Help! My hair is falling out.

I think you must have mis-typed; you said you were 50. Surely you meant 30??? Not to worry-you have the kind of hair that will come back with such a vengeance you will have to GET it thinned. Hugs, Susan

Hang in there it will eventually stop. My hair has started to fall out badly. But no worse that it did about 4-6 months after my son was born. Hang in there and dont panic. -Gerriann 4 months post-op 101 pounds gone forever! 341/240/199

Dear Stacy I am forwarding to you the research one of our members posted about hair loss. Hope this is of some help. Also have you discussed it with your hair stylist mine told me years ago that when you have surgery this happens I don't think it is related to the protein because 20 years ago I was on a liquid diet and don't remember having any hair loss. Cheryl Excessive shedding occurring after gastric bypass surgery would be a typical example of a telogen effluvium. The name "telogen effluvium" explains the nature of the hair loss very well. All hair follicles in humans run through cycles of activity. During anagen, they produce hair fiber. During telogen, the follicles are dormant and there is no further growth. The hair shaft is shed at the end of the telogen phase. Effluvium is a Latin word that means "letting loose". So the term "telogen effluvium" describes hair follicles entering a dormant stage and shedding (letting loose) the hair shaft. Telogen effluvium forms of hair loss are generalized and diffuse over the scalp. Telogen effluvium is not normally a permanent form of hair loss. Eventually, the hair follicles recover and return to normal hair density usually within one year. In a normal, young, healthy individual up to 90% of hair follicles are in an a growing phase (anagen) and only 10% are in a telogen (resting) phase at any one moment in time. If your body experiences a systemic physiologic upset, such as a gastric bypass surgical procedure, many of the anagen hairs can be shifted into telogen. At the end of that telogen phase, which is typically about 100 days in length, those hairs will all shed. Rarely are more than 50% of the hairs of the scalp ever involved in a telogen effluvium. The severe shedding rarely lasts more than the length of the telogen phase, which is about 100 days. There is no treatment for telogen effluvium. Once the hair follicles entered the telogen phase, the hair shafts were destined to shed in 3 to 4 months and there is no way of preventing it from taking its natural course. However, you will be encouraged to know that the hair follicles have not been damaged and that all of the hair will grow back in. If you would like to read more about the phenomenon of telogen effluvium, please access the article at http://www.minoxidil.com/journal.htm#Telogen Richard Lee, M.D."

Thank you so much for posting this. It really put my mind at ease about the hair loss. I haven't seen it explained that well ever before, not even by my doctor. Again, thanks.