According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 133.6 million Americans are either overweight or obese. Some people only needed to lose a few extra pounds, while others have a significant amount of weight to lose. It is a good feeling to accomplish a weight loss goal and most people are satisfied when they lose weight. One problem with losing a significant amount of weight is loose skin on the body.
Significance
According to the Texas Medical Center, when a person loses more than 100 lbs., she tends to have a large amount of skin left over that sags. This not only looks unsightly, but it can also be a nuisance. It can negatively affect self-confidence after a person has worked so hard to get rid of extra weight.
Prevention/Solution
There are three ways to deal with excess skin, according to EMedicineHealth. The first way is to let the skin naturally return to how it used to be. This is the most natural process to get rid of the problem. The second way is to build muscle, which will help fill out the body and the extra skin on it. The final way is to get cosmetic surgery to remove the areas of excess skin in just a few simple procedures.
Time Frame
According to 24Medica, the time it takes to for excess skin to disappear or improve, varies with each option. If a person chooses to let his skin naturally fix itself, it can take over a year before he sees adequate improvement. For those who opt to build muscles, it can take a few weeks to a few months to see skin being pulled tighter around their body. Finally, if a individual chooses cosmetic surgery, then the results will be immediate and a person will need a few days to a few weeks to heal from the procedure.
Considerations
When someone is losing weight, EMedicineHealth recommends she lose roughly 2 lbs. a week. That is a safe and steady amount. The slower the weight loss process, the less likelihood there is for excess skin. Those that typically are unhappy with the saggy skin have lost a considerable amount of weight in a relatively short period of time. That makes it difficult for the body to adapt and for skin to slowly contract.
Warning
Since a person can be often impatient, he often opts for the cosmetic surgery option, so that he can have instant results. According to 24Medica, surgery is not without its share of drawbacks, such as scarring, uneven skin contouring, and it can be quite expensive. Building muscle to fill out skin also has a drawback that may turn off some people, and that it will result in weight gain. Muscle will add mass to the body, albeit healthy mass, but some people may not desire that after working hard to shed excess weight.
