hair loss

I had surgery on January 20th of this year and have done exceptionally well with my weight loss. I am down 93 lbs. as of last week. My hair is literally falling out by the handfuls. I'm not kidding when i say you can literally run your fingers through my hair and whether you run it through once or one hundred times, you will come out on the other end with a handful of hair. It is pitiful looking. And it is bothering me mentally. I usually keep a color on my hair for body because it is so fine anyway, and i'm scared to put a color on it afraid that what is left will completely come out and i will be bald!!!Help!!!, any advise or comments would be comforting. I know the surgery saved my life and i know it was the right thing to do, but my hair is a major thing to me and if my hair doesn't look like i want it to than i don't feel just right about myself. It has taken a toll on my mental state of mind the hairloss is so serious. I'm to the point that i think i might need a wig or something!!!...I put it up in a ponytail and wear a ball cap alot too, and this is not something i would normally do, but i am ashamed of my head!!!

Hiya Samantha!! I have the hair loss thing going on in a big way too. Must be a timing thing. It's sad, but I can live with it. Some days I think it seems like it's slowing down, but then it goes like crazy again. I take in over 100 grams of protein a day, so it can't be that. I don't do the biotin thing cuz I think that just regrows it, and I know I have no problem there. The only 2 things I can point out to you are these. NO ponytails and no baseball caps. When you wear these things it pulls at your hair and will make the fall out worse. I notice when I pull mine up I have WAY more falling out than if I just styled it or left it alone. I know it's hard not to do, but if you want to keep what you have left............. XOXOXOXOO Sharon

I agree...don't pull your hair up or wear a ball cap. My surgery was January 11th and I have noticed my hair loss slowing down. Make sure you get your protein in each day. You may call your Dr. and see what they have to say.

i'm having the same experience with hair loss. it sucks. i have no helpful advice, just wanted to say that you are certainly not alone! deb -138

Just like most others... I take Biotin daily, use Nioxin shampoo, take lightly warm almost cold showers (ho****er opens that hair follicle and we need it to stay closed), get my protein and water, I watch my vitamin k (also good for hair strength), I DO NOT color my hair (til I am 1 year out is what my hairdresser suggests) and I cut it really short and stylish in a wash & wear type of cut so that I need not use any forms of high heat on my hair. So far my loss is finally slowing down. YEAH! Not sure if it will grow back yet but I will wait. Also, no ponytails or ball caps.. too much pressure on the hair, if your hair is long I suggest taking some of the weight off (if you have not noticed the majority of the thinning is up top, not in the back anyways). If it comes down to it get a wig, perhaps you can post on the main board and see if anyone who used to use on has their left still. I have heard of ladies sharing wigs, after their hair begins to grow back in they pass it onto someone else! HTH! Brightest Blessings for a Wonderful Day~ Jamie M. aka Lady Autumn Weight- 257/169/146 BMI- 44.1/29/25 Height- 5'4" Total Weight Loss: -88 lbs. Surgery Date- 1/19/05 Visit my OH profile or stop by My Weight Loss Journey Website at: home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-LadyAutumnsWLSjourney Visit my Live Journal at: livejournal.com/users/magickalmom

I have had my hair colored every 6 weeks since surgery, as recently as 2 weeks ago, it has not seemed to make my hair loss any worse (as if it could get worse). So I think that you should be o.k. Don't let the hair loss get you down, as you pointed out there are so many benefits and this one downfall. Maybe it is easier for me to take because I have lost my hair before from Chemo, same thing then as now, I did something to save my life and I had to take the good with the bad. Good news is, It all comes back. Becki 1/18/05 - 297/174/130 - 5"8"

I had my surgery the same day as you and my hair continues to fall out. My hair is very thin normally. I continue to color it every 5-6 weeks and my nutritionist said that it would not hurt any. It is the shock to your system, the decrease in protein and other vitamins. She told me no matter what I did this would probably be the progression as it is in most patients. It should stop between 6-8 months and then regrow. So for now I have cut my hair short to deal with the loss and give thanks every day that this is the worst side effect happening to me. It will end and you will feel better just look at yourself in the mirror and smile.

My surgery was 01/14/05 - at about 4 months, I started losing some hair. My hair is very very thin and I keep it short. I would notice a few strands daily in the bath water. I had been using Nioxin shampoo but apparently that did not help. I then started taking Super Biotin 5000 mcg daily. I swear within two weeks I noticed a difference in that there were less hairs in the bath water. I truly believe it has slowed waaaay down. Good luck. Lynne

According to my hair stylist whatever you do, do not put your hair in a ponytail. This pulls on the roots and makes it fall out faster. I had to cut mine short because of it falling out so bad, needless to say cutting it short has not helped very much, it is a little bit better but not like I had hoped it would be. Take Biotin it works well. It will at least give you new growth and makes your skin look better. I dye my hair too, matter of fact I dyed it yesterday and about freaked out when I seen all the hair I had lost because of dying it. The whole time I was in the shower and the water was running I kept thinking as I seen the hair falling out "My God I am going to be bald by the time I get out of the shower" Luckily that did not happen but it sure felt like it was going too. Just hang in there and trust me you are not alone in your thoughts! Good luck! Deb S. 334/260/175