RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Knowledge is scarce about the role of massive weight loss in facial age perception. The aim of this study was to verify whether there is a change in the perception of facial age when comparing people with morbid obesity before surgery and 1 year after the procedure. METHODS: Patients with morbid obesity have been analyzed, through a prospective cohort, before and 1 year after undergoing bariatric surgery. Seven plastic surgeons estimated the age of each subject. RESULTS: Seventy patients participated. Five patients were excluded because of the exclusion criteria. There was no drop-off among the subjects participating in this cohort. Before surgery, the mean facial age perception was 40.8 years; after surgery, mean facial age perception was 43.7 years (95 percent CI, 0.58 to 2.95; p = 0.004). Men older than 40 years, with a preoperative body mass index between 40 and 49.9 kg/m, weight greater than 127.65 kg before surgery, and percentage of excess weight lost greater than 75.13 percent demonstrated greater perceived facial aging. CONCLUSION: Massive weight loss appears to produce facial aging. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.