Your skin is a remarkably elastic organ: It expands to cover the five pounds you gain over the holidays, for example, and shrinks back down when you drop those pounds for spring. But what happens when you lose 100 pounds or more? Your skin's elasticity can only take you so far without resulting in unsightly sagging folds.
Significance
When you lose lots of weight, you're shrinking the fat and tissue that support your skin. The skin, stretched out to cover a larger area, might not have the elasticity needed to shrink to your new size. Dr. Andrew Weil cites four factors that affect your skin's likelihood of sagging: the number of pounds you lost; how long you carried those extra pounds; how old you are; and your skin's natural elasticity level.
Areas Affected
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, areas commonly affected by sagging, overstretched skin after dramatic weight loss include the upper arms, breasts, stomach, buttocks and thighs.
Avoiding Sagging Skin
In some cases, it's possible to avoid sagging skin. Losing weight gradually is the best way to do this, according to Weil. As you lose weight, incorporate a strength-training routine into your workout regimen to keep your new body toned.
In cases of gastric bypass surgery, however, where rapid weight loss is expected, sagging skin might be impossible to avoid. According to the University of Maryland Center for Weight Management & Wellness, bariatric surgery usually results in losing up to 80 percent of excess weight in as little as one year. The university notes that people who qualify for a gastric bypass usually end up with excess skin that's too stretched out to shrink properly.
Considerations
According to Weil, most plastic surgeons recommend you wait one year before attempting to remove excess skin through plastic surgery. It can take that long for your body to settle into a new normal weight, plus you have the opportunity to reshape it with exercise. Although the process of body contouring via plastic surgery isn't usually covered by insurance, sagging skin can sometimes cause bacterial or fungal infections that merit medical attention. If this happens to you, your insurance might cover all or part of your surgery.
Body Contouring
One way to reshape your body after a dramatic weight loss is with body contouring performed by a plastic surgeon. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, body contouring involves reshaping the tissue underneath your skin and removing extra fat and skin. The process can stress and weaken skin, however, so it's only recommended for those at their ideal weight who do not plan to shed or gain more pounds. Surgeons make a number of incisions, usually in strategic places where the scars can be hidden by clothing, and remove extra skin.
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