Help with Excess Skin After Baby and Weight Loss?

I used to be a small size 10 before I gave birth. I've gone right up to a size 22 now. I'm an 18, nearly a 16, and have been focusing on losing weight, but it's depressing when I look down and see this huge mass of numb skin flapped right down like a apron. How do I get rid off this? I am a single parent on income support. This is seriously affecting me as I get upset and dont' like to go outside much because it just hangs there and it's depressing. Feeling it when I walk feels disgusting. Please help me—I'm only 25 years old. Please.

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by laura kernachan in uk glasgow

Doctor Answers (6)
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A tummy tuck will effectively remove your extra abd skin

Lay the groundwork for a successful tummy tuck. Be sure that you are at a stable weight and that you have no untreated active medical issues. Although it is difficult, the more weight that you lose, the better your result will be and the shorter the surgery, as well. Before your surgery, you would be well with a full medical exam and work up as well. Be sure to perform your research on all of the plastic surgeons that you are considering. When funds are limited, complications from surgery... more

Large abdominal apron following pregnancy

Losing weight may help reduce the bulk of this mass but only surgery will eliminate it completely. I do not understand the nuances of the NHS but you may want to discuss the medical aspects of this with your primary care physician and ask about coverage for a panniculectomy (simplest form of a tummy tuck). In the USA, occasionally these are performed at reduce rates within the context of a plastic surgery training program. There are fantastic plastic surgery training programs in Glasgow... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Excess pannus

The best thing for you to do is to go on a diet first. Once the weight come off with diet and exercise you can then have a tummy tuck to remove the loose skin.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Benefits of a tummy tuck

You would benefit from a tummy tuck. However, you are still very young and I would recommend losing as much weight as you can before getting any surgical procedure done. Once you reach your goal weight, then you can go ahead with surgery. The reason I am suggesting this, is because you will have a longer lasting result. If you choose just to get thde tummy tuck now, your resutls will be drastic, but you may be motivated to lose more weight and may end up with more loose skin. Diet and... more

In need of tummy tuck without funds

From the photo you submitted, which is very helpful, it is clear that you need this skin surgically removed. In all likelihood, your abdominal wall muscles also need to be repaired. Both of these things are done in an abdominoplasty. Since insurance will not cover this and you are low are funds, a possible lower cost option than a private doctor is to find a hospital in your area that has a plastic surgery resident training program. A hospital that trains doctors to become plastic... more

A Panniculectomry Could Help!

Your excess skin is probably not going away with just diet and exercise but would probably respond to a panniculectomy. This surgical procedure essentially removes this excess skin. Going one step further, a formal tummy tuck would then not only remove this skin but also tighten loose muscle underneath. This procedure would really be the gold standard. Good or bad, both of these procedures are generally deemed cosmetic and, as such, are rarely covered by insurance. I would... more