If you've lost a lot of weight, you might now be blessed with better health, increased self-esteem and a brand new jeans size. You can also be cursed, however, with surplus skin that hangs down in unsightly folds. Surplus skin has hazards beyond its appearance, but you don't have to live with it forever.
When and Where You Get It
Surplus skin from weight loss often remains in areas where the weight came off. This can include your belly, hips, thighs, breasts, neck, arms, buttocks and back. The sagging excess skin can hit about anywhere and from any type of weight loss, be it from a new diet or from weight-reduction surgery, also known as bariatric surgery. Surplus skin is especially common if your weight loss was dramatic and quick.
Its Hazards
In addition to being unsightly, surplus skin comes with a few other hazards, according to "Obesity Help." The skin can be uncomfortable, as well as difficult to clean or keep clean. Surplus skin frequently becomes irritated, painful and infected or starts to break down. The hanging folds often contort your normal body shape, creating jowls, bulges and flaccid pockets, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery says.
How To Get Rid of It
Body contour surgery is not an easy option, "Obesity Help" notes, but it is a proven one. They type of surgery depends on the location and make-up of your excess skin. Sometimes the skin flaps contain their own pockets of fat or residual fat left from the weight loss. Different surgeries target the individual body areas where the skin is located and range from a thigh lift to an arm lift, from a lower body lift to a panniculectomy, which targets the apron of skin in the lower abdomen.
What To Expect
A single surgery does not always do the trick, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery points out. In addition to different surgeries targeting different areas, sometimes removing surplus skin requires multiple surgeries in the same area. Surgeons perform some procedures in stages, with a waiting period of weeks or months between operations. All of the surgeries require recovery time and include the standard risks of invasive procedures. Some can leave scars.
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