The skin stretches to accommodate underlying fat and muscle when you gain weight. Unfortunately, the skin may be extended beyond its capacity to bounce back. Losing weight is a tremendous accomplishment, especially for obese individuals, and it’s frustrating to carry excessive skin tissue after this transformation.
Many people who lose 100 or more pounds struggle with loose, sagging skin, and several factors come into play to cause this skin laxity. Your age and original size may prevent your skin from conforming to your new contour, and people often require plastic surgery to remove the extra tissue.
Dr. Arnold Breitbart offers plastic surgery after weight loss for people who have shed hundreds of pounds and struggle with loose skin in various body areas. The thighs, hips, abdomen, arms, back and face may all carry remnants of your larger self. Dr. Breitbart will customize the surgical approach to your needs with one or more procedures, such as tummy tuck, lower body lift and breast lift.
Youthful Skin Has More Elasticity
The amount of loose skin after weight loss may depend on your age, as skin laxity worsens. Elastin allows the skin to act like a rubber band, but weight gain stretches these fibers, and elastin production slows down with age. Younger skin will have a greater ability to recoil or spring back after weight loss than aging skin. Someone who loses weight in their 50s will likely have more excess skin tissue than someone in their 20s who loses a similar amount. Sun damage, poor nutrition and genetics can worsen loose skin and accelerate aging.
The More Weight You Gain, The More The Skin Stretches
The degree your skin tissue must stretch during weight gain impacts its ability to recoil after weight loss. When the skin extends beyond its capacity, it can’t retract and conform to a thinner body shape, meaning someone losing 250 pounds will have significantly more sagging skin than someone who loses 100 pounds.
Psychological Stress With Loose Skin
Some people struggle with still feeling “large” after they reach their weight loss goals because the sheer amount of excess skin tissue prevents them from enjoying their new figure. It may not matter how much loose skin tissue exists but more so that there is an emotional need to feel your weight loss journey is complete. Lift procedures can eliminate this psychological stress by removing the excess skin tissue and revealing your true body shape.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Breitbart in Long Island or NYC to discuss your plastic surgery after weight loss options. Contact our board-certified plastic surgeon at (516) 365-3511 or fill out our online contact form.
