Skin Manifestations and Biophysical Changes Following Weight Reduction Induced by Bariatric Surgery: A 2-Year Prospective Study
September 2023
in “
The Journal of Dermatology
”
bariatric surgery striae acanthosis nigricans plantar hyperkeratosis acrochordons hirsutism lymphedema pruritus acne chronic venous insufficiency acute telogen effluvium transepidermal water loss skin hydration sebum production skin elasticity weight loss surgery stretch marks skin tags itching hair loss TEWL oil production
TLDR Bariatric surgery improved many skin conditions in obese patients but caused hair loss in some and decreased facial oil and skin elasticity.
The 2-year prospective study evaluated the prevalence of skin signs and their changes in 31 patients with morbid obesity who underwent bariatric surgery (BaS). The patients, with a mean age of 38.35 years, were predominantly male (61.29%). The most common skin findings were striae, acanthosis nigricans (AN), and plantar hyperkeratosis (96.77%, 93.55%, 93.55% respectively). BaS led to improvements in many skin manifestations, including striae, AN, acrochordons, plantar hyperkeratosis, hirsutism, lymphedema, pruritus, acne, finger pebbles, and chronic venous insufficiency. However, acute telogen effluvium, a form of hair loss, was observed in 17 (54.84%) patients. Regarding skin biophysical properties, transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, and pH did not change, but sebum production on the face significantly decreased at months 3 and 6, and elasticity decreased at months 6 and 24.
