While I was at the gym today, I was telling a friend about how I AM gonna lose the dreaded college weight. She proceeded to tell me that her friend, who is also 20, went from 160ish to 120 and now has excess skin hanging from her back. Does that really happen? I've never lost more than 10 pounds but gosh what a dissapointment if it does!! You work that hard and then have something else to be self concious about. Do you think strength training would do something to make that not happen? Thanks guys

Oh boy are there threads on that subject on this site!!!! Maybe some others can direct you to the exact links.
First of all, no amount of exercise is going to take care of any skin droopage (or for that matter creams, dry brushing, ect). Secondly, sometimes it takes one's skin months to years to go back into a normal elasticity. Thirdly, in my own personal experience, I have lost 92 lbs and have yet to see droopy skin.
Hope that helps.

ETA: Everyone's body is different and depending on one's age and weight loss, time spent at higher weight and own genetic skin elasticity, will all be factors that may or may not lead to excess skin.

I think about the skin thing too....looks like only time will tell. As for stretch marks, mine have faded. I have always been overweight and really you can't even see them anymore. I think they are like scars and fade with time. But I imagine that also just depends person to person.

Well, I don't know about others, but in my experience, I still have the strech marks, but they have faded and are absolutely not pink but look like silvery scars in my own skin tone. But again, not that noticable. (It probably helps if you are uber-pale like me, though! ).

The best option for this is using a cream or oil specifically for treating damaged skin which will speed along the process of the stretch marks fading.

Dr Palmers Cocoa Butter is a good option and there is one version specifically targeted to pregnant women to use during their pregnancy to avoid getting stretch marks. Cocoa butters smells sooooo good too.

Rosehip Oil is a good spot treatment for blemishes and reducing redness and may work on getting the pinkness out but I doubt will remove it completely.

I think this greatly depends on the amount of weigh you lose and the amount of time you take to lose it.

Just think about it. You have stretched your skin to a certain extent while being overweight and losing weight rapidly will not give your skin time to reduce in line with the loss. Should you be losing a larger amount of weight however, say 250lbs+, I think that there is a greater chance of you having some sagging around the belly, breasts and thighs, than if you were losing 50-100lbs. Just have a look at some of the major success stories that have been published such as Stacy who was featured on Oprah. I believe she lost 500lbs and definately she had to have surgery to remove the excess skin - her body had just produced too much of it while she was overweight.

Definately do resistance and strength exercises to tone and this will also help with reducing cellulite, not to mention strengthen your bones and help prevent oesteoporosis (sp?).

If you just do cardio and change your eating habits, you will not have the same results. Also, as you age you know your skin loses elasticity. Nourishing it will help it retain some moisture and keeping your water levels up will as well.

HA this cracks me up...I used that one specifically for pregnant women every day when I was pregnant...you should see my stretch marks!!! LOL Yeah, creams don't work on stretch marks either, sorry ladies.

I actually started to use that same one about a week ago and i see a difference on my hips and thighs. I think its another one of those... differs from one person to another.

I agree with everything Daisy Boo said, but especially the water part. if you stay hydrated, it helps with your skins elasticity. so drink your water.

I have stretch marks on the sides of my stomach and have been using cocoa butter for awhile now. It is definitely helping to fade them, but you really have to be religious about using it all the time. I put it on in the morning after my shower and at night before I go to bed.

Another option to use is shea butter. Apparently the benefits of shea butter are more enhanced than cocoa butter and it has Vitamins A, E and F.

I believe Dr Palmers (depending on the type of cocoa butter you buy) will have Vitamin E and additional collagen and elastin.

I agree it is not a one off application for an overall effect. Applying it directly after getting out of the shower is the best way to it to be absorbed, as you do mocha74.

I remember reading Valley of the Dolls and Jennifer attributed her fantastic breasts to lathering cocoa butter all over herself before going to bed. Just a bit of trivia

Besides, the butters smell fantastic and as its important to moisturise your skin - I love it. The Body Shop over here has shea and cocoa butters scented with coconut (my favorite) and mango. They are devine! It always feels like I have pampered myself when I put some cocoa butter on (when I remember to anyway )

thanks for all the advice ya'll.. now i'll go invest in some shea butter, drink plenty of water, lose weight slowly, and rub on some cocoa butter before bed (now i just gotta remember all that)

I've been using the Tummy Butter from Palmers, and I have seen a difference.