All right ladies, I realize that I am not technically post op yet (or scheduled yet for that matter ?) but I am wondering about skin care post op. I’m not extremely worried about skin on my arms, legs, and stomach….yet but I am worried about my face. For those of you over 40, how has your face fared? I currently use Philosophy Microdelivery scrub to cleanse my face and I use a Philosophy anti aging moisturizer. I bought some Roc eye brightening cream that I’m not entirely convinced works. That’s it. What should I be using? What have you found helpful after surgery?

What are you most concerned about with your face?

If you’re worried about lose skin, no matter what influencers say and the marketing for beauty devices say, none of them stop, reduce or help avoid lose skin. (I want my money back Nuface!) Your skin has been stretched out. How much depends on factors like age, gender, genetics, how much weight you carried and for how long. Same for your face as your body. Initially after weight loss you may look more drawn and or gaunt but it’s like once your weight settles, your face & body resettles too and you look much better.

Didn’t really notice any specific changes to the quality of my skin. Some say their skin became dry. The reverse happened for me all over my body. Plus those little bumps on my arms disappeared. An unexpected bonus was I lost my hooded eyelids so now when I wear eyeshadow you can see it on my lids. ?

For me having surgery was the beginning of really starting to look after all of me & really getting into skin care and non surgical interventions. Started slowly though now I throw everything at it but I’m now 60. You certainly don’t have to do all I do but find what benefits you’d like. Don’t be shocked but this is what I do:

I use all the actives, serums, moisturisers & tretinoin. Most are pharmacy lines as they can get expensive. No specific eye or neck creams though as your ordinary moisturiser works the same.

Use an oil or balm as a cleanser if I wear makeup otherwise warm water & a microfibre cloth (love the Make Up Remover ones). Only exfoliate once a week with 10% glycolic acid (wipe it on & wash off otherwise it’s too harsh for me.) Scrubs can be too harsh.

Collagen powder - 1 or 2 scoops every day

LED (red & infrared) - every fortnight at beauty spa (reduce redness so evens skin tone & encourages collagen production)

Facial - monthly

Dysport - 3-4 months forehead & chin. Am trying the longer lasting Relfydess so fingers crossed for the 6-9 months.

Did micro needling RF to kick start my skin when I started getting really into active skin care. It began the change in my skin texture, lessened the depth of my acne scars. It doesn’t do anything for skin laxity but does stimulate collagen. Make sure they don’t go deep.

Had filler in front of my ears and in my temples because I lost all my fat there and looked sunken. (Joked I looked like Hugo Weaving as Red Skull in the first Captain America movie ?.)

Also been on HRT from before my surgery. I truely believe it makes a difference to your skin aging as a bonus.

I still have labial facial folds and marionette lines but I had them before surgery and I have loose skin on my face which has given me some jowls. Only way to get rid of that is with a face lift but my skin itself looks pretty amazing.

Check out Dr Samantha Ellis (dermatologist) and Dr Amir Karam (plastic surgeon) on you tube and instagram. They’re the two I follow and really like for information. They both have their own product lines but speak about other brands and specific products & treatments so not just trying to sell you their brand & services only.

Edited July 24, 20251 yr by Arabesque

On 7/23/2025 at 11:47 PM, Arabesque said:

What are you most concerned about with your face?

If you’re worried about lose skin, no matter what influencers say and the marketing for beauty devices say, none of them stop, reduce or help avoid lose skin. (I want my money back Nuface!) Your skin has been stretched out. How much depends on factors like age, gender, genetics, how much weight you carried and for how long. Same for your face as your body. Initially after weight loss you may look more drawn and or gaunt but it’s like once your weight settles, your face & body resettles too and you look much better.

Didn’t really notice any specific changes to the quality of my skin. Some say their skin became dry. The reverse happened for me all over my body. Plus those little bumps on my arms disappeared. An unexpected bonus was I lost my hooded eyelids so now when I wear eyeshadow you can see it on my lids. ?

For me having surgery was the beginning of really starting to look after all of me & really getting into skin care and non surgical interventions. Started slowly though now I throw everything at it but I’m now 60. You certainly don’t have to do all I do but find what benefits you’d like. Don’t be shocked but this is what I do:

I use all the actives, serums, moisturisers & tretinoin. Most are pharmacy lines as they can get expensive. No specific eye or neck creams though as your ordinary moisturiser works the same.

Use an oil or balm as a cleanser if I wear makeup otherwise warm water & a microfibre cloth (love the Make Up Remover ones). Only exfoliate once a week with 10% glycolic acid (wipe it on & wash off otherwise it’s too harsh for me.) Scrubs can be too harsh.

Collagen powder - 1 or 2 scoops every day

LED (red & infrared) - every fortnight at beauty spa (reduce redness so evens skin tone & encourages collagen production)

Facial - monthly

Dysport - 3-4 months forehead & chin. Am trying the longer lasting Relfydess so fingers crossed for the 6-9 months.

Did micro needling RF to kick start my skin when I started getting really into active skin care. It began the change in my skin texture, lessened the depth of my acne scars. It doesn’t do anything for skin laxity but does stimulate collagen. Make sure they don’t go deep.

Had filler in front of my ears and in my temples because I lost all my fat there and looked sunken. (Joked I looked like Hugo Weaving as Red Skull in the first Captain America movie ?.)

Also been on HRT from before my surgery. I truely believe it makes a difference to your skin aging as a bonus.

I still have labial facial folds and marionette lines but I had them before surgery and I have loose skin on my face which has given me some jowls. Only way to get rid of that is with a face lift but my skin itself looks pretty amazing.

Check out Dr Samantha Ellis (dermatologist) and Dr Amir Karam (plastic surgeon) on you tube and instagram. They’re the two I follow and really like for information. They both have their own product lines but speak about other brands and specific products & treatments so not just trying to sell you their brand & services only.

I’m worried most about looking drawn and gaunt and haggard. This is all new territory for me, I lost 50 pounds twice in my 20’s after having babies and after my 3rd at 30 I was never able to have that kind of success again. I think this is my brain’s way of worrying about surgery. I’m not necessarily afraid of going and having the surgery, I’m not afraid of the aftermath, I’m just worried bout my face. Go figure.

Hi, I’m eleven years out. My face was a little gaunt in the beginning it became less so after things settled.

My face got quite gaunt at one point, and I felt I looked terrible, and my skin looked tired but after a few months of keeping to a skin care routine it turned a corner.

• I treated myself to Augustinus Bader Rich cream and applied it every morning.

• For my eyes I used L'oreal revitalift filler with hyaluronic acid

• For my neck Prai neck serum

• For night cream Nivea Q10

• I would also use a scoop of collagen powder in my morning coffee

I still take the collagen in my coffee and also added a collagen serum (for neck and face) from Boots into my daily routine and a daily glow moisturiser from Sephora plus UV shield and then the revitalift eye cream morning & night. I have another bottle of the Augustinus Bader rich cream stored away for the winter months, too expensive to keep in regular use so I just buy it if I see it on special offer. I also use retinol night cream and eye cream from Boots a couple of times a week if I remember and once a week (again if I remember) I use The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10%.

The only thing I felt was a waste of money was the neck serum, wish I had found the Boots collagen serum sooner.

There’s a lot of negative talk about ‘ozempic face’ which is probably fueling your concerns but yes after any weight loss there will be a period of you looking gaunt or drawn. But as I said it does pass after a couple of months. However, depending upon how much weight you lose you will look different. Cheekbones appear, your jawline becomes reappears becoming cleaner, neck gets longer, etc.all because you don’t have as much fat around your face, neck and shoulders distorting how you look. I had people who didn’t recognise me!

I’d suggest adding a hylauronic acid (Mecca - boost skin hydration), vitamin C serum in the AM (CeraVe or Mecca - softens wrinkles, antioxidant, skin brightening, fades pigmentation & stimulates collagen production), niacinamide in the PM (Mecca - softens wrinkles & acne scars, fades pigmentation, & stimulates collagen & elastin production), moisturiser night & day (L’Oréal cell renewal day & midnight cream night). I also use La Roche Posay cicaplast B5 as I double dip moisturiser & want to boost my skin barrier as I use tretinoin. And a big yes to sunscreen. (I use a Mecca one on my face.)

If you decide to take a collagen supplement take a vitamin C supplement as well to activate the collagen. I just learnt about this so I’m about to start. As you’re in your 40s your collagen & elastin production will be naturally decreasing so boosting that any way you can will be a big help in the quality of your skin.

All the best.

PS - Mecca is an Australian company similar Sephora.

PS - Hey @FifiLux I used to use the L’Oreal Revital filler too but had terrible trouble with pilling when I started adding more actives 😩. No trouble with their cell renewal and midnight cream just in case you start having trouble. I hate pilling grrr!

There’s a lot of negative talk about ‘ozempic face’ which is probably fueling your concerns but yes after any weight loss there will be a period of you looking gaunt or drawn. But as I said it does pass after a couple of months. However, depending upon how much weight you lose you will look different. Cheekbones appear, your jawline becomes reappears becoming cleaner, neck gets longer, etc.all because you don’t have as much fat around your face, neck and shoulders distorting how you look. I had people who didn’t recognise me!

I’d suggest adding a hylauronic acid (Mecca - boost skin hydration), vitamin C serum in the AM (CeraVe or Mecca - softens wrinkles, antioxidant, skin brightening, fades pigmentation & stimulates collagen production), niacinamide in the PM (Mecca - softens wrinkles & acne scars, fades pigmentation, & stimulates collagen & elastin production), moisturiser night & day (L’Oréal cell renewal day & midnight cream night). I also use La Roche Posay cicaplast B5 as I double dip moisturiser & want to boost my skin barrier as I use tretinoin. And a big yes to sunscreen. (I use a Mecca one on my face.)

If you decide to take a collagen supplement take a vitamin C supplement as well to activate the collagen. I just learnt about this so I’m about to start. As you’re in your 40s your collagen & elastin production will be naturally decreasing so boosting that any way you can will be a big help in the quality of your skin.

All the best.

PS - Mecca is an Australian company similar Sephora.

PS - Hey @FifiLux I used to use the L’Oreal Revital filler too but had terrible trouble with pilling when I started adding more actives 😩. No trouble with their cell renewal and midnight cream just in case you start having trouble. I hate pilling grrr!

About the Ozempic face….YES! Cognitively I know that’s something that was created to shame people for losing weight with GLP-1’s and society is less than kind to women who have the audacity to age. Somewhere deep in my brain I remember my own mother (who has been dead for 22 years) making remarks about people she knew who lost weight and looked ‘haggard’. I know that at the end of the day my health is way more important than how much skin I have hanging or how my face looks, but I also want to put my best face forward you know? Like I said I’m pretty sure at this point my anxiety about getting approved is gone and I’m not currently afraid of the actual surgery so my brain is focusing on this.

But thank you! I am going to and look at all the options you gave! ❤️

I think the best thing to take onboard is that like most, if not all of us, you will likely look gaunt and tired for a few weeks/months while your body is in serious weight loss mode. You can't prevent it so try not to let it stress you and realise that it is all part of the process towards a new you. Then as your body starts to adjust to the new way it will burn energy, you are able to exercise more etc. your skin should pick up.

I had a terrible turkey neck for a few months (hence I bought the neck serum) and it annoyed me as I felt I had done all this hard work and had all this loose hanging skin and I was so self conscious about it but without me even noticing it has all gone, where I don't know :)

It won't matter what brands you use on your skin once they are the right blend for your skin type, your skin feels comfortable and within your budget, expensive doesn't always mean better.

Keeping it simple is best after surgery — hydrate, use SPF, and go gentle on exfoliation. You might like checking out Beauty Heroes for clean, skin-friendly products.