See What ‘Skin Tight’ Star Lauana Looks Like Post-Skin Removal Surgery!
You go girl!
The TLC show My 600-lb Life documents the drastic transformations of overweight patients following gastric bypass surgery. But, an often forgotten fact is that post-weight loss surgery, patients are left with pounds of excess skin and are forced to undergo surgery yet again to remove the skin. TLC’s show Skin Tight documents the struggle that formerly overweight people are faced with on their journey to their new bodies.
Lauana was on the first episode of the show back in 2016. After dropping from 336 pounds to 163 pounds, excess skin hung from her stomach and arms, leaving her with intense back pain and body image issues.
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“My excess skin prevents me from being visible and getting to know people,” she said on her episode of the show. “I’m always trying to hide behind my purse or whatever else I can carry to conceal myself because I’m afraid people are going to see me or people are going to judge me or people are going to make fun of me or hate me just because of the way I look and not even give me a chance.”
Even though she shed over half of her body weight, she was still left feeling self conscious.
MORE: See What Laura From ‘My 600-lb Life’ Looks Like Now!
“I feel bad that I’ve lost all this weight and I still feel alone because I’ve always felt kind of alone,” she said. “I’ve always been ashamed of my body, it used to be because of how large I was.”
Though the journey wasn’t easy, Lauana did get the chance to go under the knife to remove the skin that was holding her back from living her life, getting her down to her current weight of 155 pounds.
“Transformation is a never-ending process,” she wrote on Instagram. “From my highest (known) weight of 336 pounds, then 163 pounds with all the excess skin… And now. Now I am about 155 and could really use some muscle building.”
These days, Lauana is updating her 16k followers on her further progress and her scarring, which she says doesn’t bother her. While her slim-down is awe-inspiring, she has revealed that she gets worried still about keeping the weight off.
“I fluctuate about 5 pounds up and down,” she wrote on Instagram. “I'm really afraid of gaining it all back.”
While we’re sure the journey has not been easy, it’s clear Lauana has taken all the right steps to continuing her healthy lifestyle!
Scroll through the gallery below to see her transformation!
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![Lauana 1](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lauana-1.png?fit=800%2C609&quality=86&strip=all)
TLC
![Lauana 3](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lauana-3.png?fit=476%2C601&quality=86&strip=all)
![Lauana 5](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lauana-5.png?fit=598%2C598&quality=86&strip=all)
![Lauana 4](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lauana-4.png?fit=603%2C596&quality=86&strip=all)
![Lauana 7](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lauana-7.png?fit=603%2C598&quality=86&strip=all)
![Lauana 2](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lauana-2.png?fit=596%2C598&quality=86&strip=all)
![Lauana 6](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lauana-6.png?fit=591%2C595&quality=86&strip=all)
![Screen shot 2017 04 03 at 12 34 36 pm](https://www.intouchweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/screen-shot-2017-04-03-at-12-34-36-pm.png?fit=598%2C602&quality=86&strip=all)