Loose skin after weight loss surgery is inevitable, especially if you have lost a significant amount of weight. Despite all the benefits bariatric surgery has, including improved health, longer life expectancy, more mobility, fewer health complications, and extreme weight loss, there is the risk of having loose skin after weight loss surgery. 

Loose skin can make everyday life more challenging, more painful, and can be a social burden. In this blog, we will talk about ways you can manage loose skin after weight loss surgery. 

The Reasons Behind Loose Skin after Weight Loss Surgery

With extreme weight loss does come excess skin, or loose skin that has lost its elasticity. The amount of loose skin someone has is directly proportional to the amount of weight a patient has lost. Loose skin after weight loss surgery can also be greater for patients with less connective tissue and more skin elasticity. 

When your skin has stretched for years, the elastic fibers in the skin become damaged and lose their ability to retract. Typically, patients who are younger or have a lower pre-operative body mass index will have less loose skin post-operatively. 

Similarly, non-smokers will also have less loose skin after weight loss surgery. There are more than 4,000 harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke, most of which contribute to the destruction of collagen and elastin, two major proteins in skin.  

The body areas that seem most problematic for patients are around the abdomen (pannus), back, breast, arms (bat wings), and legs. Occasionally patients will develop excess skin around the neck. Fortunately, there is surgery to remove this extra tissue and improve cosmesis and functionality.

How to Manage Loose Skin after Weight Loss Surgery

For most individuals, excess skin does not present any health risk, aside from the risk of infection or rash. Yet, excess skin can be a burden to everyday life, limit mobility, and diminish the self-confidence gained from losing a significant amount of weight.

Although there is not a magic solution to get rid of loose skin after weight loss surgery (besides skin removal surgery), there are several options patients can consider to tighten or diminish the appearance of their loose skin.

Lift Weights

After weight loss surgery, patients will lose muscle mass along with their weight loss; therefore, we encourage all of our patients to engage in strength training exercises 3 to 4 times a week. But as an added bonus, resistance and strength training can also improve the appearance of loose skin by building muscle mass and tightening the skin around the muscle.

"[Although strength training is] not necessarily changing the skin structure itself, but rather how it looks." - Dr. Caroline A. Andrew, weight-management specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery

Take Collagen Supplements

Collagen has been making headlines in recent years, touting benefits like diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and boosting elasticity in the skin. Collagen makes up 80% of the skin’s structure, while elastin provides elasticity and helps your skin stay tight. As we know, loose skin results from the skin being stretched out for long periods, causing damage to the collagen and elastin.

Studies suggest that collagen supplements could produce positive effects on skin aging and elasticity. Although consuming collagen supplements will not create a drastic change in the appearance of loose skin, combined with weight training, it could have positive benefits to tightening the loose skin.

Drink Lots of Water

The skin is made up of 64% water. Properly hydrated skin can improve the skin’s appearance helping it stay firm, minimize the appearance of fine lines, and give you an outer glow. Bariatric patients should be consuming at least 64 ounces of sugar-free beverages a day, but more is always better.

Skin Removal Surgery

For individuals who have a lot of excess skin that has become burdensome to their life, there is always the option to have excess skin removal surgery, which can significantly improve an individual’s life by reducing pain, increasing mobility, and finding confidence.

Although there are some risks/cons to this procedure, such as the risk of wound infections and a lengthy recovery time, we have never met a patient that regretted their decision to have this procedure.

With that said, we encourage you to discuss excess skin removal surgery with your bariatric or plastic surgeon. This procedure can be costly, yet the removal of your loose skin will significantly improve your self-esteem and quality of life.