The truth about MY hair nearly 2 years out

This is an issue that varies a lot by person...as to how your hair holds up.  I am telling you my tale only to suggest you think over your options and be prepared - for decisions you might have to make.  I have often read people saying - it's ONLY hair...weight loss is your health.  I totally agree.  And yet....my hair means a lot to me and you might feel the same way.  I am certainly not saying skip the surgery due to hair concerns, I am saying - make a plan as to what you might do if your hair becomes a big problem.

I will be 2 years out in Sept.  I have incredibly strong hair that is a few inches below my shoulders. I get it professionally colored and use high quality hair products.  I ate very low calorie during the first year and met my protein goals.  I also took biotin in addition to my regular vitamins.  I am 60 years old.

My hair fell out by the BIG handfuls for about 9 months.  I would definitely say I was on the extreme end of how much hair I lost.  However, since I had a ton of hair to start with, it still looked *okay* - but just barely.

At about the one year mark it started to slow down as to loss.  A few months later it started to grow again...but just a little...slowly, but wow was I glad to see it.  Over the last (almost) year, this is what has happened - it is growing again, but the hair growing in is radically different than the pre-existing hair.  The new hair is very strong and very curly.  It is mostly underneath and the older hair, mostly on top, is rather straight or slightly wavy.  Trying to get these two types of hair to look at all the same is very difficult.  I have gone to the same stylist for 15 years.  He is very good.  He has been my lifesaver and he rejoices that my hair is coming back - but is only marginally able to help me through this process. He says he has had 4 clients get WLS.  Two of them never got their hair back and it's now quite thin.  One person got her hair back just about like it was originally and I am the only one whose hair is even thicker and stronger than before.

We decided to try straightening the underneath hair.  It wasn't the best idea.  The hair is resistant and it only straightened a little and dried it out a lot.  I am at the point that I need a professional blow out to even look decent and am going to go that route as often as I can afford it.

The future - once my new hair is long enough, I will cut it all up to that length.  That won't be a total solution as I will still have some straight/wavy hair and some very curly.  At this point that new growth isn't long enough unless I cut it quite short.  The problem is, we can't predict at all what a short cut would do as to styling options as my hair is very unpredictable at this point.  It looks like it is going to be thicker, eventually, than it ever was, which is crazy, as it was already very thick.

Would I have done anything differently had I known what was going to happen?  Maybe, maybe not.  I might have cut it fairly short at the beginning.  Now that I have straightened part of it, that hair is very frizzy and I need to be able to cut it off - there isn't enough length yet for that.

Your hair may be totally different (probably will be, at least somewhat) but the message is this:  your hair MAY be affected in a significant way.  Make part of your pre-op or early post-op planning to decide what you want to do if your hair gives you this or that problem.  If you saw my hair you would probably say it looks great - because it does.  However, the effort and expense it takes to make it happen is very significant and much, much harder since surgery.

Just something to think about.

Annie

I have never heard of anyone getting WLS and their hair not growing back. Plus I bet your hairdresser has a lot more clients who had WLS -- they just didn't tell him. 

OTOH, lots of people report that their new hair is curlier. Mine isn't but actually has a bit of a wave for the first time in it's life instead of being dead straight flat. Well it did for the first couple of years. It's getting flatter and flatter every year. Sigh. I miss that wave. I hope this flatness is just temporary.

Oh and I lost a lot of the gray in my hair because the new hair didn't come in gray! But that also is changing. But at my age, 56, I have remarkably little gray hair and a lot less than if I hadn't had WLS. I wasn't expecting that at all.

But again, it's just hair. Our hair is always changing and changes with age so it's not like it wouldn't have changed if we hadn't had gotten WLS. WLS just makes it change more dramatically.

I definitely agree with all you said.  My message (and I know you aren't contradicting it) was it might make sense to think it over and have sort of a clear plan about what you will do (as to cutting, stop coloring, etc) if it comes to that.

I sort of wish I had cut it early on and that was definitely not anything I considered at the time.  Just food for thought (which has zero calories, by the way).

Annie

Very insightful post Annie. I am a day away from the end of my 6-month pre-surgery wait and have been thinking a lot about the hair loss. My hair was shoulder length but getting thin on top, so I decided a couple weeks ago to cut it short and let it grow naturally. Now without any chemicals and relaxers in my hair, it is finally filling in. I also started taking biotin supplements a couple of months ago in anticipation of the after surgery loss.

The thought of it falling out terrifies me! My only hope is that afrer the surgery, I can get enough protein and shakes to offset the loss. No matter what anyone says, your hair is your crowning glory and I personally want mine to look its best. Your hair is part of the impression you make, in my opinion.

Hi Annie,

It sounds like you've had a tough time with your hair, and its taken a long time to recover.  I bet that is frustrating.

This is the first time I've heard reports of people whose hair did not come back.  I'd be curious if others have had this experience.   It was my understanding that the hair falls out because it is pushed out by the new hair coming in.  I just worry that this second-hand report could scare people unnecessarily.

I lost a lot of hair from about 3 months to 6 months post-surgery.  I found I had to use a body building foam and blow dry my hair to give it some fullness and cover the scalp.  But at 8 months out I noticed a crop of re-growth sticking up on top of my head!  I looked scraggly, but I didn't even mind because I was so happy to see it.  By one year out, my hair was back to normal.  I got a sweet inverted bob cut that looks great, and I am so happy with it.

From what I've read, I think that my experience is more typical.   Don't let hair cause you too much anxiety.  It is temporary and there are strategies to manage it.  By the end, you'll be healthy and have your lovely hair as well.

best wishes

Carol

And then there is me...no hair loss at all. No change in wave or curliness or quality of hair. I took nothing at all apart from my multi and I hit protein goals all the time. I am 20 months post op. 

I think Julia's comments really hit the nail on the head. She and I did the same things and had the opposit outcome. So.....since you can't predict - plan (unless, of course, your hair isn't one of your main priorities)

AnnieinIA... have you considered perming your hair to see if it would take and "match"? If it takes it would be easier than having to get blow outs all the time. Or do you prefer straight hair? Perming doesn't have to look like a poodle or the 80's. 

I have a good feeling I am going to be in the "never gets their hair back" category. But I lost most of it before surgery and I have ZERO regrowth (and I am in my 30's).   I would GLADLY accept funky weird hair over partial baldness ANY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I SO agree I could have it worse - much worse. I get compliments on my hair all the time. I feel very fortunate. 

As for a perm - I agree they can look great and I would do it if I wasn't scared. Straightening, which I just had done is actually much like a perm that is pulled straight instead. The solution didn't take well at all and really dried my hair out. I am very afraid of more processing for now. 

I just need to be patient and let it grow. ;0)

Great post, people do need to be aware that all kinds of things are possible right after WLS.  I have very thin hair to begin with and was really worried about this part of the journey.  I lost quite a bit of hair between the 3rd. and 7th. month, but then the hair started to grow in and the new hair is significantly thicker, healthier and shinier than the hair that fell out.  I couldn't be more pleased.  :)  Even now, at five years out, my hair is still thicker than before surgery.  :)