The use of weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro has helped many people shed excess pounds quickly, but the rapid weight loss often leads to loose, saggy skin that can dent self-confidence.
Why it matters: While losing weight can improve overall health, the emotional impact of loose skin can be significant, causing some to feel self-conscious and limiting their clothing choices.
The details:
- When a person gains weight, their skin stretches to accommodate the extra fat. When they lose weight rapidly, the skin often remains stretched, resulting in loose, saggy skin.
- Emilly Murray, 35, from Liverpool, lost nearly six stone since December with the help of weight-loss injections but now struggles with loose skin on her thighs that makes her feel like a “90-year-old woman” when she takes her clothes off.
- Charmaine Hines, who lost six stone in eight months, says the reality of weight loss is often different from the “fairy tale” people imagine, as loose skin can be a significant issue.
- Laura Hughes from Aberdeen has lost 12 stone in a year since starting weight-loss medication and has noticed loose skin appearing gradually, especially on her arms, but feels the medication has “completely changed” her life nonetheless.
According to Nora Nugent, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps), surgery is the only effective option for removing loose skin after significant weight loss. However, these procedures, known as body contouring, are rarely available on the NHS unless patients meet specific criteria demonstrating that the loose skin significantly interferes with everyday tasks.
What they’re saying:
- “I can’t wear what I want to wear,” says Emilly Murray. “I cannot get my legs out because the skin hangs over my knee so much.”
- “You have in your head that it’s this fairy tale – you’re going to get to the end and you’ll have this perfect body and you’re going to look in the mirror and feel fantastic,” says Charmaine Hines. “Sadly, that isn’t the case, because there is the [loose] skin that goes with it.”
- “There are more important things for the NHS to deal with – people that have had trauma like broken legs, heart attacks, and so on,” says Mark Soldin, a plastic surgeon who works in private practice and for the NHS, regarding the low priority of body contouring procedures.
The other side: Some people, like Laura Hughes, find it easier to embrace their loose skin, focusing on the positive changes in their lives brought about by weight loss.
What’s next: As more people turn to weight-loss injections, the issue of loose skin following rapid weight loss is likely to become more prevalent. The medical community continues to study and address these issues to offer better support and solutions for those affected.
