When a person loses weight, the skin typically re-tightens, but, in cases of extreme weight loss, the individual may require surgery to remove excess skin. Dr. Joel Aronowitz explains that in normal weight loss of up to 20 pounds, the skin usually contracts in the same way it expands to accommodate the excess weight. Age and collagen levels in the skin affect this.
How Weight Loss Affects Skin
When an individual loses a lot of weight after bariatric surgery or through other means, their skin can’t snap back. About 90% of bariatric patients lose 50% of their body weight after surgery. Some lose 60 to 70% of their body weight. This massive shedding of weight outpaces the skin’s ability to conform to the new body.
Skin Elasticity Changes with Age
Another consideration, age, affects how well the skin conforms to the person’s adjusted weight. As humans age, the skin produces less collagen, a necessary substance in the skin for elasticity, says plastic surgeon Joel Aronowitz. Once the skin loses elasticity, a person wanting tightened skin must undergo surgery.
Post-Bariatric Surgery
Many people who undergo bariatric surgery undergo a second surgery about 18 months afterward. The second surgery removes the excess skin that hangs on the individual. Because the skin can’t snap back to its original tightness, it sags, forming folds. The weight and composition of these folds of sagging skin can make it uncomfortable to exercise or walk.
Removing the excess skin results in re-tightened skin that conforms to the person’s new body. Using a method that hides the scars, these individuals can once again walk, run, and exercise normally. The surgery further boosts their self-confidence and satisfaction with their bariatric surgery decision. It also ends their issues with skin fold-related hygiene, bacterial development in the skin folds, loose skin rash, yeast infections, and chafing, according to WebMD.
How Much Does Excess Skin Weigh?
Bariatric surgery patients typically have between 40 and 60 pounds of excess skin left after their weight loss, according to MedStar Health. Once surgically removed, this increases their lost weight and helps show off the results of their hard work. This common surgery helps many Los Angeles residents who underwent weight loss surgery to feel great in their improved bodies.
Do you recognize the individuals described in this article? Are you one of the many people who want to have excess skin removed after an impressive weight loss? Consider post-bariatric excess skin removal surgery to make the most of the weight loss results you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
