Excessive skin! Most of the time the appearance does not bother me. It's the pain and sizing up. My biggest problem is in the arms. I thought my neck, chest, and back pain was due to the girls, but in fact it is more the excessive arm skin. Doing strength therapy is helping but will not cure. I also wear a bra 24/7/365 or a compression shirt. It sucks but helps lots. I have to size up all tops to get around the arms. 1-2 sizes. Then it's HUGE everywhere else. Sometimes even 2 sizes up will not fit! To wear my true size, for fall and winter, I can wear compression shirts but they must be mens because womens sleeves are either too short or sleeves are too small. Wearing compression shirt is pricey and hot. It is not always as attractive and feminine. Arm sleeves like athletes wear are okay. Surgery is an option. It's pricey, painful, time consuming, requires tubes. It is being documented so hopefully insurance will eventually cover. Skinny jeans have worked well for me. I can size up the belly skin area and even though the legs are larger, they are not nor are they the skinny style, more straight leg. Luckily am more true to size in bottoms or one size up. Thanks for listening. This vent came on because we ordered back to school first day shirts and mine is too small in the arms despite ordering one size up. NOT.EVEN.CLOSE. And the rest is already larger than it has to be. sigh.
I lost a lot of weight years ago and I had the same problem. Doing a lot of exercises that target the back of the arms really helped, but it took about a year. Would suggest that compression garments might make you look better but are not enabling you to strengthen muscles. It’s just going to take time for your body to adjust to the absence of fat! I don’t even mind the stretch marks now!
I go to physical therapy once a week and lift 3-4 days a week. I did not use compression for most of the summer because it shows and is too hot. I wear lots of sleeveless but now going back to school I will have my compression back on so my arms fit into my shirt sleeves. Tomorrow I have to wear upper arm sleeves if I want to wear the back to school t-shirt we ordered.
I'm not going to ask your age, but will say that excessive skin after weight loss once in middle age is a common problem. The skin is already starting to lose it's elasticity, which keeps it from shrinking down with you. Surgery is the answer, and you are right, it is something serious to consider, and even more difficult to face if surgery is denied by your insurance. That's always a nailbiter. Let me agree with Csacsa - a good seamstress/tailor may make a bad situation muck more tolerable. Best of luck!
My MIL has been AMAZING for this so far, Adding material is easy to sleeves but she also takes in. For a bridesmaid dress, a few ladies are discussing what to do. They do not want to size up just to take the dress in everywhere to make the arms fit. But extra material on the arms isn't an option either.
Therapy has me work on strength more in my back and shoulders. They say if you hold your arms straight in front of you, it's your back that holds your arms not your arms. Makes sense. Although arm strength helps too. I do lift often and was part of my weight loss program. I am saving for surgery and husband is willing to take out a loan if need be. Doctor is confident insurance will pay in time with proper documentation and keeping weight off.
You are working hard at this and it will pay off. For now, could you wear sleeveless tops with a cardigan over?
You don't work this hard to get the weight off at this point in your life to back slide, so I have great faith that you will be successful and prevail with insurance in time. This is the kind of thing, though, that often sends Americans overseas for medical treatment. I do know someone who went this route when the treatment was denied by insurance. That said, like so many things, one would want to do due diligence. https://www.medicaltourismassociation.com/en/medical-tourism-faq-s.html Congrats on the weight loss!
A friend just told me that his tattoo shop had skins that cover tattoos that shouldn't show for professional reasons. Going to stop there and see if those will work. The sports sleeves are too tight and long. He said there were some for the upper arm.
