Hair falling out by the handfuls

So it's finally happened to me at 3 months out. When I brush my hair, huge quantities come out in the brush. I have always been very vain about/proud of my hair--naturally blonde and very thick and soft. Now I'm wondering if I will have to cut it all off so that it doesn't look thin and straggly.
Not sure how much hair I will end up losing or if it will all grow back to its original state. Any words of wisdom out there?
Thanks so much.

You seem to already know the best course of action... cut it shorter to make it look fuller.  No one can predict how much you will lose, or if it will ALL come back (for most people it all comes back, but for some people -- like me -- it doesn't ever go back to previous fullness)  or if it will grow back in the same (some people say theirs grew back in straighter or curlier, but most people don't have any change).

Keep in mind that if you do keep it trimmed up, YOU will notice the hair loss much more than anyone else...others will be focused on how much thinner your face and body look (a thinner face requires less hair)!

Lora

Is there any to stop it or just slow it down???

Unfortunately, no.  You can, however, make it WORSE of you don't get all your vitamins and protein in, but the is nothing you can do but wait it out.  Google telogen effluvium to understand what is happening.

Lora

Thank you so much Lora.

I'm shedding as much as my pug right now. I've always been a big shedder anyway. My hair HAS gotten kinda thin. It's harder to tell because it's curly, so it always looks kinda  poufy.

I'm going this weekend and getting some whacked off. Not really for the hair loss, but because I've always wanted a different hairstyle but didn't get it because it wouldn't look good with my chins. And I'm starting swimming next week, so the less hair I have to deal with the better.

Talk to your hairdress about possible work arounds while you're shedding.

So sorry about the hair loss :(
I lost quite a bit of my hair the first year and it took almost two yeast before it was back to normal but honestly, I am over 4 years out and my hair has never been the same.

Oh no.

 I am almost 5 years out -- and I did have a second round of unexplained (maybe peri menopause related) hair loss at about 3 years out -- but I still have probably only 75% of the hair I had before my RNY.  Having a thinner face makes it less noticable to others most of the time, but when I pull it up into a ponytail it looks awfully small compared to what it was before.

Lora

 I am at 5 months and my hair loss has kicked into high gear.  I don't like my hair short, but I got it shorter anyway.  I am now using a volume shampoo instead of my normal smoothing kind.

I am praying that it is limited at this point.  I thought that the hair loss was due to the RNY, but have recently come to understand that this happens any time you have surgery.  If that is the case, I should be fine.  I have had a number of surgeries and have never noticed it before.

Lora, is that your understanding as well?