Hair loss

Hey everyone, 

Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and what they did about it/ what caused it. (I can't see my dr for another week and a half.)

I am about 4 months post-op and I am losing a ton of hair. I have clumps of hair on my pillow every morning. Whenever I take a shower I wash my hair as gently as I can, but my hair comes out in handfuls. My scalp hurts also- almost like my hair is too heavy and its pulling my skin. I am getting all my protein in (80-95g), about 70oz of water, and eating about 700 calories a day. 

Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

It's called telogen effluvium, and it's a very common side effect of weight loss surgery. Most people see hair loss of varying severity between about three to six months out. For the vast majority, though, it's a temporary situation. You can't do anything to stop it or reduce the amounts lost, but you can consult with a hair dresser about a cute cut that may help hide the effects. And, there's every reason to believe that your hair WILL grow back!

I had my surgery in October and the hair loss started right on schedule. Giant Chewbacca mats in the shower, hair everywhere all the time. I washed my hair the other day and my hair loss was back to normal. My hair has definitely lost some volume, but I don't seem to be losing at the same horrific rate. I'd guess it lasted about 6 or 8 weeks. I didn't do anything special as I was expecting it due to the info on these boards. :D

Grit your teeth and ride it through!

Jen

I knew people lost hair after surgery i hope i don't loose to much. Since the last time i lost 100 pounds on my own i started to loose my hair and it has remained thin every since. About 7 yrs now. This time i may need to consider a wig.. I hope your hair stops falling out soon and i will keep my fingers crossed that it will all grow back for you. Good Luck.  

Totally normal and to be expected and, unfortunately, there's not a darn thing your doctor can do for it.   If you search for "hair loss" on this forum you will find HUNDREDS of threads that have discussed it in great detail.  It sucks and is usually the worst in months 4-5.  For most people it lets up and they eventually grow all their hair back starting in months 9-12.  

 

In my pre-op training it suggest that we take a zinc vitamin daily along with the other vitamins daily to prevent hair loss at the three month periods when hair loss usually occur 

Believe me, everything that anyone suggested that would remotely help me, I tried.  Zinc, biotin, extra protein, special shampoos, scalp massage, serums, supplements....I did it all!  And with the zinc and biotin I started it months before my surgery. And still lost 50% of my hair.

It's a very small minority of patients that won't lose any hair or minimal hair.  Most people will lose a significant amount.  But most people also regrow it.   

Supplements benefit the new hairs emerging, but it won't stop them from pushing out the old hair.

Hi.  I'm a newbie butI've been reading posts on hair loss too.  Does it get so bad that you have to wear a turbin like chemo patients wear?

DCarver57

No, it doesn't usually get that bad. For most people it's not even really noticeable except to themselves and their hairdresser. Some people may get it a little more severely, but that's the exception and not the rule.

Here's my hair at four months out. I've been losing it pretty heavily, I could knit a kitten with what I clean out of the shower drain on a daily basis. But even though I can tell my hair is somewhat thinner, I don't think it looks all that bad. I got a new haircut (which goes a long way to minimizing the thinning appearance) started adding a little volumizer spray and blow-drying, and will just go with the flow for the next couple of months.