Hair Loss

Hello Everyone, I am new to this message board. I had my surgery on 4/5/05, I am down 76 pounds. I too have stopped losing weight, I only lose about a pound every few days if I am lucky. I am having a huge problem with my hair loss though. I recently cut off 11 inches. Someone told me that if I cut some it will decrease the amount of hair that falls out. When I asked my doctor about it he told me it was due to lack of protein but other people have told me that it has nothing to do with protein. I do not tolerate the protein shakes so I make sure that the foods I eat are high in protein. I feel like I am about to go bald. Please Julia

The great "THEY" says the hair loss stops before anybody actually goes bald. Basically we're losing hair due to the major shock to our systems from WLS. There's nothing you can do about it really. I added a Biotin supplement to my morning pile of pills. I'm trying to find shampoo with Nioxin but am not having any luck in my rural community. I had my hair cut shortened with layers so the loss won't be obvious. So far no one has noticed the thinning but me and my stylist. Relax and don't think about it.

I found a shampoo and conditioner made by Nexxus at my local salon. It is called Vitatress and it is a biotin shampoo. They also make a leave in conditioner and a styling gel that I have been using. It comes in green bottles. As I said in a earlier post my hair is starting to grow, don't know if this has anything to do with it, but you never know.

Completely normal. It will last 7-9 months then it will stop. It has nothing to do with protein. Nioxin won't fix it, nor will Biotin. There are some products which will make the hair you have thicker and a supplement called Horsetail (Vegetal Silica) which also helps hair grow faster. But this process is a normal part of the process. It will pass

I had surgery on 04/05 also! My hair is coming in large handfuls ALL DAY long. My doctor said that it would eventually stop. My hair is really thick, so maybe nobody will notice!! I am losing weight really slow. I have lost 48lbs. I was in the hospital for 2 months though and I did not lose any weight during that time. It is frustrating... but I am told that it gets better! Jennifer 235/187/135

Hi Julia, I had my surgery on 4-26-05 and down 70 lbs. I just starting loosing hair in handfuls also. I have VERY fine, VERY thin hair and I am freaking out over it. I have heard a lot of different reasons, so I have just started taking a zinc suppliment and keeping on my protien shakes each day. I have heard this is a process and mostly due to the shock our bodies are going through and it DOES pass within 5-7 months. By the time I'm done, I'll be bald LOL..hope not! Hey bald and skinny is better then bald and fat I suppose...LOL! Just keep it together and wait for it to pass. Keep up your protien, your suppliments and all will work out. Purrs, Dee

Hi Julia, My hair loss started about a month ago. I'm scared to death also. I've consisitantly gotten my protein in daily, taken biotin since a month before surgery and taken zinc since a month before surgery. Also, the second I started losing hair I started using Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. Guess what??? I'M STILL LOSING MY HAIR, LOL!! I don't think theres anything we can do but wait for it to stop. I've got so many grey roots that you can actually see my original hair color mixed in with grey. I was trying to wait this out, but tomorrow I'm going to get it taken care of, maybe even highlights if my hairdresser feels I can handle it. Wish me luck also and hopefully I won't go bald after tomorrow. "THEY" say it will end within a few months, so we just have to hope for the best. Good luck to all of us, Kelly

Julie, sorry about your hair loss. Try taken B-1 (thiamin) 1 tablet 100 mg. twice a day. My doctor put me on them when i first had surgery and i have not had any problem with hair loss. I hope this helps. I have not heard of too many doctors that have you take these vitamins but it works for me. Thiamin (B1) reduces inflammation, reduces fluid retention, assist in carbohydrates metabolism, and allows blood circulation for hair follicles to grow.

Thank you all for the advice. It's all worth a shot. Julia

Well everyone told be if I am going to lose my hair that it will be by the 3 month mark. I hit the 3 month point and no hair loss, so I took a BIG sigh of releif.......untill last week. My hair is coming out in huge handfuls and I also am FREAKING out. my hair is already short, fine, and thin. I can't afford to lose a single strand of hair at this point. I, like you, have heard so many ways to cure this but I have come to the conclusion that it is just something that happens to people who go through a trauma of some sort. The surgery was tramatic to our bodies. When my sister had a C-section she lost a TON of hair about 3 months after for about 5 months. Also I have heard that a drastic weight loss will cause this too. So who the heck knows but I think it sucks!!!!!!!! The price we pay for beauty huh??? Don't worry, we can be bald together, misery does love company, so I'll join ya. Kristy