Let us talk loose skin and muffin tops

[omrhsn 610]

I've lost almost 65 kg so far and very happy with my progress. My mid-section was the largest and still is. Before the WLS I had big thighs and even bigger bum but not so much fat on my upper body. Hopefully I will continue to lose more weight (I've 15 Kg to go) and it will come out of my thighs. The bum is almost gone lol.

My question is about the loose skin and muffin tops. I can wear size 34" pants (down from 54") now which will fit nicely but will end up with a muffin top and loose skin draping over the belt. I'm not too concerned about the loose skin in my forearms or thighs since it is not that visible. Is there anything that can be done to improve / reduce the loose skin on my belly other than surgery? Workout maybe? I'd also love to hear about your experiences on this.

[Arabesque 6,502]

Congratulations are your weight loss. Whoo hoo!

Unfortunately, you can’t do anything to get rid of that loose skin except surgery. It’s been stretched out & won’t go back to what it was. I describe it as being like a well used hair band or a elastic in well worn old knickers. Once the snap is gone it’s gone.

Working out won’t help as it’s loose skin not loose muscle. You’ll build & refine the muscles behind the skin but not the skin itself. And those creams that supposedly tighten skin don’t work either or at the very least don’t help with the excess skin we usually have after weight loss. (They’ll make your skin feel nice & soft though.)

There is shape wear available that has been designed for men which will help control your muffin top & abdomen.. You could give that a try see how it goes.

Apart from the upper arms, inner thighs & my butt (which has oozed down my thighs) I have a little tummy pooch but find full briefs are usually enough to keep it under control even under close fitting clothing. I do find good posture does help. Slouching when sitting or standing makes that pooch more obvious,

I weakened & bought some you beaut fancy & certainly not cheap cream that was supposed to tighten skin & lighten stretch marks. See results in a month. Well it’s been two months. No change to my stretch marks or my skin. At the very least I’d hoped for maybe a little improvement in the creepiness but no. Should have saved my money.

[omrhsn 610]

8 minutes ago, Arabesque said:

Congratulations are your weight loss. Whoo hoo!

Unfortunately, you can’t do anything to get rid of that loose skin except surgery. It’s been stretched out & won’t go back to what it was. I describe it as being like a well used hair band or a elastic in well worn old knickers. Once the snap is gone it’s gone.

Working out won’t help as it’s loose skin not loose muscle. You’ll build & refine the muscles behind the skin but not the skin itself. And those creams that supposedly tighten skin don’t work either or at the very least don’t help with the excess skin we usually have after weight loss. (They’ll make your skin feel nice & soft though.)

There is shape wear available that has been designed for men which will help control your muffin top & abdomen.. You could give that a try see how it goes.

Apart from the upper arms, inner thighs & my butt (which has oozed down my thighs) I have a little tummy pooch but find full briefs are usually enough to keep it under control even under close fitting clothing. I do find good posture does help. Slouching when sitting or standing makes that pooch more obvious,

I weakened & bought some you beaut fancy & certainly not cheap cream that was supposed to tighten skin & lighten stretch marks. See results in a month. Well it’s been two months. No change to my stretch marks or my skin. At the very least I’d hoped for maybe a little improvement in the creepiness but no. Should have saved my money. 

Thank you so much. That was really helpful. I guess I can wear my pants differently and try to tuck the loose skin inside it. Let us see how it goes. It is not too bad like some of the photos I've seen but still. My thigh and butt have also oozed down my thighs (on the inner side). I hope I can still wear shorts when I go on vacation next lol.

Those creams are useless and it should be illegal to sell such products.

[Smanky 743]

Yeah, we're pretty much stuck with the loose skin. I keep my sense of humour about it, and stick to high-waisted undies and jeans/pants. Can't do much about my crepey arm skin, especially in summer, but they thankfully don't bother me. I find dressing myself post-goal is a lot of "smoke and mirrors", with a healthy dose of "eh, I don't care" for the bits I can't hide.

[Arabesque 6,502]

52 minutes ago, omrhsn said:

Those creams are useless and it should be illegal to sell such products.

I whole heartedly agree. Plus those pop a gummie & lose 20bs in a week without diet or exercise ads too. It was all my fault. The call of late night social media scrolling & believing supposedly honest online reviews from real people.

[omrhsn 610]

58 minutes ago, Arabesque said:

I whole heartedly agree. Plus those pop a gummie & lose 20bs in a week without diet or exercise ads too. It was all my fault. The call of late night social media scrolling & believing supposedly honest online reviews from real people.

I once bought a cream that will supposedly help burn the fat and firm up the skin. It was a big mistake but I learned my lesson. Too good to be true.

[omrhsn 610]

2 hours ago, Smanky said:

Yeah, we're pretty much stuck with the loose skin. I keep my sense of humour about it, and stick to high-waisted undies and jeans/pants. Can't do much about my crepey arm skin, especially in summer, but they thankfully don't bother me. I find dressing myself post-goal is a lot of "smoke and mirrors", with a healthy dose of "eh, I don't care" for the bits I can't hide.

I have to agree. I don't think I will ever do the Excess skin removal surgery. From what I read, it is more painful and takes longer to recover from compared to WLS. But never say never, right. For now, I will just try to get flattering clothes and adopt your attitude. Tucking my shirts helps which I'm doing now.

Edited February 22, 2023 by omrhsn

[Smanky 743]

36 minutes ago, omrhsn said:

I have to agree. I don't think I will ever do the Excess skin removal surgery. From what I read, it is more painful and take longer to recover from compared to WLS. But never say never, right. For now, I will just try to get falttering clothes and adopt your attitude. Tucking my shirts helps which I'm doing now.

Yeah, I'm unlikely to be able to afford skin removal surgery. I'll try saving and see how I go, as I'd certainly take that option if it was available to me, but I'm also realistic and refuse to hang my contentment on a surgery that may or may not happen. I like myself just fine now, loose skin and all!

Sure, I could probably escape on a strong gust of wind like a sugar-glider, but I'm calling that my superpower. 🙃

[catwoman7 10,881]

7 hours ago, omrhsn said:

I have to agree. I don't think I will ever do the Excess skin removal surgery. From what I read, it is more painful and takes longer to recover from compared to WLS. But never say never, right. For now, I will just try to get flattering clothes and adopt your attitude. Tucking my shirts helps which I'm doing now.

it IS more painful and takes longer to recover from than WLS. And every time I had one (I had three plastic surgeries altogether), i said I'd never do it again, but then, a year later - I was back on the table doing it again! It was worth it to me in the long run since i now have a normal-looking body, but yes - those are definitely tougher surgeries than WLS.

[Alex Brecher 10,494]

Losing a large amount of weight can result in loose skin, especially in areas such as the midsection. While exercise and skin tightening exercises can help improve the appearance of loose skin a little, they will not eliminate it. However, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine can help improve skin elasticity and strengthen the underlying muscles. In most cases, surgery will be necessary to remove excess skin.

[Sigh 192]

I am going to try a binder to help hold everything in and protect incisions for compression— is there something like that to help under clothes for men?

Maybe a compression top that tucks into waistband of pants to smooth that area?

[omrhsn 610]

7 hours ago, Sigh said:

I am going to try a binder to help hold everything in and protect incisions for compression— is there something like that to help under clothes for men?

Maybe a compression top that tucks into waistband of pants to smooth that area?

I was given a compression binder like the one you are referring to at the hospital and I wore it for at least 3 months after the surgery. I'm now looking for a long-term solution after losing the weight. I saw some shape wear for men online but I don't really like wearing layers and layers of clothes. Maybe I will find some high waist pants

[omrhsn 610]

11 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

it IS more painful and takes longer to recover from than WLS. And every time I had one (I had three plastic surgeries altogether), i said I'd never do it again, but then, a year later - I was back on the table doing it again! It was worth it to me in the long run since i now have a normal-looking body, but yes - those are definitely tougher surgeries than WLS.

Just curious, why you had three plastic surgeries? All to remove loose skin? What was the down-time while recovering from surgery? This is what worries me. The pain also lol

[The Greater Fool 1,955]

When I had WLS, skin removal was the last thing on my mind. I had read about it and everything said it was worse that WLS... by far. My WLS was VERY painful, as it was open and I had 30-40 staples and a drain. I decided I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

After a couple+ years I came to the bridge. As much extra skin as I had, and the associated issues, I decided to pursue it. Think of it this way: Did you ever think you would have WLS until you decided it was time? Same thing. The price (in pain) would be high, but it seemed worthwhile.

I finally found a surgeon that would entertain doing my stomach and thighs for me. He was actually enthusiastic. He had perfected a method with nearly invisible scars. I won't go into details, but for unexpected reasons it went horribly. I ended up with 70-80 staples and 2 drains. Every movement was a new experience in pain. The stories underplayed the pain. I knew I could do anything for a day, or a week, or a month. Especially since I had no choice by then.

I would have done my thighs a few months later when I was able if the newly discovered risk weren't so high.

Pain is fleeting.

Good luck,

Tek

[GreenTealael 24,883]

The pain from plastic surgery was a lot more intense than laparoscopic weight loss surgery for me (however to me it was comparable to a caesarean).

I also didn’t think I would pursue skin removable when I started because I was so focused on health. Honestly I could have gone either way but what pushed me over the edge was someone asking when was I due. I was not pregnant. I booked a plastic surgery consult less than 6 months after that.

I see a lot of sleeveless compression tops for men and that might be I lighter layer option to consider.

Edited February 23, 2023 by GreenTealael