So. I'm only almost four days out and I'm already wondering about plastics. Are they pretty much inevitable? Is there anything that can be done to prevent them? Special toning exercises, etc? Just curious...

not inevitable, but with the amount of weight you're likely to lose (I'm looking at your starting weight), you're likely to have loose skin.

HOWEVER, a lot of us are able to hide it really well, so you're likely the only person who'll know it's there. I've had plastics because it was driving ME nuts, but no one else knew about it. It was easy to hide. I was just careful to wear elbow-length (or longer) sleeves and a slightly oversized, long-ish top that covered up all the abdominal skin (I don't have much excess skin on my thighs and legs - it was mostly in my gut). Here's a picture of me BEFORE I had plastics. I lost over 200 lbs. See any loose skin?

Edited January 16, 20206 yr by catwoman7

When I got near goal with 100 pound loss, I had pretty bad turkey neck, really saggy underarms, very droopy inner thighs, and a pretty saggy belly. With time, however, (6 months past that time), things have tightened up a lot, and I am 63 years old - not a young chickie with good collagen and elasticity. I was seriously thinking of arm and tummy work, but I cannot imagine it now. Like the above poster, my tummy looseness is very easy to hide and I look fabulous in my bicycle shorts!. My neck is not as saggy. Neither are the thighs or arms. The only hopeless cause are the boobs, and I can easily compensate with a bra. It's not like I'm a swimsuit model and have to show it all off.

My advice is to give it a year after reaching goal. Don't rush into plastics. It's a big deal - serious surgery and expensive to boot. So make sure you really want and need to take that plunge. Big kudoos to those who have done it - they look great! But I suggest giving it time. You are going to have a period where you think your new body is horrible and ugly, with all the new sags and bags. You will want to jump into surgery and make it all better. But if you give yourself some time to adjust mentally, you will start to love and appreciate the new body you have been given, and all it is capable of doing for you. That is the time to decide about plastics - not when you are in the stage of feeling ugly and embarrassed.

I'd like to have plastics, but I can't afford them, so I'm just going to live with my wrinkled saggy skin.

I agree with working out and things post op or post goal as above it may take months of hard work to see a difference in the saggy skin but it's not impossible as @AZhiker said!!

On 1/16/2020 at 4:40 PM, catwoman7 said:

not inevitable, but with the amount of weight you're likely to lose (I'm looking at your starting weight), you're likely to have loose skin.

HOWEVER, a lot of us are able to hide it really well, so you're likely the only person who'll know it's there. I've had plastics because it was driving ME nuts, but no one else knew about it. It was easy to hide. I was just careful to wear elbow-length (or longer) sleeves and a slightly oversized, long-ish top that covered up all the abdominal skin (I don't have much excess skin on my thighs and legs - it was mostly in my gut). Here's a picture of me BEFORE I had plastics. I lost over 200 lbs. See any loose skin?

Wow, you look wonderful! Congrats on all your successes!

Thank you all for taking the time to reply to my inquiry.

Your answers were all very helpful and I appreciate it!

It depends on what YOUR goals are once you have lost the weight.

For me, I looked (mostly) great in clothes, IMO. Lots of pics on the OOTD thread if you're interested. But naked, or in a bathing suit, not so much. I really wanted to be as happy as reasonably possible both in and out of clothes. So I knew going into WLS, that plastics was part of the process for me.

In my case no amount of patience, exercise, toning, non surgical treatments etc would make me happy with my naked self. I had lost my breasts nearly entirely. I missed them, and wanted full breasts again, so I needed a breast augmentation. I had saggy skin on my stomach, hips and thighs. I had a lower body lift and 4.5 lbs of skin and tissue were removed (no lipo). Nothing short of surgery would have made that kind of difference.

It's a very individual decision. There is no right or wrong answer. You have the balance how you feel about your appearance against the pain, scars, risks and expense of plastics.

I’m almost 3 years post-gastric bypass and am scheduled for a lower body lift (no lipo) and brachioplasty in mid Feb 2020. I’m low BMI but my wrinkled stomach & lower butt cheeks, ugly belly button, and bat wings still really bother me. Another reason I’ve decided to go forward with PS is studies have shown body contouring post-WLS can help people keep the weight off. Perhaps it is because when you’re happier with your body that can serve as a motivation to eat healthier, thus minimizing regain.

Body Contouring Improves Long-Term Weight Control After Gastric Bypass https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/body-contouring-improves-long-term-weight-control-after-gastric-bypass

On 1/21/2020 at 5:50 PM, MarinaGirl said:

I’m almost 3 years post-gastric bypass and am scheduled for a lower body lift (no lipo) and brachioplasty in mid Feb 2020. I’m low BMI but my wrinkled stomach & lower butt cheeks, ugly belly button, and bat wings still really bother me. Another reason I’ve decided to go forward with PS is studies have shown body contouring post-WLS can help people keep the weight off. Perhaps it is because when you’re happier with your body that can serve as a motivation to eat healthier, thus minimizing regain.

Body Contouring Improves Long-Term Weight Control After Gastric Bypass https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/body-contouring-improves-long-term-weight-control-after-gastric-bypass

Wow, I was not aware of that study. It's a good thing to know. Fingers crossed someday I'll have enough for PS.

Good luck to you!

So. I'm only almost four days out and I'm already wondering about plastics. Are they pretty much inevitable? Is there anything that can be done to prevent them? Special toning exercises, etc? Just curious...

My best advice would be to exercise as soon as you can, adding in toning and strengthening. Building muscle while losing fat will help. It’s not going to totally prevent it, but it helps.


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On 1/24/2020 at 1:13 PM, Wickedwinner said:

My best advice would be to exercise as soon as you can, adding in toning and strengthening. Building muscle while losing fat will help. It’s not going to totally prevent it, but it helps.


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When did you start doing exercises beyond walking?

Loose skin was inevitable. Plastics were my choice.

I'm starting to think given the molasses-slow rate my weight is coming off, I probably won't even need plastics given loose skin is affiliated with rapid weight loss. #slowloser

2 minutes ago, kc892020 said:

I'm starting to think given the molasses-slow rate my weight is coming off, I probably won't even need plastics given loose skin is affiliated with rapid weight loss. #slowloser

I was a slow loser and still had a fair amount of loose skin. When you're talking that much weight, you're very likely to have it (I lost over 200 lbs)

It also comes down to Age. Genetics. Etc

I'm down 134lbs and i have a little flab on my arms and my lower belly but I still need to lose 10lbs i think and I've just bought a rower which should help tone a little...

I'll post a photo when I lose 10 more lbs