Condition
Excess skin after weight loss
You have lost a lot of weight, and the skin has not followed you — on the abdomen, arms, thighs, breasts.
Why does the skin stay?
Skin stretches while the body grows, and after weight loss it loses part of its ability to tighten. How much comes back depends on age, on how long it was stretched, on heredity and on how many kilograms have gone. Exercise strengthens the muscle under the skin, but does not remove the skin that is left. That is why excess skin cannot be "trained away" — it is not a matter of effort.
Where does it most often appear?
The abdomen — an apron of skin that hangs over the waistband, sometimes with irritation of the skin underneath.
The upper arms — skin that hangs from the inner side of the arm.
The thighs — excess on the inner side of the thighs that rubs when walking.
The breasts — breasts that have lost volume and dropped.
The flanks and buttocks — excess that slides down towards the buttocks.
When is the right time?
The procedure is planned when your weight has been stable for at least six months, and best for a year; how long is enough in your case is judged at the examination. If you are still losing weight, the skin will keep changing and the result of the procedure would change with it. What is feasible in your case and in which order is judged at the examination.
What do we look at during the examination?
The examination is done standing, because skin hangs only when you stand. We look at how much of it is skin and how much is remaining fatty tissue, what the quality of the skin is like (stretch marks tell us it will not pull back by itself), where the folds are and how the skin moves when you raise your arms and bend. We ask you about how you lost the weight, because after stomach surgery the body heals differently, and about what bothers you most, because it is rare for everything to be dealt with in one procedure.
The order is arranged accordingly: most often the abdomen first, because it bothers you most when moving and in clothes, then the breasts and arms or thighs. Between procedures, on average three to six months pass.
What can be done?
| Problem | Procedure | Also, in the same visit |
|---|---|---|
| The abdomen: an apron of skin that hangs over the waistband | Tummy tuck | Liposuction of the flanks and the area above the hips in the same procedure. An abdominal hernia, if there is one, is planned together with the procedure. |
| The flanks and buttocks: excess that goes around the waist and slides down towards the buttocks | Excess skin removal (dermolipectomy, body lift, flank lift) | An abdominal hernia, if there is one, is dealt with in the same procedure. |
| The upper arms: skin that hangs from the inner side of the arm | Arm lift | — |
| The thighs: excess on the inner side of the thighs that rubs when walking | Thigh lift | Liposuction, which a lift is often combined with. |
| Fatty deposits remaining, while the skin is still firm | Liposuction | When the skin has no tone to pull back, a skin lift in the same procedure. |
| The breasts: breasts that have lost volume and dropped | Breast lift | Augmentation in the same procedure, with one recovery. |
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
→ Doctors and team at Poliklinika Barbel
Frequently asked questions
Is removing skin after major weight loss covered by HZZO (the Croatian health insurance fund)? In hospitals, removal of excess abdominal skin is sometimes approved when the skin causes infections and skin changes, with criteria and waiting lists that differ. At Poliklinika Barbel the procedures are paid for privately; ask your doctor or the surgeon who operated on you for obesity about the options in the public system.
What if I put the weight back on? Skin that has been removed does not come back, but new kilograms stretch the remaining skin again and the result weakens. A procedure makes sense when your weight has been stable for at least six months, and best for a year.
Which procedure is done first? The one that bothers you most, which is most often the abdomen. In women the breasts often follow, in men the chest and hips. We agree the order at the examination, and not everything has to be done.
How long does skin removal surgery take? Depending on the extent, 2 to 5 hours, under general anaesthesia. An arm lift takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
How long is the recovery after skin removal? Sick leave is 3 to 4 weeks, you can go out in public after 1 to 2 weeks, and you return to training after 6 to 8 weeks. The final result is seen after 6 to 12 months.
How much does skin removal cost? The price depends on where the excess is and how much there is: an arm lift costs €2,300–3,200, dermolipectomy €3,500–4,500, and a body lift, which goes around the whole circumference of the body, €9,000–11,000. The price includes general anaesthesia, check-ups in the first three months and dressing changes.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.