I go in for the DS surgery tomorrow 5/11. Is there anything I should be taking or things I should be doing post surgery to try and combat a little bit of loose excess skin?
Anything I can do or take? I'm 26 yo.

I think loose skin comes down more to genetics than anything else. That said, I started taking a collagen supplement several months before my surgery. I still have some loose skin. But, I'm 52-years old and I'm sure that has something to do with it. Some people have it and some people don't. *shrug*

I've heard collagen. I'll have to go buy some. I don't know if it's too late for me to start that or not, hopefully not but yeah. Genetics makes perfect sense

Collagen is very healing after surgery and good for you, in general. So, even if it doesn't help with the skin, it would still be good to take after surgery.

We were advised to take collagen as well, I don't take it mainly because I forget to add to my coffee. I try to put lotion on more often and stay hydrated but a lot has to do with genetics and age. I know I'm going to have some since I'm still 50 lbs from goal, but honestly is not as bad as I thought, I do weight lifting so at least it looks slimmer and more put together.

The biggest thing you have going for you is your age. You still have young elastic skin.

Good luck,

Tek

I'm 32 and had sleeve surgery 6 months ago. I've lost 90lbs since my pre-op class (2 weeks before my surgery). And I have a huge amount of loose skin on my arms, belly, butt, and thighs. My face has adjusted well. So age is not always a factor... genetics, how much u lose, how quickly, and body type factors are most important. I have about the same amount of skin as my 65 year old grandma who had the same surgery 7 years ago and lost about the same. We are close to the same size now. She took collagen and a hair/nails/skin supplements. I didn't take anything extra for my skin or any type of collagen. Just some aveeno for dry skin every now and then.

Sent from my SM-S115DL using BariatricPal mobile app

If your biggest concern about this surgery is loose skin, you are not ready for bariatric surgery.

Edited May 10, 20233 yr by BigSue

I watched a video of a surgeon who said 'loose skin is the price you pay for being obese' is it harsh? Yes, but its better to accept early on that it will most likley be part of the journey

In my mind there is always plastics.

it looks like you're hoping to lose over 100 lbs. If so, you may have loose skin. I had a ton of it (I lost over 200 lbs), but it was easy to hide in clothes. I eventually had mine removed, though. Honestly, lots of pre-ops and early post-ops worry about loose skin, but I think I can speak for most of us who are 2+ years out. We would take the loose skin any day of the week over being obese again!

A lot of factors come into play in regards to how much lose skin you’ll have. Age, genetics, gender, how much weight you lose, how long you carried your weight, weight loss & gain history, etc.

The lose skin you end up with is skin that has been stretched out to a point that nothing can make it bounce back and the only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I always compare it to a well used hair band that has lost it’s stretch - can’t do anything with that. Collagen, while it has its benefits, won’t stop or get rid of the amount of lose skin most of us have.

Some people will suggest exercising but this only works on the supporting muscles not on the skin itself.

I have lose skin. Not a lot (not handfuls but good pinches over my body). I can still wear body conscious clothing without support garments. More from good genetics I think. I chose not to have surgery to remove it. I look at it has something I earned through my efforts to lose my weight. It’s a reminder to keep me on track. I’d rather have my lose skin than be 200lbs again.

4 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

We would take the loose skin any day of the week over being obese again!

My loose skin is still very new & I will agree with this 1000%. Loose skin is A MILLION times better than obesity.

I'd pick my loose skin while wearing smalls/mediums over being a 4x & filled out ANYDAY

For me loose skin is an afterthought but if we are honest, I'm guessing we all think about how much, if any loose skin we will end up with after we lose our excess weight.

I never say never but not really planning to do any plastics. I am looking at more holistic methods such as autophagy, working out etc. Also, I have a family member who visited recently and offered free cryo therapy to help with loose skin as my weight goes down as opposed to waiting till the end and whatever I'm left with. I spoke with my physician and he gave me the go ahead.

I'll probably wait a couple more weeks before starting. I have lost 40 pounds so far with 100+ more to lose. I also have access to a private gym and an infrared sauna. I'm excited!!!

Wishing you the best OP with your surgery and your recovery.

I take collagen (all 5 types), biotin, and hyaluronic acid. Helps with skin, hair, nails, joints, and muscles. I lost 116 pounds in a year and have A LOT of loose skin. Trick is to keep that skin as healthy and hydrated as possible so there's no issues when getting eventual skin surgery (I'll be having that once I hit my goal weight). Not sure there's really anything to prevent the loose skin. Just do what you can to keep it healthy.