1000-Lb Sisters: The Real Reason Tammy Slaton Hasn’t Had Skin Removal Surgery
Tammy Slaton of 1000-lb Sisters fame has lost 440 pounds since her 2022 bariatric surgery. The show centers around the weight loss journeys of 37-year-old Tammy and her 36-year-old sister, Amy Slaton. When she made her television debut in 2020, Tammy weighed over 600 pounds. For the first three seasons, she put on more and more weight, reaching 720 pounds at her heaviest. Dropping to 280 pounds in such a short period of time left Tammy with a significant amount of excess skin.
The extra skin is very heavy and presents unique challenges. Aside from being a physical burden that Tammy has to live with, it invites cruel looks and questions. The 1000-lb Sisters season 5 star is constantly criticized for her excess skin. The comment sections of her social media posts are a dumpster fire of mean comments. It has become so bad that Tammy addressed it multiple times and talked about how it hurts her feelings. The truth is that Tammy’s excess skin is a symbol of her victory over obesity, and she should wear it proudly.
Tammy Can’t Afford Skin Removal Surgery
It’s Insanely Expensive
In an interview with The Mirror, clinical dietitian Kate Hilton explained that loose skin is often caused by losing a large amount of weight very quickly, the way Tammy did. She said that one way to get rid of loose skin is through plastic surgery, but there are risks. Some potential side effects of skin removal surgery include bleeding, blood clots, loss of skin sensation, bruising, and scarring.
There’s also the astronomical cost of the procedure to consider.
Tammy would likely have to undergo five different surgeries. Among them would be a two-hour-long leg lift that could cost $15,000, a five-hour-long neck lift surgery that could cost around $35,000, and abdominoplasty and brachioplasty costing $20,000. The total cost could be a whopping $85,000. Even though she’s a television star with a big social media following, Tammy isn’t rich enough for expensive cosmetic surgery.
Tammy Isn’t Ready For Skin Removal
She’s Got A Long Way To Go
The considerable risk, cost, and pain of the loose skin removal surgery would go to waste if Tammy were to gain weight again. This is why it takes a lot for a doctor willing to approve the skin removal surgery. Since her weight loss is relatively recent, it will likely be a while before doctors are convinced her weight has stabilized. Additionally, though her weight loss has been incredible, she still has more weight to lose.
The facts haven’t stopped fans from hounding the 1000-lb Sisters star constantly about her excess skin. Tammy has had to address her critics multiple times on social media. She said she sees the loose skin as proof that she was strong enough to defeat obesity. In December 2023, Tammy posted a TikTok response to a particularly obscene comment comparing her loose skin to male genitalia.
The troll asked Tammy when she would be getting rid of her “testicles,” to which Tammy responded that she’d do so by blocking the hater.
Tammy’s Weight Loss Journey
An Extraordinary Transition
Tammy hasn’t always been committed to weight loss. After gaining over a hundred pounds during the first three seasons of 1000-lb Sisters, almost no one expected Tammy to ever lose weight. Everything changed when a health scare landed Tammy in a week-long medically induced coma. When she woke up, she realized her life was on the line. After checking into a rehab facility to address her food addiction, Tammy received bariatric surgery in July 2022 and lost 440 pounds.
Tammy dropped from size 8XL to 2XL, which transformed the way she looks, but it also changed her life. Before Tammy lost weight, she had limited mobility. She rarely left her house because doing so required a wheelchair, a walker, a ramp, an oxygen tank, and a specialty van. She would also need the help of someone who could drive her around and was strong enough to push her wheelchair. It was easier for Tammy to stay home and socialize on the internet.
Losing weight has given Tammy mobility and independence that she never had before.
She went from being a prisoner in her own home to traveling and spending time with friends. With her newfound confidence, Tammy has been exploring her style and a new world of fashion options that have opened up to her since losing weight. Despite all of her achievements, Tammy is eager to remove the excess skin and doesn’t need to be hassled about it all the time.
