Is It Possible To Have This Surgery And Not Need To Have Plastic Surgery?

[egrazz 5]

Just wonderfing if anyone has had WLS and not had the need for plastic surgery. Does everyone have the saggy skin after weight loss or has anyone's skin drawn back up?

[lalaj 108]

I am very curious about this myself

[Cocoabean 430]

My stomach is fine. I have a bit of bat wings, but not so bad that I "need" plastics. Sleeves cover it just fine. I'll never wear tank tops, but oh well. I have scars on my forearms that I prefer to keep covered most times anyways. Insurance won't generally cover my issue. Sometimes it will cover abdominal skin if its removal is for medical needs, like infection where it rubs. I carried my fat everywhere, I always had a small waist (proportionally speaking!), and my upper arms were large-ish. You can sort of see it in my avatar photo.

A lot depends on where you hold your fat deposits, how much you have to lose, your age, and genetics. Rate of weight loss really does not affect how your skin bounces back, according to my surgeon.

I have before and after pics on my profile..but nothing showing my skin. You can see my shape, though.

[egrazz 5]

Thanks Cocoabean. I carry my weight all over also. I must have alot of elasticity in my skin because even with all the weight i have gained I do not have one stretch mark anywhere.

[elcee 3,340]

My fattest area was my stomach and it still is . I don't "need" plastic surgery but if I wanted a model perfect body (which even models don't have) then I would NEED it. I have what all my friends refer to as a balcony! It is something that they all have too. Some have a small balcony, others have a huge verandah! I think it is perfectly normal as you age especially when you have been cut trans abdominally for something such as a C Section or hysterectomy.

I also do not have any stretchmarks. I didn't get any through either of my pregnancies and I haven't got any now. I think genetics plays a huge part in these.

[Jachut 487]

If you have a look at my pictures http://www.lapbandtalk.com/gallery/member/204951-jachut/, I'd say I had a pretty darn lucky outcome for a 120lbish weight loss.

Now, I'm having a Tummy Tuck next week. But do I *need* it - absolutely not. I'm having it because I got an opportunity - I have some large inguinal hernias which need to be fixed fairly urgently, I've had huge surgeries for bowel cancer and between my colorectal surgeon and the plastic surgeon he sent me too, I think they've been nice to me and offered to go ahead with a full tummy tuck to remove all the scarring etc (not that there's that much) for a bargain basement price. Both highly respected and well credentialed surgeons, so I'm extremely lucky. I would never have gone looking for a tummy tuck just because, I have certainly bemoaned my loose stomach and wished I had a six pack, like most people but for me, no way woudl that justify the expense of such major surgery.

In fact if I were to have some money for PS, a tummy tuck probably wouldnt even have been the first thing on my list of wants. I'm slightly concerned that its going to be like renovating a room in your house, and highlight how shabby everything else is.

I'm 44, I've had 3 babies, and I've never been really firm or tight (nor have I ever had perky breasts) but I exercised, lost pretty slowly and I think I'm just damn lucky. I didnt have stretchmarks from my pregnancy or anything, so I must just have resilient skin. Not that there's NO signs that I've been overweight, I mean I've got enough skin there to remove and put me back together, but nobody that only sees me clothed is even going to know I've had a tummy tuck, its not going to make that much of a difference to my size and profile.

[AlienBandit 10]

I had plastics done but I could have survived without it. The extra sin and such I had wasnt hanging or causing infections but I did not find my body attractive and I didnt like the skin waving and such.M

My plastics was a now or never thing because I won't be able to be in this country again where the price is lower so I just went for it.

[sunshine412 33]

I have lost 65 lbs from my higest weight of 320 lbs. I am in the process of getting approved for lapband to help take me to the finish line. As of now, I do not have any loose skin, but I can see where it is starting. I am prepairing myself for this. I have started saving $$$ for this.... my stomach ia a wreck. Not only do I have streach marks, I have tear marks, as I have been big my whole life. My stomach looks like a piece of shot elastic!

I hear great things about bio oil and I plan to start using it. Bottom line is.... after surgery, you will always look better than what you did before you lost the weight. If it really bothers you, make the other surgery happen. I am working 2 jobs to try to save for this. One patient told me this and I believe that she makes sence.... its impossible to be big and loose alot of weight and not have loose skin. We all face and deal with this reality.

You will be doing yourself a huge favor by starting a weight training program now, it really does help to tighten and firm...

[Cleo 0]

The one PS I wold be interested in is facial surgery as my face has definitely developed slackness around the jowels due to weight loss- and no amount of weight training can help that. I am 57 yo and wear a two piece swim suit without needing to be as flat as a board- I am just happy to be alive, diabetes-free and able to swim! I do think that sometimes on this forum I feel that we get obsessed with "improving" ourselves surgically- but if I had a huge overhang of tummy skin I would consider it as well.

[sunshine412 33]

Very true... before i was so big, i thought about getting implants but went back snd forth with the idea because a part of me thought it was selfish. Now that ive lost so much volume and my boobs sag... they are a wreck- i look at it as more restorative than anything else. Im going for the smallest implants available.

[sunshine412 33]

Very true... before i was so big, i thought about getting implants but went back snd forth with the idea because a part of me thought it was selfish. Now that ive lost so much volume and my boobs sag... they are a wreck- i look at it as more restorative than anything else. Im going for the smallest implants available.

[Skinny_Jill 36]

As everyone has said you will not "need" plastic surgery but it is very hard to lose a lot of weight and not have some loose skin. I've lost 90 pounds and I have some loose skin and my breasts are very saggy and so is my butt. I worked out a lot during the first 2 years of my weight loss. I even worked with a personal trainer.

I am having a lower body lift, Tummy Tuck and breast lift on 06/14. I am excited and very scared.

Everyone is different but I would say that most with a lot of weight loss will have loose skin.

[Angel in Disguise 5]

I am being banded tomorrow, 6/12 and I am more nervous about the excess skin than I am about the surgery.

[Skinny_Jill 36]

I am being banded tomorrow, 6/12 and I am more nervous about the excess skin than I am about the surgery.

Good luck on your surgery. The band is great. Don't worry about the loose skin. You will feel so much better when the weight comes off.