I DONT WANNA LOOSE MY HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!

HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF OH! I HAD MY CONSULTATION WIH MY SURGEON YESTERDAY. I HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED MY MIND FROM THE LAPBAND TO BYPASS...BUT THE DOC OFFICE SENT HOME A BINDER THAT I AM TO STUDY VERY CAREFULLY AND IN MY READINGS I SAW THAT HAIR LOSS IS A SIDE EFFECT. IS THERE ANY ADVICE OR SPECIFIC BRANDS OF VITAMINS THAT YALL WOULD RECOMMEND? IM VERY SAD TO HEAR THIS BECAUSE I HAVE VERY LONG THICK BEAUTIFUL CURLY HAIR AND WOULDNT WANT TO LOOSE IT. PLEASE HELP A DIVA IN DISTRESS THANK YOU

 Protein!! Lots of protein, even when it's nasty and you really don't want it.

mine only lasted for about a month.  sure, my hair thinned out but nobody noticed and now it's thick again....don't stew on this one fact....

Hair loss in a side effect of any major surgery as well as weight loss. I was really worried about it as my hair is very thin as it is but I really can't tell the different and no one has said anything. Unfortunately I have another surgery scheduled soon so I am going to lose more. Just when I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnell.

I think we have great hair when we are overweight because we are bombarding the body with nutrients-so many that the body can "waste" it on hair. There is a period where you are not going to be getting excess calories. This is a GOOD thing. This causes weight loss. This is the point of surgery.
The hair loss is temporary.
Deb T.

No matter what ANYONE tells you, if you are going to be someone who loses hair, you will do it and there is nothing you can do to prevent it.  It has to do with whether or not you just have one of those bodies that is going to do that or not.  You can MITIGATE the hair loss - but you cannot PREVENT the hair loss (if that's in the cards for you). 

Here are 2 major (most helpful) suggestions that will help you MITIGATE any hair loss that you may.
Take biotin.
Get in all your protein, vitamins & fluids.
Those things cause/exacerbate hair loss and you can prevent that simply by getting enough in post-op. 

You cannot PREVENT hair loss because 2 of the major reasons for hair loss in this case is:
1) the surgery itself (surgery in general can cause hair loss in the months following the surgery) AND
2) sudden drastically reduced caloric intake (which WLS post-ops cannot avoid).

Hair loss is common among post-ops of ALL types of surgery (not just WLS).  I happen to know from previous female surgeries that I had had before my WLS that my body IS one that loses hair after surgery.  I went almost completely bald right above my ears after my emergency c-section w/ my daughter.  (It was so bad I had to take rogaine back when it was prescription.)  Post-op RNY hair loss was not as bad.  It was uniform throughout my scalp.  I definately noticed when I'd wa**** and my stylest definately noticed - but noone else did.  But again, your body may not be one that loses hair after surgery - so that may not affect you. 

Hair loss is also a common side effect of a drastically reduced caloric intake.  Calories are fuel for the body.  Your body takes every calorie it receives and allocates it to a specific function/need.  Whenever your body starts getting drastically reduced fuel, it scrambles to reallocate the fuel/resources according to a sort of "priority list" inside your body.  Things like breathing and keeping your heart beating are on the top of the list: hair and fingernails are on the bottom of that list.  The GREAT news is that once your body realizes that it IS getting enough calories to meet all its needs, it goes out of panic mode and begins reallocating funds/fuel/calories to your hair/nails.  (And they fill/grow out again - and healthier than ever!)  But again, everybody is different.  Your body may adapt very quickly and not have any noticable hair loss! 

I know that's a really dumbed-down version of what I'm trying to say, but I wanted ALL pre-ops who may read this to understand it even if they'd just started doing their research.

I did have hair loss for about 3 - 6 months if memory serves.  It was uniform throughout the scalp (no bald spots or anything weird like that).  When it grew back, it grew back fast and healthier than ever! 

Good luck!

Wen

Yes the hair loss happens, and while you're going throught it does seem HUGE but no one else notices it at all.  It lasts for a few months then stops.  Your hair will grow back in again and you'll forget it ever happened.  The hair loss occurs during the rapid weight loss stage so when you see it happen, it's not necessarily a bad thing; you know the weight is literally falling off of you along with the hair!

I started out with very fine thin hair and was worried it would really show when the hair started to fall out but not one person noticed it at all.  You will be  just fine.  Don't stress yourself over this, just enjoy the ride!

All the best to you,
Cheryl

15 Months Post Op - 125 Pounds Lost

 From what I have read and understand, you will have some hairloss. Some say the hair loss is caused by not getting enough protein in. This could be true. I don't know. BUT, the hair loss is also caused by the trauma your body goes through due to the surgery. hair growth comes in three month cycles. So generally the hair loss lasts for about three months. Generally starting around the three month mark and lasting to the six month mark. That is not to say that it won't start earlier. The hair will grow back (or most of it) unless yout hair was already naturally thining. 

my hair loss didn't happen until about 6 months out then all of a sudden. It has been about a year and 8 months and now it is coming back but has been a slow process.  I had very long thick hair too and hope to get back to that someday. I know people who swear they didn't lose but a little bit, you may be one of those! Everyone is different. Good luck on your journey! I was lapband too then changed to RYN and glad I did. It still keeps me in line! ~ shell

I had just the tinyest amount of hair loss for about a week or two, but that was it. It wasn't anymore drastic than after any of my other surgeries. I wouldn't worry to much about it. There really isn't anyway to stop it from happening IF your body wants to. Some do have some hair loss, some don't. It usually only lasts for a short time and most likely YOU will be the only one who even notices.