Reversal of Hair Loss following Vertical Gastroplasty when Treated with Zinc Sulphate

The study, conducted 28 years ago, investigated hair loss in patients who underwent vertical gastroplasty (VG) for morbid obesity. Out of 130 patients, 47 experienced hair loss despite taking a multivitamin supplement post-surgery. These patients were then treated with 200 mg of Zinc Sulphate three times a day without altering their vitamin supplementation. The treatment led to the arrest of hair loss and hair regrowth in all patients. However, upon discontinuation of zinc, five patients experienced hair loss again, which was reversed after resuming zinc treatment. The study concluded that significant hair loss after VG, which occurred in approximately one-third of the patients, was reversed by zinc supplementation. The control group of ten patients who underwent different gastrointestinal surgeries did not report hair loss, suggesting that the hair loss in the VG group was likely due to zinc deficiency rather than stress-induced telogen effluvium.