believe in his theory and I'm planning to see if what he says would work.

I managed to read about half the page and then had to quit because what he's saying just isn't supported by known facts.

As so many have already said, there are many factors that play into whether or not you'll have excess skin: age, genetics, how overweight you were *and* how long you've been overweight, etc.

The men and women in my family tend to look much younger than they really are as they age...just good genetics. My grandmother looked 70 when she was 94. My mom is 72 and looks like she's in her 50's. I'm in my mid-50's and as I age, the disparity between my actual age and my true age becomes greater.

At 47 I took off 70 pounds. Yes, I lost some of the sagging skin (again good genetics), but not most of it. I can tell from losing 35 pounds over the last 10 months that the sagging skin I have now will need surgical help. It's really bad...and that's from being seriously overweight for 40 years and stretching my poor skin up to 330 pounds.

No amount of toning is going to help the several inches of sagging skin on my arms or belly.

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