Does anyone here know when you are "safe" from hairloss. I haven't experienced any and I am SO grateful. I have thin hair as it is and I would go completely bald if I start losing a lot of hair! Anyway, I think you all look great and I am really happy to have found a message board for October 2004 wls pateints Best, Kolbrun Lap RNY 10/18/2004 -80 lbs

for me it was.. B - beef jerkey S - protein bar L - beef jerkey S - beef jerkey again! D - 2 oz chicken S - protein bar I am trying to up my protein to help with the hair loss! I wasn't so good on water intake...got about 52 oz in. I also forgot to take my vitamins. Will do better today

I am with Leslie...it is so sad...guess we all are doing it at the same time....here is an article that I recently found.... "Excessive shedding occurring after gastric bypass surgery would be a typical example of a telogen effluvium. The name "telogen effluvium" explains the nature of the hair loss very well. All hair follicles in humans run through cycles of activity. During anagen, they produce hair fiber. During telogen, the follicles are dormant and there is no further growth. The hair shaft is shed at the end of the telogen phase. Effluvium is a Latin word that means "letting loose". So the term "telogen effluvium" describes hair follicles entering a dormant stage and shedding (letting loose) the hair shaft. Telogen effluvium forms of hair loss are generalized and diffuse over the scalp. Telogen effluvium is not normally a permanent form of hair loss. Eventually, the hair follicles recover and return to normal hair density usually within one year. In a normal, young, healthy individual up to 90% of hair follicles are in an a growing phase (anagen) and only 10% are in a telogen (resting) phase at any one moment in time. If your body experiences a systemic physiologic upset, such as a gastric bypass surgical procedure, many of the anagen hairs can be shifted into telogen. At the end of that telogen phase, which is typically about 100 days in length, those hairs will all shed. Rarely are more than 50% of the hairs of the scalp ever involved in a telogen effluvium. The severe shedding rarely lasts more than the length of the telogen phase, which is about 100 days. There is no treatment for telogen effluvium. Once the hair follicles entered the telogen phase, the hair shafts were destined to shed in 3 to 4 months and there is no way of preventing it from taking its natural course. However, you will be encouraged to know that the hair follicles have not been damaged and that all of the hair will grow back in. If you would like to read more about the phenomenon of telogen effluvium, please access the article at http://www.minoxidil.com/journal.htm#Telogen Richard Lee, M.D." Take Care, Ann -56 pounds

Sherrie, Yes join the club.. everytime i wash or brush my hair.. i lose about 15 strands.. and from everyone in support group and on the web i have talked to who are 7 months or more out... there is nothing we can do.. I have had people tell me to use a certain shampoo or eat more protein.. but my girlfriends who are both a year out.. and tried just about everything .. said there really is nothing we can do... it is going to happen... from what i have learned it last about 3 or 4 months and then it stops falling out and starts growing back in... we have to just hang on for the ride... I know it sucks sooo bad... that is why i grew my hair out to the middle of my back before surgery... I knew what to expect and was ready for it... Good luck to ya... hope you it doesnt get to bad... I just keep praying mine doesnt get a whole lot worse... Leslie 333/346/170 -87 lbs

Hello, I started losing my hair back around the end of December 2004. I thought I would try to eat my way through the protein and it didn't work. Sooo, now I'm still paying the price for it.... My question is now long before it stops or slows down and what can I do to help it stop or slow down. I'm back on protein shakes 2x's a day for a total of about 78g of protein not counting food. Any suggestions, I would be grateful to hear them?? Thanks, Sherrie -61 lbs. 10.12.04 WLS