The "girdle" is actually a compression garment one must wear for a couple months after sugery in order to decrease swelling. Compression garments are used after most plastic surgeries, no matter what the surgery was on (legs, arms, etc.) because of the risk of severe swelling.
The compression garments/girdles will do nothing to actually shrink your skin. No garment can do that. Unfortunately.

When you have a tummy tuck the skin on your abdomen is loosened up to your ribs in order to pull the skin tight. For your skin to heal and everything to reattach to the muscle it needs to be held firm, that was my explanation for the compression garment. And as mentioned helps with the swelling. I developed a love/hate relationship with mine. It drove me crazy but I felt like my guts were going to fall out without it! LOL

Hi, I am not a maintainer but had a question. Have any of you kept doublechins after losing the weight? I am not sure how those work. . .

Doublechins are partly genetic. (I've seen skinny girls with double chins, larger girls without) If it is just fat, then it goes away but really depends on your own genetics on what point you lose it if you ever had.

Great posts thanks for the info, I will probably need to get excess skin removed when i get to goal weight...but am keeping fingers crossed

It really depends and I could probably use some of the excess skin removed but honestly I don't see it as a need right now. Its actually not that bad and has improved greatly over the past few years.

Good to know. I stress over the thought of having to having plastic surgery and yet obsess over it. My legs bother me more than my stomach. I have never been big on wearing shorts but I love to swim and kayak so...... Not thrilled with my arms but they have lots of definition and it is more a matter of how I hold them.

I feel dumb for feeling this way...but I'm literally afraid to loose weight because of loose skin. I'm 22...my highest weight was almost 380 pounds, and now that I'm at 284 I'm already starting to see skin. I don't think I could do surgery. I have panic problems...where I get scared enough that my heart races, I pass out and my blood sugar goes right through the roof. I wouldn't care so much for me but I'm afraid my husband wouldn't find me attractive anymore...

Am I being dumb?

Well, you have to look at it this way...a smaller body with some loose skin can be viewed as unattractive, but so can a body that is extremely obese. Honestly, if your husband is attracted to you at your starting weight, then I don't see why he wouldn't be attracted to you slimmer, with some loose skin.

On the positive side, you will be more energetic, healthier, and FEEL better. You will be around for much longer, too.

You know, I have loose skin-especially in my lower belly and hips, my breasts, my upper arms, and in my thighs. I just try to wear clothing that flatters/conceals those areas...and make sure that I exercise regularly to be in the best shape that I can be. Even with loose skin, I feel and look better at a smaller weight.

Another plastic surgery girl here. My story is very similar to the others. Four years ago I lost 103 pounds on the Atkins plan. I was very excited and looked great..IN CLOTHES.... Under the clothes was a different story. I hated my body, I hated the mirrow. I was divorced and dating, the thought og getting intimate with my BF made me sick. So I decided to consult a plastic surgeon. I talked to 3 different doctors and when I found the one I was going to use, I found out that I needed 2 surgeries. Tummy tuck and a breast lift could not be done at the same time....just too much surgery at once. So I decide on the breast lift first. There was also a very stubborn pocket of fat on my upper abs that I just could not get rid of. So lipo the as well. The surgery went well, but the scars were not pretty. I waited a year before my TT, my BL scars were still horrible. So I decided to look for a different PS. I found one and at the time of my TT he also did revisions on my scars. It has been almost 2 years (may) since my TT and I still have scars, but they are slowly fading. I am still very self contious of my body because of the scars, but the trade was definitly worth it. I'll take the scars any day over all that loose skin hanging like and apron and my boobs looking like deflated baloons.
It's a personal choise, but I just could not live with the skin.
BTW, I had 4 pounds of skin removed just from mu tummy.
Good luck to anyone considering PS and please make sire and do your homework, find the right doctor.

I'm curious about loose skin, too. If you lose slowly over time, say less than 4 lb a week, stay hydrated and "eat clean" and work equally hard at strength training to build muscle, does that give your body a good shot at "rebounding" and adjusting to a smaller size?

I am in my late 20s, and gained very 60-80 lb quickly - in 2 years' time. ultimately want to lose ~80-100 lb total, and when I think of how much smaller I want to be, I get a little worried about the skin, too. I haaaate the sight of an itty bitty 3" scar on my arm from a mole removal, so I kinda doubt I'd react very well living with plastic surgery scars.

Keep the loose skin experiences and comments coming, they help!

I'm really hoping my age (15), time of being overweight (about 5-6 yrs), exercise, staying hydrated, and losing at a rate of 3 lbs per week will leave me with NO loose skin. I am 200 lbs, however all the people I see on TV with excess skin were 250+ lbs and lost hundreds of pounds. I plan to ultimately lose 80, rather slowly but maybe less if I'm satisfied with results sooner. I'll let you guys know if I experience any.

my cousin lost 170 pounds with no loose skin
she reads bodybuilding mags
this one is her favorite

http://www.oxygenmag.com/

I am looking into getting surgery to remove the extra skin and shape things up after losing 80lbs. I read your post and you said you went to a good surgeon in the Bay Area. Could you send me the name of the surgeon you used? I appreciate it.

I have finally gotten to the point where I can at least think about the tummy tuck surgery - possibly by next year. I have about another 80 pounds to go. I am at the 91 pound lost to date. It's taken me 3 years with diet and exercise.

My doctor, however, said they have had great success getting them through insurance by sending their people to a regular surgeon and not a p.c. Just a thought. I will check that route out as there is no way I can afford it without insurance.

Insurance should pay for it as a reward!

Karen