How elastic is skin?

glutenberg

Golden Member
Sep 2, 2004
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For the fitness experts and those who've dropped a significant amount of weight:

How well does your skin adapt to your new thinner self? Has anyone had to have surgery to have excess skin removed because of weight loss?
 

xdreadpiratedoug

Senior member
Jul 25, 2007
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After dropping around 100lbs, most of my skin tightened, but I still have some loose stuff that I think I can only get removed for it to look tight. It's the main reason why I wear undershirts now, to give it a more slimming look. I'd also lose a few inches in the waist if it was removed.
 

RollWave

Diamond Member
May 20, 2003
4,201
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your age is a huge factor here...as is the amount of weight you really have to lose.
 

glutenberg

Golden Member
Sep 2, 2004
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Originally posted by: moshquerade
Have you ever watched "Big Medicine: Living Large" on Discovery Health Channel? That show has taught me a lot about gastric bypass.

http://health.discovery.com/co...cine/big-medicine.html

Well, I'm 6'2 and in high school was very active on the tennis team and tournament play so I was fairly slim. Weighed about 200. College hit and I didn't have much time to play anymore and I gained about 80 pounds. Currently it's been 2 years after college and I'd like to drop my weight down to 190 or so and to get toned but I've wondered if the excess skin that I have would eventually shrink. Oh well, guess we'll find out as the weight drops.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,391
1,780
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Originally posted by: glutenberg
Originally posted by: moshquerade
Have you ever watched "Big Medicine: Living Large" on Discovery Health Channel? That show has taught me a lot about gastric bypass.

http://health.discovery.com/co...cine/big-medicine.html

Well, I'm 6'2 and in high school was very active on the tennis team and tournament play so I was fairly slim. Weighed about 200. College hit and I didn't have much time to play anymore and I gained about 80 pounds. Currently it's been 2 years after college and I'd like to drop my weight down to 190 or so and to get toned but I've wondered if the excess skin that I have would eventually shrink. Oh well, guess we'll find out as the weight drops.
Don't lose weight too fast and you should be fine. It's when you have rapid weight loss that you get lots of extra skin. Gastric Bypass causes this kind of issue....as does childbirth.

Set a goal of 1-2 pounds a week.
 

Wonderful Pork

Golden Member
Jul 24, 2005
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I would agree with the goal of 1-2 lbs per week. This article was posted in another similar thread a while back, I dont know the validity of it, but it does make a good point about loose skin just being pockets of fat that still needs to be lost. Anyway, I am not a doctor, nor do I have loose skin so take the article as you want to.

The Myth of Loose Skin