I haven't decided on with surgery to have yet and I'm sure all WLS can cause it due to speedy weigh loss but I was wondering if 100% of patients has this problem? Would you mind sharing your starting weight height and age? I realize this is personal but I know these must have alot to do with how much loose skin you will have. Thanks:)

It definitely has a lot to do with age and how long you have carried that weight and how much weight you carried.

I am 52 going through menopause and have carried an extra 100lbs and more since I was 26 years old.

No matter how much exercise I cannot exercise away the mudslide I now have after nearly 120lb weight loss. I no longer have boobs or a butt, just loose skin. Everything has sort of fallen downward hence the name (mudslide).

I will be seeking plastics for my arms, boobs, tummy, legs and even my butt.

The only reason I would focus on my butt is it is so bony that my tailbone sticks out and it hurts like hell.

At the end of the day, I could not be happier with my result. I am much more healthier and happier person. In clothes I look fantastic, I can deal with the lose skin issue.

Good luck to you!

Thanks. Good luck to you for the rest of your journey

It definitely has a lot to do with age and how long you have carried that weight and how much weight you carried.

I am 52 going through menopause and have carried an extra 100lbs and more since I was 26 years old.

No matter how much exercise I cannot exercise away the mudslide I now have after nearly 120lb weight loss. I no longer have boobs or a butt, just loose skin. Everything has sort of fallen downward hence the name (mudslide).

I will be seeking plastics for my arms, boobs, tummy, legs and even my butt.

The only reason I would focus on my butt is it is so bony that my tailbone sticks out and it hurts like hell.

At the end of the day, I could not be happier with my result. I am much more healthier and happier person. In clothes I look fantastic, I can deal with the lose skin issue.

Good luck to you!

Ah, the old disappearing butt ... that was the first thing that went for me, too! Just all of a sudden, it was gone! My boobs were next: they never were particularly big but once the weight started falling off they went south.

I'm nearly 50, and have been overweight since I was around 11, so I knew things were never likely to bounce back. I just figured I'd worry about that later. And now that it's "later", I'm not sure if I want to go through surgery to deal with the loose skin: I'm an absolute wimp when it comes to pain! I haven't complained about it after any surgeries I've had in the past so I'm sure people think I'm fine, but I'm really not.

And then there's my heart problem ... it's well under control now, much more than my cardiologist ever expected, and the damage has partially reversed. But while I was prepared to take a calculated risk to have gastric bypass, I'm not sure about plastics. I know that it's less of a risk now because of my much improved heart health, but like I said, I'm a wimp!

@@Babbs That's sweet, thank you. I wouldn't have guessed you were my age. I thought you were in your 30's!!

I really think for me, it's good genes maybe, and I stay out the sun.

I encourage you to know that loose skin is a possibility but not to fixate on it to that end. I managed to lose over 150lbs once and I started getting saggy skin and it bothered me so much, in hindsight, I allowed myself to put the weight back on because "at least it isn't sagging". I wasn't sad when I gained the weight back because the alternative bothered me more. It's a horrible thing to think saggy skin is somehow worse than being morbidly obese. I find myself even now thinking about how bad it will get and getting nervous, but I keep telling myself that it can be fixed with plastic surgery and even though it seems too expensive to ever afford, there are financing options available to put it right and my insurance at least will cover a pannilectomy as long as the belly skin droops below the pubic bone-which after 7 kids and being overweight it does already so if I got that taken off and financed a tummy tuck at the same time and getting my bat wings clipped and if it were cheap enough throw in some boob implants or if not buy some bra padding to stuff it back up to size and I'd be ok with that. A lot of places give discounts if you do several procedures at the same time and you only have to pay for anesthesia once that way, so it's my goal to just get to where I feel ok in my own skin. I don't care if I have a saggy ass. No one will see that through my clothes and I can't see it because it's literally behind me ????There's also padded underpants. I always laughed at those, but I bet they are awesome! so that's what I think about to get past this fear. It's gonna be bad for me, I already know, based on how it was before after losing weight and how much is hanging now even pre op, but keep positive and try not to dwell on that part to the point of wondering if you even want to go through with it for the fear of the saggy skin.

Skin loses elasticity as we age. No way around that. I'm in a tough demographic group - I've lost 100+ lbs in the past 8 years, and now I'm 62 years old. So I have some loose skin, as every older person does. But plastic surgery is far beyond my means, and in fact, I'm in fantastic shape for someone my age and size, and I want to praise God and the Universe and fate and every other thing, little or big, for that, because it is such a huge gift. And I have to praise me, too, because I'm the one who got me into this lifelong challenge, and I'm the one who's taken on the lifelong challenge of maintenance.

One of the saddest things I've read during my WLS journey was a post from a young woman who said that if weight loss left her with loose skin, she wouldn't have it at all. Maybe I'm too old to understand that...or maybe I do. It sounds like an excuse to me, something that person is clinging too because she fears that WLS won't be a quick fix for her body (and other) problems.

And it won't, I guarantee. Weight loss is never, ever going to solve all your problems and make life wonderful and taste better than a million of Jenny Craig meals (no disrespect to JC).

But will WLS and weight loss and the hundreds of changes connected to that make a wonderful change in your life?ABSOLUTELY! But...only if you take charge of it. And you can do it. Because if I can do it, you can. In fact, I double-dog dare you to it.

And...in the double dog department, I'm pretty sure I have you beat!

I remember when I had my surgery and that was all I was concerned about the only really thing I have left is actually a small Pannis and then my bat wings on my arms which I absolutely hate however I figure out of all the good things that happened via weight-loss surgery I guess I could probably handle those

And I realize that anybody that Judges such frivolous things it's not like it we haven't been ridiculed before for being obese so I don't care lol

Edited September 11, 201510 yr by Roux2011-1

I'm down 123. Honestly I'm surprised the skin on my neck bounced back pretty good. I carried most of my weight in my mid section. Even in spanx my tummy has a bit of a bump

But the drappy skin is held in. Arms do have the bat wings but at age 47. It was bound to happen without WLS. Plastics are unaffordable for me

I figure it's me my husband and the occasional dr. That will see it. The skin is camouflaged with clothing. Making the best of it.

I agree I'm happy with how far I've come

Thank you everyone for sharing all of your experiences with me. I'm so excited to start this new journey in my life.

I'm about 9 month's out from my op and down about 160 pound and have loose skin I have been huge forever so I not going get better without surgery which I will think about next year. But feel so much better. Went from five Xl too Two XL. Still like to loose another 70-80 pounds. I have most difficulty will people saying how good look now and how much better I am now, it nice to hear but after beening over weight for more then forty years it's hard not to get defence of. I have very mixed feeling about how explain by weight loss or way its anyone else business just of my fat defence I guess I don't say how much lost just admit a lot. I still feel so much better and its neat to be able to buy clothes of the rack again without been in a special store. On the hand I l very small town so everyone knows me it is long journey with no easy route but feel I'm on the right track. I still hate typing and spelling thought that hasn't changed!

.

Edited September 11, 201510 yr by Alan99

I'm about 9 month's out from my op and down about 160 pound and have loose skin I have been huge forever so I not going get better without surgery which I will think about next year. But feel so much better. Went from five Xl too Two XL. Still like to loose another 70-80 pounds. I have most difficulty will people saying how good look now and how much better I am now, it nice to hear but after beening over weight for more then forty years it's hard not to get defence of. I have very mixed feeling about how explain by weight loss or way its anyone else business just of my fat defence I guess I don't say how much lost just admit a lot. I still feel so much better and its neat to be able to buy clothes of the rack again without been in a special store. On the hand I l very small town so everyone knows me it is long journey with no easy route but feel I'm on the right track. I still hate typing and spelling thought that hasn't changed!

.

lol thanks for sharing. I have worried about telling people that I had WLS too when I do get it. Unless you actually look into surgery you don't really know what all is involved. People don't realize how hard it is. Basically we are doing all the work. All the surgery does is limit the amount you can eat at one time. But anyway. I'm excited to start this new journey.

​The thought of loose skin was one of the reasons I didn't want this surgery many years ago (plus no carbonation and no alcohol - or at least limited alcohol). This last year I changed my mind and went full steam ahead not worrying about those things as I was more worried about my health and inability to do some of the things I wanted to.

I am 5'10". My highest weight a few years ago was 336. Starting weight at consultation in January was 326. I am 3 months post-op and now down 75 pounds. My neck looks awful on some day (not all days oddly) and my belly button looks like grumpy cat's frown. The skin on my arms and thighs is really starting to get loose, but guess what?! I can cross my legs now and it is all covered up! I will have skin surgery some day but for now, it is what it is and I have to concentrate on getting healthy then I will worry about looking better. In the meantime, cute clothes fit better.

All to say, don't let this be the one thing that scares you off. This, of all things, is fixable.

​The thought of loose skin was one of the reasons I didn't want this surgery many years ago (plus no carbonation and no alcohol - or at least limited alcohol). This last year I changed my mind and went full steam ahead not worrying about those things as I was more worried about my health and inability to do some of the things I wanted to.

I am 5'10". My highest weight a few years ago was 336. Starting weight at consultation in January was 326. I am 3 months post-op and now down 75 pounds. My neck looks awful on some day (not all days oddly) and my belly button looks like grumpy cat's frown. The skin on my arms and thighs is really starting to get loose, but guess what?! I can cross my legs now and it is all covered up! I will have skin surgery some day but for now, it is what it is and I have to concentrate on getting healthy then I will worry about looking better. In the meantime, cute clothes fit better.

All to say, don't let this be the one thing that scares you off. This, of all things, is fixable.

Thanks!

Loose skin is annoying, but nothing compares with being obese.

You can always hide loose skin. Obesity not so much.

Not bad at all.