The desire to be our best, healthiest selves is a life-long endeavor. Beyond diet and exercise, it’s about emotional maturity, self-love, and the people and activities we take time to enjoy every day. You’ve not only changed your physical appearance but your mental fortitude and emotional well-being. Yet, just when you thought the weight loss journey was over, you realize you’re still carrying around the shell of your old self in the form of loose, excess skin. Skin removal after weight loss could be the next step to feeling like your best self.
With weight-gain and aging, our skin can stretch and lose elasticity over time. The skin produces less collagen and elastin, so it doesn’t snap back like it used to. If your weight-loss is substantial, like 100 pounds or more, then it can start to sag and hang loosely off your body. There are many people who opt for skin removal procedures to increase not only appearance but self-confidence, comfort, and hygiene.
This can include various procedures to target excess skin in different areas of the body. That means it can be a long process that comes in stages. As with any procedure, the risks and recovery from skin removal after weight loss can be cumbersome and should be seriously considered. However, with careful planning and medical guidance, many people finally achieve an appearance in alignment with all the hard work they’ve put in.
Reasons to Remove Loose, Excess Skin
A major weight loss should be a great success! However, if you have a lot of excess skin, it can cause both emotional and physical distress. It might be painful and awkward to fit into clothes. Heavy skin can pull, tug and chafe. Shapewear just might not be cutting it.
In some cases, large folds of skin can also create hygiene issues. The folds may trap more bacteria, increasing the risk of skin infections, fungus and rashes. For all the above reasons, many people opt for skin removal after weight loss.
Read More: 14 Ways to Tighten Skin After Weight Loss
How Do You Qualify for Skin Removal After Weight Loss?
This isn’t a process that you can just dive into headfirst. There are many factors that plastic surgeons and insurance companies consider before approving skin removal procedures.
For starters, you must be fully satisfied and finished with your weight loss. You don’t want to have the skin removed and tightened only to realize you’re unsatisfied with the figure underneath. If you regain or lose a substantial amount of weight after the procedure, the skin will just become loose again. For that same reason, it is recommended to finish growing your family (getting pregnant) before going through with some of these procedures. These are costly operations that you don’t want to repeat, and you want the benefits to last.
Surgeons recommend that you maintain your goal weight for at least six months. In reality, they might recommend waiting a year or more to guarantee you’re body composition has stabilized. Plus, it’s even possible for your skin to tighten up a bit over time. When you’ve lost a satisfactory amount of weight, you can also consider strength training to fill in your physique with some muscle.
Doctors recommend a healthy lifestyle for your weight and skin health. For example, smoking and using tobacco products can slow down wound healing and increase the risk of surgery complications. Smoking and drinking is generally bad for the skin, increasing wrinkles and looseness.
Lastly, you should not undergo major surgery if you have any significant medical problems that might increase risks and complications. If you are seriously interested in skin removal after weight loss, then talk to your doctor to assess your risks, desires, and the costs to create a medical care plan just for you.
Does Insurance Cover Skin Removal After Weight Loss?
Unfortunately, insurance companies often don’t cover all of the different skin removal procedures to target the whole body. Typically, people are able to get a panniculectomy covered — which targets the “apron” of skin and fat hanging around the lower stomach — but have to pay out of pocket to target other areas.
However, people have found various ways of getting insurance approval, combining procedures, or even traveling abroad in order to cut costs. For example, if the excess skin is leading to health problems, infections or rashes, you may be able to get a procedure in that area covered by insurance. Other psychological disorders, metabolic disorders, or chronic illnesses that contributed to your weight gain could garner insurance approval.
Combining procedures can also reduce out-of-pocket costs, like getting a tummy tuck and arm lift at the same time as your insurance-covered panniculectomy. That’s because with one operation, you go through pre-op, the operating room, and recovery all in one go. That means only one “surgeon fee,” fewer supplies wasted, and less time in the operating room. If you and your surgeon are savvy, the insurance may cover the pre-op, recovery and most of the supplies as part of the panniculectomy. All that’s left over for out-of-pocket costs are some supplies and extra operating time.
As always, talk to your doctor about your options and the areas you want to target.
Read More: Defying Loose Skin After Weight Loss in Your 50s and Beyond
Risks and Recovery from Skin Removal Procedures
Risks should be minimal if you have no significant pre-existing medical conditions and you follow your surgeons instructions for pre- and post-operation. Still, these are not operations to be taken lightly. Some can require heavy pain medications and up to 6 weeks of downtime. Some people report pain for several weeks, while others reported minimal pain. Remember, this can also be highly dependent on the area where you have skin removed.
It’s also very important to have someone supervise and care for you during recovery. Plastic surgeries may feel normalized in our society, but they can still come with major risks. I personally know someone who tragically passed away following a tummy tuck. That’s not a procedure that we typically perceive as dangerous, but she was alone and unsupervised during recovery when she experienced a serious complication.
Major surgeries like this can lead to bleeding, bruising, swelling, and blood clots like deep vein thrombosis. As you might expect, skin removal can leave serious scarring that takes a long time to heal. Another risk is changes in skin sensation or numbness.
Depending on which procedure you undergo, recovery can vary. You may have temporary tubes to drain fluid, take pain relievers, change bandages, and apply ointments. Your doctor may require you to walk more, drink lots of water and wear compression garments to prevent blood clots. You should not lift anything heavy or perform strenuous physical activities. You may also need someone to drive you places.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should call a doctor if you experience:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or fainting
- Nausea and vomiting
- Signs of infection: fever, redness or yellow discharge at the incision sites.
- Severe pain
- Swelling in your limbs
Types of Excess Skin Removal Procedures
Panniculectomy
This is the procedure most people are able to get covered by insurance. During a panniculectomy, the surgeon removes the “apron” of skin hanging from below the belly button (also known as the pannus). This procedure may smooth your abdomen, although it doesn’t tighten your muscles like a tummy tuck would. It may take 1-3 hours in the operating room. You can typically go back to light work or school after 2 weeks, unless you’re job is physically demanding.
Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty)
A tummy tuck not only removes excess skin and fat but tightens up the abdominal muscles. The surgeon may even use liposuction to achieve the optimal contour. Operating time cane take 2-4 hours, and it can require up to 8 weeks for full recovery. However, you can typically return to light work or school after 2-3 weeks.
Lower Body Lift (belt lipectomy)
A lower body lift is a more extensive surgery that addresses the lower abdomen, buttocks and thighs. The surgeon makes an incision all the way around your torso just above the hip-bone to lift and reposition the skin and remove the excess. During this procedure the surgeon also tightens the lower abdominal muscles, similar to a tummy tuck.
This surgery can require 2-3 days of hospitalization and 6-12 weeks of recovery. It is recommended to take 3-4 weeks off of work.
Thigh & Butt Lift
A thigh and buttock lift removes the excess skin and fat for a more youthful, contoured look. This can help you fit into jeans, shorts, and any other cute outfits you don’t feel comfortable with right now. Usually, the surgeon places incisions conspicuously near the groin or under the crease of the buttocks for the most natural look. The surgeon will also remove fat, reposition tissue, and tighten muscles.
Both procedures can take about 2-4 hours in total and require 2-6 weeks of recovery depending on how much tissue was removed.
Read More: Is a Thigh Lift Worth It?
Arm Lift (brachioplasty)
This is a procedure many people opt for after weight loss to eliminate the “wings” of skin hanging from the upper arms. During an arm lift, the surgeon makes an incision along the underside of the arm to remove loose skin and fat. It only takes about 1-4 hours and requires about 2 weeks of recovery. Your surgeon will likely send you home with bandages and compression garments.
Unfortunately, this procedure is considered mostly cosmetic, so it isn’t typically covered by insurance.
Face & Neck Lift (rhytidectomy)
Facelifts are another mostly “cosmetic” procedure, but people who have gone through a substantial weight loss may want to lift and firm up their face. A facelift can help eliminate jowls, wrinkles, and other loose skin around the face and neck. There are different types of facelifts, and operating time can take 2-4 hours. Although full recovery can take 4-6 weeks, you can typically go back to work within 1-2 weeks.
Read More: Not Your Mother’s Facelift
Breast Lift (mastopexy)
Breasts can change drastically during weight gain and weight loss, and gravity isn’t doing any help! A breast can remove excess stretched out skin, reshape the breast, and raise the nipples to a perkier position. The surgeon can also reduce the size of large areolae during the procedure if you desire. Overall, the procedure can take 2-3 hours and require 4-6 weeks to full recovery. You can return to work in only 1-2 weeks.
If you’re particularly bothered by the rolls of skin around your back and bra, you may also be interested in a “bra line lift.” This procedure removes skin and uses liposuction to contour your back to be smoother and firmer.
Read More: Best Bras for Sagging Breasts
Is Skin Removal After Weight Loss Worth It?
Only you and your doctor can decide the answer to that question. Many people who’ve endured the long healing process say it was worth every penny. Skin removal after weight loss can be life-changing for your comfort and confidence. However, it can also be incredibly costly in both time and money. Remember, take the time to weigh the benefits against the risks.
If you do decide to move forward with skin removal procedures, make sure your surgeon is board certified. Follow medical guidance carefully, lean on loved ones, and take care of the new body you’ve worked so hard for.
The same goes for those who decide major surgery isn’t for them. You can and should absolutely love and take pride in the substantial weight loss you’ve achieved! Maintaining healthy habits and a healthy mind is the next best step you can take.
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