I need honest opinions on post-weight loss skin issues :/ (photos)
I'm really really (ridiculously) shy about this lol. I'll talk about it, but I never let people see my stupid "baggy" skin. I was told by my doctor it is not going to stretch back and it's lost elasticity. So...how much would surgery be folks? But more importantly...how bad is it? I don't even want to date because of this really lol...I know, I know "he should respect you"...but honestly, I wouldn't blame a guy for being turned off.
Ok, lemme hear it..thank you!
p.s: the pics are in my gallery
I haven't looked at your photos, but honestly, even if you were to get a bunch of replies saying "yeah, that truly looks terrible!" (unlikely), what good would it do?
You need to work on your self-confidence; if you don't blame a guy for being shallow then you will likely attract the kind who are shallow.
All the best.
Maiden, I checked out your profile and I have to say - 175 pounds lost! That's amazing! I looked at ALL your pics and you look completely fantastic!
I understand feeling self conscious about the loose skin, but from most things I've heard it really takes quite a while for your skin to catch up to your weight loss. I've also heard that keeping yourself well hydrated and your skin moisturized can help. Try to give it some time.
Regardless, you should stop thinking about how bad you think your skin looks and focus on how great YOU look! Accept yourself for who you are. Self-confidence is incredibly attractive!
Keep your chin up!
Are you planning on having children? If you are you should probably wait.
If you’re not happy with yourself I don’t see anything wrong with having this done. More power to ya. You have done an amazing job losing all that weight & should be completely happy. Also search this site a bit to see what other members have experienced with loss skin.
Pricing varies from state to doctor to hospital. You’ll have to research what is average in you area.
Check out this site they have some good information about what to expect & actual patients discussing their experiences.
Maiden - you look beautiful! Such a transformation <----that's what you should be focusing on. You're healthy, gorgeous and can enjoy every bit of life with nothing holding you back. I can't say I have any advise as far as surgery goes except that even if that never happens or it's a while from now, be happy and enjoy life!
I'm sure I'm not the only one reading this that hopes to have such success as you. congratulations!
I am VERY impressed also! You look very healthy and fit, I know it had to be hard to change your body and mind so much...I really want to just let you know how inspiring you are.
As far as the loose skin goes, I think you earned the "right" to do what you want to with that. I don't think it is very bad concidering how much you lost and since you are young, it will likely just keep getting better. That being said...with all the work you have done to yourself, I don't think something like skin should put a damper on all you accomplished and I know if I feel the need to have some skin removed after I lose all I want to I would do that. My friend lost a-lot of weight and she had surgery on her arms and legs, and it was tough on her...but she is glad she did it.
I don't think "we" are the ones to really "know" what you should do...it is You that should decide, and doctors who really know all the implications.
Wow! You look so amazing! What a great accomplishment.
Personally....I would get surgery for sure. It's obviously not a decision to take lightly, but if it were me, I would feel like I worked way too hard to get to a place where I was still self concious about myself. Of course, you have to feel good about yourself on the inside first, because if you don't, surgery isn't going to solve anything. But otherwise, I say do it.
azule, she's only 20 and not dating. So she probably won't have kids soon.
Maiden, I think you should give it a year or so. If you do strength training and drink a lot of water, I heard that helps to shrink loose skin. We're young, you and I, so we have a good chance of having our skin catch up with our fat-loss.
Congratulations, by the way, you look fabulous. :)
Schedule some appointments with plastic surgeons (many offer free consults) if you're seriously thinking about surgery. I went in for a tummy tuck/breast lift consult and was quoted at around $14,000. Yikes! But obviously yours might be more or less, really can't tell until you shop around. I decided not to go through with it but it's a very personal decision. Good luck in whatever you choose and congrats on the awesome transformation!
Hi, Maiden~
First congrats on your weight loss - amazing! I'll offer my story: In my 40s I lost
150 pounds - like you the old-fashioned way: diet and exercise. I never had children and the skin on my stomach looked like yours (they call it an 'apron' in the plastic surgery biz.) I opted for the tummy tuck so I could wear tighter clothing and enjoy the fruits of my labor. My doc said that no matter how many sit ups I did, that skin was not going back. My incision was from hip to hip, low enough that I could wear a slightly high rise bikini. The recovery was intense (drains for over a month) and I don't think most people know that. It's not at all like a C-section in size of the scar or recovery time. My doctor said there were rock hard abs under that skin. Now, nearly 5 years later, I'm very VERY happy that I had it done. I've gained some of the weight back, but my stomach is still very flat (the new weight is mainly in my thighs and bottom.) Yes, it is expensive. One woman's story.......
check out this girl on you tube she lost a ton of weight and had the loose skin issues and documents the surgeries to remove the skin and the healing process with what to expect.
Thank you guys so much for giving me your thoughts. I really do appreciate it! I really really needed to know what you guys (fellow "losers") thought? lol
Veronica, thank you so much for your story! I really needed to know if it was "worth it" for people most of the time ya know? I'm worried about the whole dying thing lol...anestethia. But, I will probably end up doing it.
Merylwhite1, I respect your thoughts..but honestly, if you has skin like this you would get it. I know that seems harsh but...it feels like it's weird, and ugly, and everyone will judge it the minute I show them. To a point I don't care what people think...to a point. Ya know? It sucks to never want to wear a bikini or be sexy and show my abs off. It's like being an uneasy teenager all over again lol
Thanks guys. I really needed some opinions on it Because I just..I dunno. It's my only self esteem issue. I'm fine with myself otherwise.
Wow, first of all thats amazing that you have lost that much weight!!.You look beautiful. An the extra skin..well yeah of course it will make you self consious, but here's ho wyou should see it, you lost soo much weight, and if all a guy can see is your lose skin, you don't need him, a guy thats worth it will say he is really proud of you for sticking to a regime to lose that weight.,,if you want to do the surgery, well thats entirely up to you, but no one can make you feel bad about your body, unless you let them. i think your gorgeous. yeah i kinda understand, i gained 60 pounds after started medication, and when i refused to take it anymore, i was left with horrid stretch marks on my sides, inside/outside of my thighs, and my chest, so yeah i avoided anything that showed thos eparts, but then i lost all of the weight plus more, and now im proud of myself so i show it off, and yeah people ask..but i just tell them.. :) they think its really cool i have so much confidence..i know thats not near your story, but just saying. i hope all works out well :)
You have done very well and the transformation is amazing. Do not let extra skin get in the of celebrating you accomplishments. Give it time.
Amazing and extremely well-done.
Yes, I, myself, would get it done. If it were my wife or daughter, I would also suggest they get it done.
But I would caution that you would need to do very important research and be willing to pay the best and not try to save money with a surgeon who does not a have a spotless reputation.
Anyway, way to go, girl!
Congrats! You look great. For what it's worth here's my opinion on surgery--I think you should check into it. I'm 55 and lost 70 pounds 2 years ago. I've kept the weight off but the skin issue sucks. I'm OK with it but if I were your age I would go for the surgery if I could afford it. You're too young to worry about something that can be fixed! Stay healthy and have a beautiful life!
Congratulations! What a major achievement! In my opinion it's not "bad" but I agree with others that you should be happy with yourself...and if that means surgery for you then definitely look into it!
Learn what are realistic expectations, learn the risks, and then make an informed decision. If you decide it will make you more comfortable with yourself and happier then go for it!!
I have almost 100 pounds to lose and I'm really worried about this. You look so amazing- SO amazing, but I can see exactly what your worries are. I would give it time, drink a lot, check out firming lotions or something first. I think I can expect to have the same problem in a year or so, and that would be my first step. It's never fun not to know, but surgery is a bit drastic if there's another way. You'd think our bodies would be nicer after all that effort! You can also spend this time to research as much as possible into exactly what surgery would be like, and the cost, etc...
I'm very impressed. How long did it take you to lose all that weight? I have lost and gained several times over the past 10 years, going from 180 to 245 and back and forth. I really hope that this will be the last time I have to lose a lot of weight.
Here's my point: if you have lost and gained like I have, or have been at your current (and hot) weight for less than a year or two, then WAIT. Make absolutely sure that your life has changed permanently and that you are never going to gain back a significant amount, otherwise you could screw up a very expensive operation.
I think you look awesome. Beyond the physical aspect, you are into Social Distortion and The World Wildlife Fund? That makes you one of the coolest women in the entire mid-west. Any man would be a complete idiot and **** hole to write you off because of some loose skin.
Ultimately it comes down to how you feel about yourself, not how men view you. If the loose skin drives you mad and you absolutely cant get over it, then go for the surgery, but I would look at it as a last ditch option. I have been subject to several surgeries due to a very bad accident years ago. Surgery is not fun, but sometimes it is worth it.
Congratulations!
You look amazing. really. great great job!
I would wait for awhile to see how your weight adjusts for a year like logboy said. I would also wait and see what your skin does for a year. If nothing changes, i would get the surgery because if I lost 100 + lbs I'm going out there in a bikini and damn loose skin ain't gonna stop me =_= not because of what any man's going to say to me but because of what I've accomplished and I want to show it off! I'm only a year older than you so yeah I know that feeling :/
congrats on losing so much weight!
i've had good experience with bio oil tightening the loose skin i had on my stomach. however i only lost about 45lbs so my skin was not quite as stretched. it couldn't hurt though. palmers stretch mark cream is also good - i mix the two together and sleep in cling wrap every night.
otherwise i've heard a device "galvanic spa" can be good for loose skin.
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