How do you minimize loose or saggy skin?

My doctor (well actually the nurse practitioner) said to use cocoa butter every day before and after surgery. The real stuff that you get in a bar. I also put collagen peptides in my yogurt smoothies. The dr says there is no evidence to suggest it works or that it doesn’t so I figure it can’t hurt to try.

Edited May 14, 20215 yr by ShoppGirl

It really depends on how your skin is already as well. I have a limited amount of loose skin. My wife on the other hand has a lot of loose skin and will need plastic surgery to remove it after she is done losing weight.

So there are many factors you can control such as the health of your skin but there are also things that are outside of your control and if your skin has lost it's elasticity already, then there is a good chance that will not significantly change enough to keep it tight and firm.

How much loose skin you have depends on a number of factors like age, genetics, how many years you’ve been overweight, how much excess weight you carried, ...

Think of your skin as an elastic hair band - ain’t nothing can unstretch a well used, old elastic hair tie. Unfortunately, the only way to really reduce sagging skin is surgery.

I don’t have a lot of excess skin - pinches not handfuls & I decided not to have surgery. I scar & decided loose skin was better than scars. It doesn’t bother me that much - I’m way past showing a lot of skin. LOL! I’d rather have some saggy skin than the fat.

I added collagen & silica to my diet but don’t believe it did anything really. What helped me was I had bounced around 60 - 75kgs for most of my adult life, gained 16kgs over about 3 yrs & only sat at that weight for not quite 2 yrs before I had surgery. When I hit my 60kg goal I had hardly any loose skin at all but when I lost the extra 10 odd kilos there was noticeably more.

A friend did weights to help ‘fill in’ her loose skin but while she gained some muscle, she still has all the loose skin on her tummy, under her arms & between her thighs that she had to begin.

Moisturising is likely only going to help the texture of your skin which is always good.

It may or may not happen, as mentioned above by such factors as genetics & how long you’ve been overweight. I had a ton. I’d take every flap of skin any day for the 140 lbs lost. I had plastic surgery in January to take care of it. Upside of that is I now have the boobs of a 25 year old at age 51 ?

you'll have it or you won't. If it's just a little, strength training may build enough muscle to fill it out somewhat. But many of us (like me, for example) end up with a lot of it. If you've been very overweight for awhile, it's likely been stretched beyond the point of being able to "bounce back". But like others have said, I'd take it any day of the week over being super morbidly obese again. Besides, there's always the plastic surgery option if it bothers you.

Does the amount of weight play a part it that.... I’m 5foot 199lbs my doctor is saying I only need to lose 50 pounds. Just hard to do on my own with PCOS. I was just wonder wondering what to expect my date is July 1st getting nervous

13 minutes ago, NeeksoPretty said:

Does the amount of weight play a part it that.... I’m 5foot 199lbs my doctor is saying I only need to lose 50 pounds. Just hard to do on my own with PCOS. I was just wonder wondering what to expect my date is July 1st getting nervous

yes. With 50 lbs to lose you may not have a ton. I lost over 200 lbs - so I had a lot of it (have since had it removed).

Edited May 14, 20215 yr by catwoman7

I’ve lost 137lbs so far and my skin really isn’t that bad. My nips are lower than they should be and I could probably use a couple chip clips on my back to pull things taut to where they belong but overall it’s not bad. And to repeat the point made several times, I’d rather flap in the wind like a pasty white flag than have people think “I’m going to have to order new lawn chairs” when I go to sit at their house.
Fun fact: I recently visited my sister in law and she has pvc pipe chairs on her porch. Old me would NEVER have tried to sit in them… “no I prefer to stand” (like come on, I was fat and used that excuse like anyone believed it). I enjoyed the view from the chair, not the floor with shards of pvc splayed around me, so non scale victory!

I see some loose stuff in the front of my neck but otherwise am doing pretty good. I'm over 100lbs lost and that seems to be the most visible. I exercise quite a bit and don't have a large flap around my abdomen just yet.

15 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

yes. With 50 lbs to lose you may not have a ton. I lost over 200 lbs - so I had a lot of it (have since had it removed).

I’m 5 foot also. I was 226 at my highest, but under 200 by the time I had surgery. My doctor said I’ll probably only need under arm surgery if I choose. I’m 170 today, My surgery was March 22. Good luck!

Lifting weights. Collagen. And skin care. Doesn’t mean you won’t have lose skin. Helps reduce the amount of lose skin. This is coming from someone who started very heavy (320).