Is it just me or have you noticed yourself looking older now that you've lost weight? I'm 50, but I can honestly say that I looked about 30 or 35 pre-surgery. That's not to say I looked good - just young, with smooth skin. All the wrinkles were plumped out with fat, I guess.

Now I look better - I guess - but a great deal older. Wrinkles all over my face. Sagging. Crows feet. I saw a new photo of myself and I was shocked, shocked, I say!!

It's so disappointing. I wanted to lose weight for my health, that's the main thing. But of course I also wanted to look better, too. I'm not sure if I do.

I would love to get a face lift, but I tend to keloid and it doesn't seem like it would be a good idea.

But I think I will make an appointment with a plastic surgeon, just to see if anything non-surgical can be done.

Nancy

Nancy, I've noticed that too. I just thought it was because I'm outside in the sun a lot more now. I guess all those years as a couch potato did serve one good purpose -- kept my skin smooth. Well, I guess if I have to choose, I'd rather be thinner. Let me know what the P.S. says. Maybe Dr. Spivak's patients get a "special deal" with a P.S. he knows.

Nancy, this is by no means limited to those over 50. I'm 42 and have suddenly noticed little wrinkes, the kind they sell creams to help with. I have laugh lines, which I've never had before.

But my feeling is that this is what I'm supposed to look like, and it's the real me coming out. It is a little sad leaving my youth behind, but I'm realizing that youthful appearance was artificially sustained by the layers of fat under my skin. My youthful appearance was going to fade at some point anyway, as does everyone's, but for those of us losing weight it's weird that it seems to happen overnight.

Oh well. Maybe now I'll figure out what makeup is for. Or maybe not.

I have to admit that I think there's nothing more beautiful than to see a woman in her 70's, with her life etched on her face. I guess I just wasn't ready for it to start showing up so soon on myself. But I'd rather have laugh lines, than frown lines. Maybe, someday, someone will think I'm a "beautiful, serene older woman".

I actually am ashamed of my vanity and if you had asked me if I would ever care about sagging and wrinkles, I would have laughed at the absurdity of it. But here I am. It freaks me out to look in the mirror and see my mother.

Nancy

My surgical assistant nurse (day of my banding) was a happy Dr. S. bandster. She highly recommended a Dr. Long. I figure since she was a PS patient and a surgical nurse, she probably knew what she was talking about. Maybe we can get a "two for one" discount.

Dr. Long spoke at the Bandster bash. I'm sure he is a very fine surgeon, but he was quite flippant and arrogant. It turned me off. But there was a woman there who had pretty much had a whole body lift and she looked great! When I'm ready, I'll consult her surgeon even if it's just a starting place.

Nancy