Mum has 13lbs of excess skin removed after 13 stone weight loss

‘I’d get rashes and fungal infections in my skin folds and underneath my overhang,’ said Leanne Kendellen, 32, who had 13lbs of loose skin removed.

‘It was horrendous, and I am so happy it is all finally gone.’

The Dublin mum, who is 4ft 11, weighed 22st 9lbs when she was at her heaviest, had gastric bypass surgery in July 2020, which helped her lose 13 stone.

But going from a size 30 to a size six left Leanne with lots of loose hanging skin, which she claims was the equivalent to a ‘small bear skin’ on her body, making her more self-conscious than she was at her heaviest.

She claimed the loose skin on her thighs made it look like she ‘had a scrotum’ and that her arms and back made ‘farting noises’ whenever she moved about.

So, Leanne decided to undergo £12,000 worth of surgery including a boob job, tummy tuck, thigh, arm and back skin removal in Turkey, which has left her weighing 8st 7lbs.

Leanne said: ‘After losing all the weight and when I first started looking into plastic surgery, I always knew I’d want all of my loose skin removed.

‘This was my second round of plastic surgery. In June last year, I went to Turkey for a tummy tuck and breast lift and implants.

‘This time I went back to Turkey and to my same surgeon, Dr Faurkin Kayhan, to have a thigh lift, upper bra line lift and an arm lift.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

‘I was so excited to get the skin removed from my thighs because it made me look like I had testicles. I hated it so much.

‘The loose skin around my armpits was also like a cave, the skin would sink in and make random farting sounds when I moved. I was so ashamed.’

Leanne also said she would get infections in her skin folds and so getting the skin removed means she is now ‘finally happy’ with how she looks. But more importantly, she feels healthier.

She said: ‘My children couldn’t sit on my knee, they would be sitting on my belly and I would get out of breath by changing nappies.

‘I would eat takeaways at least three times a week and my portion sizes were huge.

‘I would make sandwiches with four slices of bread and I would snack on chocolate bars throughout the day.

Schoolgirl's stomach pain turns out to be one-in-14-million killer condition

Doctor recalls what she shrieked after finding 'wiggly' worm in patient's brain

Dad asking for pork pies was the first sign something was wrong - he died within 3 years

‘I was unhealthy and a bad example. It was a horrible way of life, so I knew I needed to do something drastic to turn my life around.’

After losing the weight due to her surgery, Leanne said that the loose skin ‘felt like a punishment for being fat’.

Her first round of surgery after her gastric bypass included a tummy tuck, body lift and breast implants and uplift.

‘I wasn’t nervous at all for the surgery. I wanted it done so badly because I was fed up with still being ashamed of my body even though I’d lost so much weight,’ said Leanne.

‘However, I still had so much loose skin on my legs, arms, and around my back, that I couldn’t wait to get removed too.

‘It was the final piece of the puzzle in my journey to having my new body.’

She added: ‘Whenever I look in the mirror, it feels amazing that I no longer have anything to pick apart about myself.’

At her heaviest, Leanne was over 22st and described herself as having a ‘walking heart attack.

‘I feel like a totally different person living a new life now. I feel free and confident in my new body,’ she said.

‘I’m free from everything that used to hold me back. I don’t worry about what people will think of me now and I am more confident than I have ever been.’

Gastric bypass: £0 (Had this surgery done with HSE – the public health care system in the Republic of Ireland)

Breast uplift, implants, and tummy tuck: £6k

Arm, thigh and upper bra line lift: £6k

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

MORE : Horoscope today – daily star sign predictions for August 15, 2023

MORE : These five questions are making people dump their partners – does your relationship pass the test?

MORE : My friends had all ‘moved on’ — so I messaged a stranger online

Sign up to our guide to what’s on in London, trusted reviews, brilliant offers and competitions. London’s best bits in your inbox

By ticking this box, you confirm you are over the age of 18*. Privacy Policy »