Question:
Do you lose hair after EVERY general anesthetic surgery?
Everyone talks about losing 1/3 of their hair after surgery because your body's in shock from the anesthesia and the follicles stop doing their thing. OK, I am in the "thick" of losing 1/3 of my hair from my 09/17/01 Open RNY. What I <i>haven't</i> seen anyone talk about is losing AN ADDITIONAL 1/3 after other procedures, like abdominoplasty. Do you lose another 1/3? Is it the same follicles as the first time? If I lose 2/3 of my thin blonde hair, I *will* be almost bald, and I'm not too wild about that. — Julia M. (posted on February 8, 2002)
February 8, 2002
I had my surgery on 8-13, and boy am I losing hair!!!!!! I had thick hair
to begin with so I'm a "lucky" one, but I look like a bald rat
now! LOL I don't know if it's the surgery or the diet. I've heard both.
BUT I do know the last time my hair fell out like this was when I was on a
very strick diet and lost 90 lbs in 8 months. So, I tend to sway towards
it being the drastic weight loss, or the vitamin defeciency. I've had
surgery before, and was "put under" and I did not lose any hair
afterwards.
— Phiddy B.
February 8, 2002
basically it depends on how long you are put under..which the longer you
are under..the greater amount of anesthesia that is put into your body.
That is why most people don't have great hair loss after say a csection
because if you are put to sleep it is for such a short time.
— paula B.
February 8, 2002
I believe the hair loss comes from the rapid weight loss. I lost about 1/3
of my hair after my open RNY on 1-11-01. I was doing everything right...
getting in my protien, vitamins ect. I even bought the NIOXIN and dont
think it helped one bit. I feel that if your gonna lose your hair there is
nothing you can do to stop it. I then had a major hernia repair in August
and did not start losing hair again. 13 yrs. ago I had open gallbladder
removal and didn't lose any hair either therefore this all leads me to
believe it's the rapid weight loss tha causes hair loss. Mine hair slowly
continues to fill in but but still is thin.
— Deb H.
February 8, 2002
Hi Julia, I have had 6 surgeries including a c-section and with each one I
had hair loss. It must be different for everyone. I even went through a
major hair loss period when my daughter was in ICU for a month. So even
psychological trauma caused mine to fall out. And it is very thin to start
with, so I am not thrilled about the whole process. I am 3 months and it
has already started. Whether protein has anything to do with it, I don't
know. It seems to be a common belief among the WLS community. I asked at
a support group meeting 2 nights ago when it will end and they said that it
typically lasts between 3-6 months and said that it starts to grow back
around month 12. If you have your abdomino before your hair grows back in,
then you might be looking at a thin head of hair, given that you will have
the loss after the procedure. I guess it all depends on the timing and if
you do lose again. Good luck. Oh, BTW, you look super!!
— Cheri M.
February 9, 2002
I am 7 weeks post-op, and have lost no hair. Some days i don't even get
all my protien in!! however, When I had my 2 kids, I lost hair in clumps
about 2 weeks after giving birth, but it only lasted about 2-3 weeks, and
just a hair brush full, I didn't go bald.
— Cindee A.
February 9, 2002
I've had surgery 5 times and the only time I ever lost any hair was after
my wls.
— georgiacarol
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