If you have researched and reviewed “gastric sleeve before and after skin photos,” you already know that major weight loss can significantly change your body but may also leave you with a new challenge. Many people are left with unflattering, loose skin after gastric sleeve surgery, especially if they lose weight very quickly.
Understanding sleeve gastrectomy before and after skin differences, why it happens, your options for correction, and accepting that it may be a normal part of your weight loss journey can help you plan and be prepared every step of the way.
The experts at Newvue Medical help patients create a realistic plan that combines life-changing weight loss surgery with personally customized plastic surgery to create smoother, more natural-looking results once they reach their weight loss goals.
Why Loose Skin Happens After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Gastric sleeve is the common name used to describe a bariatric surgery called vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and it works by reducing the size of your stomach by about 80%. This helps you lose weight because it significantly limits your portion sizes, so you eat less and feel full faster. Many people who undergo gastric sleeve surgery lose weight very fast, which can create a situation where your body loses fat faster than your skin can shrink, or individuals who have severe obesity may have skin that has been stretched beyond its ability to revert back to its original size.
There are several things that can influence how much loose skin a person is left with after their surgery, like their age, genetics, and lifestyle.
Age
As you age, your body produces much less collagen and elastin, which causes your skin’s ability to easily stretch to decrease, and it can no longer bounce back like it did when you were younger.
Genetics
Some people just naturally have more elasticity in their skin due to their genetic makeup.
Weight Loss
A major contributor to excess skin after weight loss surgery is your weight before and after your gastric sleeve. People who lose a large amount of weight usually end up with more loose, hanging skin than those with smaller weight changes. This is why gastric sleeve before and after skin results can look very different from one person to another.
Common Areas Where Loose Skin Appears
After sleeve gastrectomy, loose skin can show up in several areas of the body, which tend to store fat for years before weight loss occurs. Some common areas where loose skin tends to accumulate include:
- The abdomen, where loose hanging skin can create folds.
- The arms, where loose skin is often called bat wings.
- The thighs
- The breasts, which often lose volume and hang down further than is normal.
- The neck and lower portion of the face.
If you do an internet search for “woman gastric sleeve before and after skin images,” you will find these recurring patterns.
Loose Skin After Gastric Sleeve vs. Gastric Bypass
Both gastric sleeve and gastric bypass can lead to major weight loss, so loose skin can happen with either surgery. Gastric bypass patients sometimes lose weight a bit faster, which can increase their chance of having more excess skin left over. Either surgery can easily lead to a weight loss of 80 or even 100 pounds, so if you find pictures of gastric bypass before and after skin results, they will often look very similar to those of gastric sleeve patients.
Eliminating Loose Skin After Bariatric Surgery
Losing weight can help improve your health and make you feel better than you have in years, but being left with loose skin that hangs down can cause anxiety and disappointment. You can feel like you traded in one problem that made you feel self-conscious for another.
Undergoing plastic surgery to remove loose skin after gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery can help you attain the body proportions that you have always wanted. For many people, plastic surgery to remove loose skin is what finally makes their weight loss feel complete and all their hard work to lose weight worth it.
After bariatric surgery, extra skin that is left behind can rub, cause rashes, and make it uncomfortable for you to go about your daily routine. Eliminating that skin can help your clothes fit the way they should, make it easier for you to engage in physical activity like exercising, and stop chronic skin irritation.
Many patients also report huge boosts in their confidence levels once their body shows the results of all the hard work they put into losing the weight. When you look at pictures that show gastric sleeve before and after loose skin results, it is clear that body contouring plastic surgery is the perfect finishing step to a weight loss journey that allows people to fully enjoy and maintain their improved health and appearance.
Can Exercise or Topical Treatments Get Rid of Loose Skin?
No, not really. Exercise and topical treatments can help improve the hydration and appearance of your skin, but unless your loose skin is very mild, they usually cannot get rid of it completely, especially after a major weight loss.
Strength training can build muscle underneath your skin, which may make certain areas look firmer and more toned. After significant weight loss, the skin often loses its ability to fully snap back, especially if it was stretched for years. This is why people who have lost a large amount of weight are unable to get rid of hanging or folded skin even though they are exercising regularly.
Certain topical treatments can help with texture and dryness, but they cannot tighten skin that has been stretched for a long time. After massive weight loss, loose, hanging skin that has been stretched for years requires plastic surgery to correct.
Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss at Newvue Medical
Newvue Medical offers both bariatric surgery and post weight loss body contouring procedures, which help to complete your transformation and showcase all of your hard work. Once your weight has stabilized after bariatric surgery with Dr. Sung, plastic surgery can be performed by the skilled Dr. Win to safely remove loose skin and reshape your body, revealing dramatic results and improved health.
Some common post-weight loss procedures that are designed to remove extra loose skin include:
When Is the Right Time for Skin Removal Surgery?
Most surgeons recommend waiting until your weight has been stable for at least six months, which normally happens at about the 12 to 18 month mark after gastric sleeve surgery.
Transform Your Health And Your Appearance With Newvue
The team of experts at Newvue Medical will help guide you through your entire transformation, from evaluating your health, reviewing your weight loss history, and talking about your goals to creating a plan that is tailored to you and your circumstances. Dr. Sung and Dr. Win will work in tandem to follow your plan and deliver the transformative results to your health and your appearance that you are looking for.
Newvue Medical is prepared to guide you through your total transformation, offering end-to-end care from board-certified surgeons with expertise in bariatric surgery and plastic surgery. The Newvue team offers you complete and comprehensive care from the time you take your first step in your weight loss program through seeing your final results after body contouring.
If you are dealing with loose skin after gastric sleeve surgery, or you want to set up a complete plan for your transformation, set up a consultation with Newvue to learn more about your options.
FAQs
Does Everyone Have Loose Skin After Gastric Sleeve?
No, not everyone will be left with loose skin after gastric sleeve surgery. It depends on things like how much weight you lose, your age, genetics, and skin elasticity. People who lose a large amount of weight are likely to end up with loose skin that requires surgical removal, while those who lose smaller amounts may not have any.
Can You Prevent Saggy Skin After Gastric Sleeve?
Loose skin cannot always be prevented during weight loss, but there are ways to help reduce it. Staying well hydrated, eating enough protein, and building muscle with strength training while you are losing weight in a slow, gradual way can help give your skin more time to adjust. Unfortunately, once skin has been stretched past a certain point, there is really nothing you can do to correct the sagging or looseness besides removing it with plastic surgery.
Can You Lose 100 Lbs Without Loose Skin?
It is possible but unlikely. Losing 100 pounds puts a lot of stress on your skin, especially if you carried excess weight for many years. Younger patients and those with good skin elasticity may have less loose skin, but most people will have at least some areas where their skin does not fully bounce back.
