I lost 85 pounds without obesity surgery. Weight loss has basically come to my mind throughout my life, especially since I started this trip in earnest in July 2019. And I’m proud that I lost this weight and eventually became healthy. Toes with widespread anxiety and persistent questions: What about excess skin?
I still have 50 pounds left due to the slow pace of weight loss, but I haven’t encountered any loose skin yet. I’m worried that I’m probably too much to reach my target weight without having to tighten my skin at the end of this journey.
This is a fairly non-sexy topic. Therefore, it is rarely discussed. But for someone like me who is on a big weight loss journey, or who has had a major physical change during pregnancy, it’s a question that bothers us. Do you encounter excess skin the more you lose weight? And if I do, what can I do about it?
According to Lara Devgan, a plastic surgeon in New York City, I’m not the only one to ask. “Skin tightening is one of the elusive black boxes in the world of plastic surgery,” she says.That said, we all From me to medical professionals, I’m still learning about best practices.
So I decided to investigate further. Bringing together five renowned dermatologists and plastic surgeons from across the country, I ask them all my questions. And this is what they have to say.
If you want to reduce the loosening of your skin due to significant weight loss, lose weight slowly.
“By losing weight gradually rather than suddenly, you can prevent excess skin after significant weight loss,” says Los Angeles-based dermatologist Harold Lancer. “But rapid, massive weight loss always results in excess skin,” Devgan shows in seconds. “The best way to prevent cutis laxa after weight loss is to do your best to lose weight at a slow and steady pace,” she says. “Getting to the finish line quickly may sound appealing, but it’s actually the worst thing you can do in terms of skin sagging.” She says that when you lose weight slowly, your body The skin can contract and contract as the shape of the body shrinks.
If you have weight loss surgery, consider a surgical one-two punch: weight loss surgery followed by skin removal surgery.
I personally don’t choose weight loss surgery, but many do. There is nothing shameful. However, because you lose weight faster after surgery, you are more likely to have excess skin. Why do we have to worry about excess skin, especially after rapid weight loss? This is because “when the skin is stretched significantly, collagen and elastin fibers are destroyed and remain stretched for extended periods of time,” says David Schaefer, a plastic surgeon in New York City. “Patients need to plan a step-by-step procedure if they undergo skin removal surgery after weight loss surgery.”
Skin elasticity depends on two major factors: age and genetics. But lifestyle choices are also important.
“Usually, younger patients with thicker skin and more sebaceous glands are more elastic and therefore have more skin contractions during weight loss,” says Devgan. “From the 20s, tissue elasticity begins to decline. Even in the absence of weight fluctuations, mid-face descent in the late 20s, breast relaxation in the 30s, abdominal relaxation in the 40s, limb relaxation in the 50s. Then there is a loss of tissue turgor pressure and a decrease in hardness. ”
But each person’s body is different, says Devgan. “There is so much variability in human experience that some patients lose 50 pounds with minimal physical changes, while others lose only 10 pounds and see tissue relaxation.” Debgan says it may not be so dramatic if it is genetically endowed with abnormally good tissue elasticity. (And fortunately.)
Lifestyle choices can also be taken into account by Boston-based dermatologist Ranella Hirsch. How much did you start losing weight? Are you a smoker? Do you spend a lot of unprotected time in the sun? All these factors affect the elasticity of the skin.
Moisturizes the skin.
“Using a vitamin E-rich emollient moisturizer can help improve skin barrier protection and trap water,” says Devgan. In addition, topical medical grade ingredients used on the face for skin firmness and firmness, such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, nicotinic acid, squalene, vitamins C and B, retinol, and bakuchiol, may work elsewhere. She says there is. “Most people focus on using these on the face and neck in their daily lives, but from a molecular point of view, their effectiveness is everywhere in the body.”
Our favorite body cream
But save your money on the cream that promises you the world.
“If you lose a lot of weight quickly, your skin tends to remain,” says Hirsch. “There are many creams that have incredible claims, but in reality they do almost nothing.”
Instead, consider non-invasive treatments and weight training.
Dendy Engelman, a New York City dermatologist, says building muscle through weight training may reduce the appearance of sagging skin. “This helps reduce the appearance by replacing lost fat with muscle mass.” And there are non-surgical options for dealing with sagging skin after weight loss, but they are of the skin. It does not help with folds or hanging skin.
“Non-invasive treatments such as lasers and high frequencies can help tighten the skin, but there are limits to what can be done,” Shafer adds. “The hanging skin generally needs to be surgically removed by procedures such as abdominoplasty, body lift, arm lift, etc.” There is a difference. Loose With skin Hanging Skin, says Schaefer. “Patients may be able to manage and treat cases of excess skin without undergoing skin removal surgery, such as when the skin is loose but not hanging.” “In that case, non-invasive treatment may be useful. Maybe, but hanging the skin almost always requires a surgical excision, “he adds.
If excess skin interferes with your life, it’s time to consider plastic surgery with the opinions of multiple medical professionals.
“After significant weight loss, people may have skin that hangs down from their bodies,” says Engelmann. “These heavy folds can cause health problems such as pain, inflammation, and frequent infections from the skin. This can occur during exercise or during daily activities. Anyone who has a functional problem due to a healthy skin should indicate that this problem needs to be addressed. “And, of course, each person’s journey is different.
According to Lancer, some people are willing to tolerate moderate relaxation and achieve weight loss. Others will look for skin tightening for a weight loss of only 5 pounds (he is eventually based in LA). But if plastic surgery becomes a table option, he says: Once you have chosen a doctor, do one small area of your body. That way, you can assess the procedure, how your body heals, and your results. You can then decide whether to continue with the full-scale, large-scale procedure. ”
He consults with a dermatologist about non-surgical options and suggests that if he feels it is the right path for you, he recommends a plastic surgeon to deal with excessive body skin loss. increase. It’s a major decision that shouldn’t be underestimated. Take a medical professional throughout your weight loss journey (even if you’ve already started) and ask all the questions: Which specific procedure is best for you? How much will it cost? Does insurance cover it? (From my research so far, no if it’s cosmetics, but probably yes if it helps fix something that limits the functioning of your daily life.) The question goes in. It is forbidden and you should not try to make these decisions alone.
Above all, and perhaps most importantly, be proud of yourself.
If this piece applies to you, it means one thing, whether it’s from the weight you’ve had for years, or the weight loss you’ve gained from pregnancy or somewhere in between: you Has taken a big step towards better physical health, and it’s applause. “Each person has a different story about weight loss, and one day is more difficult than another,” says Engelmann. “I say, be kind to yourself. You have just achieved great results and you should be proud of it.”
Devgan agrees. “Achieving personal health goals like significant weight loss is an incredible achievement that everyone should be proud of,” she says. “Excessive skin can feel like a burden or source of self-consciousness, but it also reminds us of the figurative and literal shedding of our weight in previous versions. Haute couture gowns without seams. You can’t have it, you can’t have surgery without scars. Life has its limits, but it doesn’t spoil your beauty. It makes it more realistic. “
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