GOING BALD

I understand exactly how u feel...I came face to face with my hair loss this past Tuesday. I wanted to cry. The bald spots and thinness in the top is what really got me and from what I hear this happens to alot of RNY patients, so that was comforting to hear. I think my hair loss has started to subside, it started at 4 months and I am 8 months out now. I make sure I get all my vitamins in and continue to focus on my protein and my vitamins.   

I lost lterally half of my hair from months 4-9 post-op.  I had somehat thin, baby-fine, stick straight (but VERY soft!) hair to begin with, so the loss was noticable to others, but I did not have any bald spots.  MOST, but not all, of my hair had been growing back (and was only a couple of inches long) when I suddently started losing hair AGAIN about a year ago (at 3 years post-op) for some still unknown reason.  Now, as a result of the TWO periods of heavy loss, it is VERY thin (although it is growing back once again)... you can easily see light through the part of it below my ears... and I have seriously considered a wig.  I have cut it progressively shorter a couple of times, but it is as short as I am comfortable having it (I just don't think I have a face that looks good with short hair... to much of a masculine/harsh look to not have hair to soften the overall effect), so I just do the best I can with it (and continue to consider a wig for the cooler months coming up).

I tried the biotin at various dosages for almost a year, but not only did I start to grow additional facial hair (above my lip AND on the sides of my face below my cheek bones), it did not seem to cause my hair to grow back any faster that my hair noramlly grows (which is fairly slowly).

It helps to keep in mind that even though your hair is thinner, so is your face so other people will notice it less than you do... AND, of course, that you will almost certainly see it growing back almost as soon as it quits falling out (sometimes even before then).

Hang in there... even though I know the hair loss is VERY distressing, getting the weight off and regaining your health is worth the temporary sacrifice of some hair!

Lora

Yes, I will unhappily lose all my hair, if it means being healthy . That doesn't mean I won't feel distressed along the way though. It is always comforting to know and hear others experiences along the way.