[askopec]

I wanted to find out what everyone's experience with the excess skin is. This is something that is worrying me. I'm hoping that with my age (25) and if I keep myself well hydrated it won't be a lot of excess skin. I have the weight all over and not to just one area and am hoping that will help also. Can someone shed some light on this for me? How much they had and so on? Thanks.

[decker1976]

My surgeon says I shouldn't have too much excess skin as I am losing very slowly. He says to keep well hydrated, use a good lotion, and exercise. Hope this helps.

[4Kate]

Im 30 and built like you decribe. I have no more hanging skin than before. My stomach fat met at my legs is comeing up rather then just emptying out. Now my chest on the other hand is doing something really weird? It seems that 1 week I dont have enough material to fill my bra and then the next week I am over flowing it? From what I have researched, it seems that our bodies will re distribute the weight as it looses it. This so far has been a good thing as long as the final note is a chest refill.

I have actually turned my husbands head causing him to say where did those come from or theeeere baaaack!

On the other hand if I finish with nothing but loose saggy old lady skin but a healthy weight I will be happy.

[BreeChick]

Skin is either going to do "ok" or not. And from all the posts I've seen for the past 8 yrs it doesn't matter whether you're young or old..

I was never a smoker, never did drugs, and never drank much pre op, had had 3 children (gave birth to) within 5yrs time, and had the surgery when I turned 40 after having been wheelchair bound (NOT from the wt) for several years. I started working out early on and continued with that and have had good luck. That is NOT to say I'm perfect or anything! But I ain't looking to take a job where I have to naked all shift long! ROFL!

Plus I was able to drink dairy and have eaten more high fat along the way too.

It's always better to be prepared and save up just in case an PS is needed and then if NOT..take that money and do something special with it instead!

Reality is that the majority of people will need some PS of some kind, usually the panni removal or TT.

[clancythecamper]

I'm a couple of inches taller than you but we're really close. I found that I lost most of my excess weight at about 1 year. I initially looked kinda like skeletor from mid chest up, but more normal below that. I had thunder thighs so that area, considering my age, 45, took the brunt of the excess skin issue. Now at 2+ years out I've filled in and look fairly normal. PS would probably help my legs, but as long as I wear longer shorts I look fine. I expected to need a tt but really it's not as bad as I expected. You may be pleasantly surprised, especially considering your age. I think you may also find that weight training will help you look your best and is also very good for your bones in preventing osteoporosis ~ that's important even though you're young. As someone said when I posed the same concern 2 1/2 years ago - you have extra skin now, it's just full of fat ~ that put it in perspective for me.....

Good luck!

[ragdolldude]

Genetics play a big role in this. Yes the younger you are, the more likely you'll have less lose sking. BUT, there is a lovely woman, about 24-25 in one of my support groups. She lost a good amount of weight, and publicly talks about her "body suit". She has lose skin from her chest down to her knees. She looks good in the body suit and clothing, and is patiently waiting until she is further out before she subjects herself to major plastic surgery. I know other women who have only had minor plastics done, usualy their boobs. There is no singular answer to your questions. DAVE

[MsVickie]

Your age is a big factor yes. I hope you dont get as loose looking as say me at 44. Like the above has stated alot of things play in this role. I will say this . I carried alot of my weight in my stomach area. Its been 2 years and the thighs look horrible to. But here lately even the stomach skin is not as bad as it was. The hubby noticed this. Then I went to looking. So........ all you can do is hope do what you think is good and remember one thing......its skin not fat and there is a BIG difference in that.

[not quite Barbie]

Here's how it is for me. I'm 55 and I do smoke. At the end of the first year I had lost over 100 pounds. I had carried the majority of my weight in my butt and thighs and thats where I still have the most excess skin. I was left with no breast tissue, just empty sacks. My lower stomach sagged to just past my pubic area, and my butt looks like it slid down to my thighs. My inner thighs look like an elephant's with the skin hanging in wrinkles. My shoulders, spine and rib cage stuck out (a lot!) and I looked like a skeleton. and of course, the bat wings.

I have maintained my weight loss but somewhere between 1.5 and 2 years my body did some rearranging of what little fat was left and I lost another dress size. That fat was put in the areas that were too skeketal and I don't look so scrawny now. Maybe I'm just being positive, but it seems that my sagginess has shrunk up too.

I have had one round of plastics - for breast augmentation and a tummy tuck. I still plan to have my thighs and buttocks done, but mostly because I can afford it. If we couldn't afford it I could live happily enough with how I look. The worst parts (thighs and butt) can easily be hidden by clothing and panty hose makes it disappear totally.

What I'm trying to do is reassure you that it's not that bad. It's still so much better than having rolls and rolls of fat jiggling every time I moved. So my arms flap a bit when I wave - so do all my friend's arms, even though they haven't had major weight loss. They're just getting up there in years and gravity has done it's thing. At your age, I would expect you will have even better shrinkage. It's probably not going to go all away, but don't freak about about it. And don't think that you are all done just because the scale stopped moving. Like I said, somehow I lost another whole size between last spring and this fall! Where'd it go?