Thinning skin on arms

i ALSO HAVE THE THIN SKIN AND BRUISED ARMS. i WEAR LONG SLEEVES BECAUSE I AM SO EMBARRESSED BY MY ARMS I BARELY TOUCH SOMETHING AND MY ARM IS BRUSED OR I HAVE A BLOOD BLISTER. MY ENDORC DR HAS RUN EVERY TEST SHE CAN THINK OF. i'm glad I'm not alone

Sandy.

Thank you all for responding!  I'm glad I'm not the only one and I think we've reached a consensus on it may have something to do with a lack of something in our diet.  I noticed on all those with pictures that you have light complexions and most of look like we're close to the same age, and a few years out from WLS.  I wonder if all that could be a factor also?  I have blue eyes and light skin and have always burned very easy in the sunlight.

I'm going back to my hemotologist in a couple of weeks and I'm going to tell him about the responses I've received to this.

Is there anybody else out there with our problem?

Thanks!

 Has anyone ever came up with some type of answer to this?  I TOO am experiencing it and I'm sooo tired of it!!!  I looked for vitamin K today, but they said it only comes in prescription.  I did see it added in some calcuim caltrate vitamin, but we're suppose to take citrate, so I didn't get it.  If there's something I can take I want to know!!!  It IS embarrassing, I'm 45 yrs old, not 70!!!

After seeing about 4 doctors, including a hematologist who ran every test imaginable after my 29 vials blood donation, I have a semi-answer.  All my tests only showed that I was on the low side of normal for iron.  After taking and combining all the advice from the doctors, I began taking an iron pill every morning on an empty stomach, doubled up on my Biotin to 10,000 mg a day, and am giving myself B12 shots once each month (I can't tell the shots have helped with the skin problem).  When I have the money for the prescription, I also use a Retin A cream on my arms at bedtime (that was the dermatologist suggestion). 

When I started the iron I could see an improvement almost immediately.  My skin seemed to be "thicker".  The hematologist told me that he could see through my skin and that my arms lacked collagen, thus the thin skin.  Though he couldn't find anything specific, he is certain the thin skin is due to our gastric surgeries.  Even though my arms are much improved, I've noticed that it's been tearing again including a 2" gash on my arm just leaning on the edge of a door.  With summer and short sleeves it's even more noticable.  I usually am wearing one or more bandaids at all times & I keep them in my purse for those skin tears.

It certainly is embarrassing.  I've had several doctors ask if I was a bleeder.  I do bruise easily on my legs but it's from my elbow to my hand that is the worst.

Have you talked to your bariatric surgeon about your arms?  I would interested in his/her take on this.  My doctor told me he had never had another patient with this (unless they were old).  He's been doing bariatric surgery for 30+ years.  Since this only started about 2 years after my surgery, I've got to believe it's some kind of vitamin deficiency.

Good luck to you.  If you or anyone else has a remedy, please pass it on!

 I picked up some extra vitamins for "hair, skin, and nails".  It includes biotin, collagen, and gelatin.  I guess we'll see how that works.  I'm not even sure how much to take.  But I've been taking biotin faithfully for 3 yrs now.  I take like 3000 mcg's a day.  I checked into Vitamin K, as someone had mentioned, but that's only a prescription.  So I thought I would double up on my multi-vit's to get some more of that in.  I just don't want to "over do" it.  I do realize that too much of vitamins isn't good for you either.  Who knows.....

You can buy vitamin K at any health food store. Vitacost has a number of choices like this:

http://www.vitacost.com/Vitacost-Vitamin-K-1

I did research on my puter, one of the things I read was that oriential women eat a pickled bean dish called natto, natto is very high in K2 I found K2 at vitacost.  another thing I read was sunscreen, you have to be religious about putting sunscreen on arms and face.  I found a sunscreen 45 at vita cost.  At puritans pride I found retin a and another tidbit, if you can get your gynocologist to do this is to add a pea sized bit of premarin with your creams and lotions.  That's what I read, I am out thirteen years out of surgery RNY and have spent too much time ignoring things so I have to do my homework.  If this post is approved it will be passed on to all of you.

My mother has this problem---and no, she's not had WLS. Her dermatologist told her it was the result of sun damage, and was very common on people with a particular skin type.Mom's got the sort of skin that turns red instead of tanning. Her eyes are hazel, and her hair is a light reddish-brown.

I don't know if they've checked her iron recently, but I'll tell her she might want to start taking some, just to see if it helps. She bruises/bleeds if she even LOOKS at something rough. (*grin*)

I SO hope this isn't something I've inherited!!!

I've never thought about coloring, etc.  I am very light complected, burn instead of tan, and as a child who was raised in Arizona and did not use sun screen, I had several horrible sun burns with blisters, etc.  My eyes are blue.

Well, I hope you haven't inherited this disgusting thing too.  We'll keep checking as time goes on and surely someone will find something,

 Did you find out what was causing this? We are at a loss. We went to a Dr. that had no sympathy and was very rude. Which turned my husband off to Dr's at all. He is still having issues. He lost 60 lbs a couple of years ago, and this has been happening since. He has blue eyes and light hair.