Is hair loss a side effect of having the lap-band?

I'm not so sure about that.  A recent survey on LBT shows that 50% of bandsters lose some of their hair.  That's pretty much in line with RNY. I thought the same thing until I started to seriously research this.

I don't think I have lost any hair.  I eat all my protein and take vitamins and calcium. 

Hair loss is directly linked ot an absence of essential fatty acids. Remember, if we are following our lap band rules we are eating lots of protien....likely more than we were before the band. It is an absence of essential fatty acids st try to get the GOOD fat in for your fat intak....fish oil, olive oil falx seed oil for instance.

Yup..what banana said.   It won't matter what type of weight loss..if you have reduced calories, fat and vitamins you can have hair loss and I know the RNY'ers complain about it a lot.   I just started having it a couple of months ago (I was about 6 months out from surgery).   Not handfuls by any means..but the brush would have more hair and I am constantly taking strands off my clothes and can run my hand over my hair and get a little as well.

Oh and  I forgot to mention..I also had this when I was younger.  I lost 100lbs on my own diet and my hair fell out then as well.  I would tell your doctor up front this is a problem and see what they can do.  Maybe there is something prescription strength they can give you?  I hear some women like the pre-natal vitamins..not sure if it is a fact they work but just what I have heard.

Most definitely!! My hair started falling out about a month after surgery and it's still falling out, 6 1/2 months later, although it might be getting a LITTLE bit better! I have had surgery before without any problems so I didn't think it would happen to me, but it did!! It's so bad now that I can't wear the combs that I used to wear in my hair every day, there isn't enough hair to catch them so they fall out. I can't wear a scrunchie with just two twists anymore either, it slides out so I have to twist it three times to get it to stay in!! I have lots of little sprouts of new hair and I'm thinkiing my hair loss night not stop until I have lost every single hair on my head!!!! Soon I plan to get my hair cut short because it's long right now and looking pretty crappy so I'm thinking maybe cutting it all off might help! I can't wait til it stops!!!!

I was doing research about hair loss and found your post back in Dec.  Has your hair loss stopped yet, or slowed down?  I have lost about half my hair and I am getting concerned.  Had really thick hair before, thank goodness, but like you I only need one twist with a band for thick hair and now it takes several with the same band and I am really getting thin on top.  I get plenty of protein, take Biotin and use a Biotin shampoo.  I just bought some Omega 3 so don't know about that yet.  Please bring me up to date on your situation.

Hey there!! My hair finally did stop falling out, but it wasn't until like, February or March, to be honest with you. I did get it all cut off too, because it was pretty long and the new short hairs were sticking out and looking funny!! And, I do have to say, it looks horrible now!! I used to have pretty good hair but now it's REALLY dry and flyaway, and I don't like it anymore. I'm hoping that someday it will fully recover but at the moment, I console myself by saying that I would have traded my hair to lose 60 pounds, so it's all good LOL!! I hope yours has stopped falling out by now!

Mine has not stopped falling out, that is why I am concerned.  I have long hair and have all my life.  I would not know what to do with short hair,   I wear it up all the time and I can be very creative and use lot of product to shape, etc.  The Mill Creek Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner I have been using has made it very silky and soft so it feels even thinner than it is.  You might want to try that shampoo and conditioner, I buy it at Vitamin Shoppe and each one is less than $10 and it has now perfume which is good for me since I am allergic to a lot of things.   I have always had a once a year period of shedding usually in summer of fall so some of what is happening now be due to that occurence.  Who knows!!  I agree I would almost agree to be bald to lose the weight and feel better which I do feel so much better after losing 50lbs.  I am at standsill right now but hope to get moving again.  We just bought an eliptical machine today so no more excuses.

Yes it was for me, it took almost two years for it to get normal again, and I did all the protien and everything.Lynne