A 40-year-old member asked:
Is it okay for the skin on my hand to be peeling after having hand surgery?
3 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Eon Shinanswered
Hand Surgery 22 years experience
Yes: The skin will frequently peel following upper extremity surgery since you may experience significant swelling afterward. Once the swelling subsides, the skin may shed.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Barry Pressanswered
Plastic Surgery 46 years experience
Yes: Especially common with skin of the palm; it is so thick that the upper layers adjacent to any incision will dry up and peel off, leaving the deeper layers of the skin that look rather like baby skin. Totally normal--with use, this baby skin will toughen up.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Eric Changanswered
Plastic Surgery 24 years experience
Palm skin is thick: The skin of the palm and of the bottom of the foot is quite thick. The outer layer, called the stratum corneum, is thickest in these areas. These layers are not even alive, and therefore after surgery don't "heal" the way we expect them to. They slough off like a blister and the skin underneath rises to takes its place.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Mar 11, 2021
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