I am 18 years old, and about a year ago I lost 75 pounds in 9 months. I have a bit of loose skin around my ab area but it doesn't seem to be too severe. I work out a lot and my abs seem to have improved. Do I need plastic surgery to tighten the skin or can I do it naturally with exercise and skin creams?
Answer: Give your body some time Congratulations on your weight loss. Losing 75 pounds is a tremendous accomplishment. Significant weight loss, as you have undergone, often is more than the skin can fully rebound from. You may see loose skin in your lower abdomen and around your umbilicus, in particular. If this continues to persist and is bothersome to you, it is likely that a board certified plastic surgeon can help you by tightening your skin and smoothing the contour of your abdomen. However, because you are young, your skin is likely to have more elasticity and you may continue to see improvement in your skin contour without surgery. I would continue to give your body time until you feel that your improvement has plateaued.
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Answer: Give your body some time Congratulations on your weight loss. Losing 75 pounds is a tremendous accomplishment. Significant weight loss, as you have undergone, often is more than the skin can fully rebound from. You may see loose skin in your lower abdomen and around your umbilicus, in particular. If this continues to persist and is bothersome to you, it is likely that a board certified plastic surgeon can help you by tightening your skin and smoothing the contour of your abdomen. However, because you are young, your skin is likely to have more elasticity and you may continue to see improvement in your skin contour without surgery. I would continue to give your body time until you feel that your improvement has plateaued.
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Answer: Loose skin Congratulations on your weight loss! Unfortunately your skin has stretched to the point of breaking and it becomes flaccid and loose and there are no creams or exercise that can repair the skin. I would wait until you are finished having children if you are planning to and then have a consultation with a plastic surgeon to consider a tummy tuck and see if that is something that you may be interested in.
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Answer: Loose skin Congratulations on your weight loss! Unfortunately your skin has stretched to the point of breaking and it becomes flaccid and loose and there are no creams or exercise that can repair the skin. I would wait until you are finished having children if you are planning to and then have a consultation with a plastic surgeon to consider a tummy tuck and see if that is something that you may be interested in.
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March 5, 2018
Answer: Options for abdominal laxity Thank you for your question and congratulations for your weight loss journey. There are some great options for treating the abdominal laxity and from the photos, it appears that the laxity is greatest below the belly button. In this case, a mini-tummy tuck could be a great option for you as it treats the laxity between the belly button and the groin. The incision is hides well in the underwear line. A non-incisional approach such as the BodyTite may be another great option for you, as it can provide quite a bit of tightening and the access points are small (~3-5mm) and well concealed.Non-surgical approaches can include combining a multi-modal approach such as Profound (radiofrequency microneedling), Ulthera, Microchannelling with PRP and Sculptra can also help to improve the visible laxity that you see.I would visit with a board certified plastic surgeon who offers a spectrum of options so you can decide which ones are best for you.
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March 5, 2018
Answer: Options for abdominal laxity Thank you for your question and congratulations for your weight loss journey. There are some great options for treating the abdominal laxity and from the photos, it appears that the laxity is greatest below the belly button. In this case, a mini-tummy tuck could be a great option for you as it treats the laxity between the belly button and the groin. The incision is hides well in the underwear line. A non-incisional approach such as the BodyTite may be another great option for you, as it can provide quite a bit of tightening and the access points are small (~3-5mm) and well concealed.Non-surgical approaches can include combining a multi-modal approach such as Profound (radiofrequency microneedling), Ulthera, Microchannelling with PRP and Sculptra can also help to improve the visible laxity that you see.I would visit with a board certified plastic surgeon who offers a spectrum of options so you can decide which ones are best for you.
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February 1, 2018
Answer: Loose Abdominal Skin and Non-surgical Option Congratulations on your weight loss. Looking at your photos, it appears that you have done extremely well after your weight loss. The amount of loose skin you have is very minimal and at this point I would not recommend surgery or at least not a full tummy tuck. Perhaps a mini, but you would need to be examined to determine if you are a candidate for it.Continuing your exercise pattern is always good as it will tone up your abdominal muscles and the rest of your body, but it will not tighten the skin. You may consider some non surgical radio frequency tightening of the skin, but the results would be small.Hope that helps.
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February 1, 2018
Answer: Loose Abdominal Skin and Non-surgical Option Congratulations on your weight loss. Looking at your photos, it appears that you have done extremely well after your weight loss. The amount of loose skin you have is very minimal and at this point I would not recommend surgery or at least not a full tummy tuck. Perhaps a mini, but you would need to be examined to determine if you are a candidate for it.Continuing your exercise pattern is always good as it will tone up your abdominal muscles and the rest of your body, but it will not tighten the skin. You may consider some non surgical radio frequency tightening of the skin, but the results would be small.Hope that helps.
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January 24, 2018
Answer: Can I tighten my loose abdominal skin without surgery? Congratulation- it is amazing that you managed to loose so much weight. Most people end up having loose skin not just around their tummies but as well as chest, arms, thighs, back, etc. So you are fortunate since I see you were just left with a minor skin fold. However I can understand that you feel your tummy could be smoother. Sports and work out are great to keep you in this shape but it won't solve the problem and will leave you with the extra skin. The skin lost its elasticity in this area and won't contract by itself. No cream will help you. If you prefer the non-surgical way you could try radio frequency skin tightening which can trigger a moderate amount of tightening. The best result you would achieve with a mini-tummy tuck which will leave you a much shorter scar than a full tummy tuck and the belly button isn't touched. Make sure the surgeon will plan a very low incision under your bikini-line. It is important to understand that the incision is not made where your extra skin is but much lower. During a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon this will be explained to you.
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January 24, 2018
Answer: Can I tighten my loose abdominal skin without surgery? Congratulation- it is amazing that you managed to loose so much weight. Most people end up having loose skin not just around their tummies but as well as chest, arms, thighs, back, etc. So you are fortunate since I see you were just left with a minor skin fold. However I can understand that you feel your tummy could be smoother. Sports and work out are great to keep you in this shape but it won't solve the problem and will leave you with the extra skin. The skin lost its elasticity in this area and won't contract by itself. No cream will help you. If you prefer the non-surgical way you could try radio frequency skin tightening which can trigger a moderate amount of tightening. The best result you would achieve with a mini-tummy tuck which will leave you a much shorter scar than a full tummy tuck and the belly button isn't touched. Make sure the surgeon will plan a very low incision under your bikini-line. It is important to understand that the incision is not made where your extra skin is but much lower. During a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon this will be explained to you.
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November 16, 2017
Answer: Loose skin after weight loss Congratulations on your weight loss ~ what a great accomplishment! Unfortunately exercise and skin creams will not tighten loose skin. Please find a board certified plastic surgeon for an exam and consultation to find out what your options are. Good luck!Sincerely,Dr. Michelle Spring
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November 16, 2017
Answer: Loose skin after weight loss Congratulations on your weight loss ~ what a great accomplishment! Unfortunately exercise and skin creams will not tighten loose skin. Please find a board certified plastic surgeon for an exam and consultation to find out what your options are. Good luck!Sincerely,Dr. Michelle Spring
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