Hi all,

My surgery is Tuesday but of course I'm already thinking about a year from now. Is there anything I can do now to help minimize any saggy skin problems? Like extra moisturizer? Or daily exfoliating?

I know this sounds like a vain question, but that's been a concern of mine since I first started seriously thinking about major weight loss.

If you are truly truly that worried, go see a dermatologist. I've been told that how saggy/wrinkled we will end up depends on many many factors: our age, our gender, how fat we are, how long we've been at our top weight, how elastic our skin is, our skin tone/texture, our genes, our early diet, etc etc. Truly skin is an organ and exercising can tone the musculature UNDER the skin but it doesn't really impact the skin itself. Same with moisturizers; most just impact the top layer.

A good dermatologist will be your best source of info, however.

I can only tell you my experience. I've lost about 40lbs so far, a lot of it in my belly/hips/gut area. I would think that is a pretty prime area for extra skin to be hanging down, but it's not!

I honestly think losing it slowly and replacing some of that area with muscle is the key. slowly.

I'm 42 and have been heavy pretty much since high school so this fat has had time to make itself at home.

I think it may also have to do with where the majority of the weight is and plain ol genetics.

To help answer your question directly, I don't see where extra moisturizer would help, but it certainly can't hurt either:Dancing_furious:

I like the looks of the dancing thing there, don't you!

I did not see any mention of the amount of pounds you intend to lose. That is the major thing with the loose skin issue. Age and exercise levels also play a major key. A younger persons skin will have more elasticity, and of course the more you exercise the better off. You stand a better chance of avoiding the sagging skin ordeal if you need to lose under 100 lbs. Anything over that and as sad as it may be excess skin will most likely be an issue. But at least you can have it removed if you so desire.

Genetics, age, exercise and not losing weight really fast seem to all be factors.

However, your shape is a huge factor, I think. If you are apple shaped, the likelihood of tummy skin is just really high.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing, lol. I got out of it relatively lightly but I'm left with enough sag to really dsappoint me, a backside that looks like a bag full of cottage cheese, but nothing bad enough to justify the enormous cost of plastic surgery (its more expensive in Australia and I have kids to educate and we desperately need a larger house. Apart from my boobs. And I really could tell before I lost a gram that that woudl be the case.