My Hair

This morning when I got out of the shower I noticed hair in the bottom of the tub. I then looked in the mirror and a whole bunch was on my shoulders and chest. I was hoping to be one of the lucky ones that did not loose my hair but It does not look like it. Has anyone else had this problem? If so how much did you loose. I have not told people I have had the surgery and if I loose my hair they are all going to think I have cancer and I do not want to have to deal with that. Nancy

You are lacking protein my dear. Try drinking some protein shakes and that will help. Trust me...I had the same problem and after talking to my surgeon he told me to up the protein. I have been drinking Adkins shakes.

Thank you.... unfortunatly I am unable to do the protein shakes. I have a very sensitive stomach and can not keep them down. I will try to up my eating of protein. Nancy

I have it too. The best thing is this will pass. Usually it stops around 9 months. Mine has been coming out for a month now. I am thinking of cutting my hair short. It will make me think less is coming out, hopefully. Take care and try not ot fret. I know its hard. Corinn 245/175/130

Thank you... Yes I am trying to look on the positive side. I could weigh 100 pounds more and have my hair!! Good luck in your journey! Nancy

Its not Protien, its b12. Protien is very important, but you must take a b12 supplement, SUBLINGUALLY, under the tongue. B12 is important in red cell growth, and every function in your body. Thats why your doctor tells, [or should have told] you take your b12 everyday. You need to get sublingual pills that are absorbed under the tongue, because its normally absorbed in the stomach and gastric bypass patients cant absorb it that way. I know were not supposed to post links, so ill write it. There is a website called allstarhealth DOT com. This is where I buy all my supplements and protien powder, because they are much cheaper than stores. If you go to that website, TWINLAB makes 5000mcg B12 Sublingual dots and sells them. Most b12 are 500mcg, but I buy the 5000mcg dots. Were supposed to take b12/calcium citrate /multi vitamin everyday. I buy Centrum Chewable multivitamin, because it was just too much for me to swallow the hard multi pills. [I actually buy walgreens generic chewable multi.] I eat the chewable vitamin, then take a b12 under the tongue. Its real easy that way. GL to you.

I get a B-12 injection once a month. I also take Caltraite Chewable and Centrum Chewable vitamins. Maybe I need to up my injections to twice a month. I will talk to my surgeon. Thanks, Nancy

Go get some Biotin or Niacin.

Where can you get those things?

I have to disagree with everyone who said it has to do with nutrition. This early out it has nothing to do with protein consumption, nor does it have to do with your B-12, or any other vitamins. Hair loss is a normal reaction to the trauma of the surgery. It can occur with any kind of surgery, but it occurs more dramatically with ours because when we first had the surgery and were on liquid diets we were basically starving. Even though that period was only a few weeks for most of us our body killed off the easiest target (our hair) during that initial period. The reason it didn't fall out then, but it is falling out now is a result of the way hair works, specifically our bodies do not release the follicle of purged hair immediately. It takes anywhere from 3-6 months for our bodies to let the hair go. When it does, the hair falls out. Thus the hair that's falling out now really died 3 months ago, and will continue to fall out for up to 6 or seven months until all the hair that died is gone. Then once that happens, your hair will start growing anew, and will replace all the hair that fell out. They say that during this period we can lose up to 50% of our original hair amount. And it's not usually in clumps but rather evenly distributed throughout so I wouldn't worry too much about people thinking you have cancer, unless you had very thin fine hair to begin with. Now, with that being said... the further out we get from surgery, and the less protein stores we maintain the more potential we have for hair loss and other types of physical degeneration due to protein deficiency. That's why it's so important to maintain the protein supplements and vitamin supplements for life. However, this degeneration will come anytime down the road. If after a year you start losing hair again that would be why. But that's not likely unless you really ignore the supplements altogether. With regard to the biotin and fish oil, there is no data that proves that it will make any hair loss stop, because again the loss isn't happening now, it already happened months ago from the trauma of the operation. However, I still take my supplements of biotin because it makes your remaining hair stronger, shinier, and hopefully will help the new hair grow back better and faster than without it. I have to say too, that the hair loss is really gross. It makes me dread washing my hair. Fortunately since the surgery my hair doesn't get too oily so I can get away with only washing it every few days. It doesn't help the hair loss slow down I'm sure but it makes me dwell on it less.