Hi everyone.. this is my first post on this Board. A member of MUA's Skin Board suggested I turn to this site with my issue. I really need some help, opinions, mercy and/or grace...and hopeful someone here has had a similar experience and can shed some light on what they did about it.
I've lost a ton of wgt this past year -- not intentionally, and I still can't believe it. Have had a severely underactive thyroid, like all my life, and have struggled for the last 22 yrs to lose even 5#. Low thyroid, in my case, made it close to impossible to lose --NO MATTER WHAT I DID. Like trying to move a mountain. Nothing (fat) moved!
Then, I tried a new Endocrinologist. He added a small dose of Cytomel to my Synthroid. The wgt just started coming off!! It was mystical.
BUT here's the downside of losing a lot of wgt, and where I need you guys. On my face now is a deep bag of loose skin on the left side. I hate it!!! I call it my 'alien '. Of course, I also have loose skin on my thighs which I hate too -- but dealing with it on my face is just too much for me. I know this may sound horribly vain, don't want to be whiney.
I cant afford cosmetic surgery so I'm stuck. Been lifting weights at home for my arms. Can I put a dumbbell on my face??
I honestly feel I need to hide now. I cannot deal with it, and i dont know what I'm gonna do. The worst part is that I've managed, for some unnatural reason, to cheat aging all my life -- looking at least 15 years younger than my age. So Ive been spoiled. This deep crease/bag has ADDED at least 5 yrs to my age. So if there's someone out there whose had this experience, i.e. issue of loose skin that causes a hanging, deep crease on your face-- from wgt loss? Cosmetic surgeon is not an option for me. I can't afford it.
I've been fine up until recently -- say about 1 month ago. Then suddenly this big sag appeared. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I dont know or recognize who that is! Its upsetting.
Can anyone help, please? Has anyone had this happen to their face? What did you do about it?What worked? Thanks so much for listening...
The good news is that, since this is recent and you're fairly young, it may tighten up some on its own. I know that MOST people I know who lose a lot of weight in a fairly short time end up looking kind of...funny...face-wise, for a while. Then, in 6 months or so, things tighten up. So it may just be a matter of time.
Unfortunately, some of the damage done by overweight to our skin can be permanent. BUT, I'd also all but guarantee that the issue is 100 times WORSE to you, looking at it, than to anyone else. Most people aren't nearly as critical of us as we are of ourselves.
So at the same time your skin may be tightening, you may also be adjusting to the changes in your face, and a year from now, you might be totally OK with it.
I always compare all the bumps/loose skin/etc to what I looked like when I was morbidly obese. I'll take a little skin, even a little looseness of my face, over morbid obesity any day.
There was a point in my journey, around last March, that my face became really saggy and jowly. My DH even noticed and commented on it in a kind way. But over the course of a couple of months it tightened up on it's own. I have no idea what happened or how but I look fine now. My boobs, stomach, arms and thighs are a whole other story though...
I went through this too about 25 lbs ago. My face seemed jowly and even puffy along my jaw line. Now my face is just plain thin and the jowlyness and puffy appearance are gone. Hang in there, it should remedy itself as your body adjusts to its new weight...
That to me sounds like something that will almost certainly self-correct, depending on your age and other factors like smoking (if you smoke, not saying you do, but if you do, quit right now, it really messes up the skin on your face). I would give it a while before I totally freaked out. Big hugs in the meantime!
Thanks to everyone who replied to my call for help re: my droop/sag on my face since my wgt loss. I sincerely appreciate it-- and I do hope you are right - that it will tighten up as it catches up with the weight loss. In the meantime, I learned that the use of topical niacinamide, aside from addressing hyperpigentation, wrinkling, sallowness -- it ALSO improves elasticity and will tighten!
(ordering a case as I speak LOL).
BUT here's the downside of losing a lot of wgt, and where I need you guys. On my face now is a deep bag of loose skin on the left side. I hate it!!! I call it my 'alien '. Of course, I also have loose skin on my thighs which I hate too -- but dealing with it on my face is just too much for me. I know this may sound horribly vain, don't want to be whiney.
Strange it is only on the left side. Is the right side normal? Have you asked your Doctor about it?
I have pretty bad facial creases after my weight loss but it is totally symmetrical.
A problem after dramatic wgt loss (Warning: long)
