Over the past five years, Samantha Milton lost 260 pounds − and about 12 of those pounds were solely from loose skin she had surgically removed.
The rise of GLP-1s has given a new spin to conversations around losing weight. But after massive weight loss, many face a challenge that is underdiscussed: excess skin.
Milton, known online as @smaller_sam.pcos, has grown a following on social media documenting her challenges with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, including her weight loss achieved through nutrition changes and the help of GLP-1s. She's also been transparent about her post-weight loss struggle with excess skin, baring herself to the internet both pre- and post-surgeries − a transformation she calls "a relief."
In total, Milton has had five procedures to target loose skin after her weight loss: an initial tummy tuck, an extended brachioplasty that targeted her arms and chest, a lower body lift, a thigh lift and a breast augmentation paired with an arm revision.
"Sometimes these surgeries seem extreme to another person who hasn't had to live in a body that didn't feel like theirs," she said, adding she now "feels like I'm home."
