HELP!!!!! My hair is falling out!!!

Anyone have any pointers for stopping this hair loss? I'm really starting to worry. I'm getting in my protein and i'm taking my vitamins. All I have to do is just run my fingers through my hair and there is a load of it hanging out of my hands. The tub is full of it after a shower to the point that it clogs the drain! It's not breaking off, it's coming out at the roots. You can see the folicle on the ends. Somebody please help!

It happens to a lot of patients. There really is no magic cure except time. It's simply from the trauma of the surgery on your body. There is a lot of theories, but the docs say it's really just a very common post op phenomena.

It will pass....I lost a lot of hair months 3 to 6, then it leveled out, now it's pretty good...Some people swear by biotin, I did take some, not sure if it helped though... THis was for sure one of my least favorite sideffects of WLS... Hang in there, Dorota

Besides the usual stuff being post op around hair, here is another suggestion. I found that if I use rinseable (is that a word?) hair conditioner my hair falls out in the shower. I now don't use it (in the shower) and put on leave-in conditioner when I am (attempting to) style my hair i have little loss. And it does get better as time goes on. T.

Hi Stacey... I had the same problem and asked my surgeon what to do. I was told to try the supplement Biotin. I now take one a day and it has REALLY helped. My hair is no longer falling out and my nails are getting stronger too. You can buy it at GNC. It's worth a try. Kim K.

Hello Stacy, I'm 2 & 1/2 years out. Lost 120 pounds and maintaining! Wearing size 8 & 10's. when -people ask me if I would do it again...in a heart beat. I had terrible hair loss that started about my 6th month out. After the first 3 or 4 months I thought I was golden and wasn't goign to lose any. HA! It was already thinning due to menopause and now it had me really scare. You could see my scalp. My doctor told me everything everyone elses doctor told them. I used a specail shampoo, vitiamins anything to make it better. What I did find was to just cut it short and let it do its thing. I consintrated on eating and drinking waht I was suppose to. I also did use a leave in conditioner. I used cooler water - ho****er makes our folicals looser, I only did a shampoo one time not the two that they suggest. I used a shampoo that was made for thinning hair. I stopped using the blow dryer totally. I didnt' use any color or perms. That does alot of damage. I also didn't wa**** every day like I use to. I do a light rinse to style and add conditioner. My hair got very dry. the conditioner helped that too. The thinning lasted for along time. Its only been the past year that it has stopped. But what you will find is that you'll feel these little nubbys thats your new hair growth. You want to protect that doing what I had done. I'm not saying I was perfect but it helped me. I did it based on what others before me had suggested. Now the kicker is that as my hair grew back it is curly! I've got curly curly curly hair. hahaha No more paying for perms hahaha Now if only it had grown back blond! Good luck and god bless, Pam

Hi Stacey, I also had hair falling out. I started around the 3rd month and it continued until around the end of the 6th month beginning of the 7th. This to me was the worst part of the whole process as my hair was one of the few features I liked. It came out in clumps and was very very brittle. I tried the biotin pill for awhile and didn't see too much of a difference. I used biotin fortified shampoo & conditioners along with a leave in conditioner and it helped somewhat. I finally cut it short to help it along. My hair is finally "returning to normal" and is healthy and growing out. It does pass Stacey, just hang in there. My suggestion is to find a cute haircut that will work with you as you go through this stage. I did highlight my hair once while it was at this stage & it helped bring some "life" to my hair by giving the appearance of thickness. See if you hairdresser can work with you on a few solutions. Mine was soooo helpful and really worked with me during this stage. Mickey

My hair also fell out by the handfuls. And sadly it has yet to grow back but is it worth it? YES!!! At the time it is traumatic so I won't say just wait and it will go away. I know how heartbreaking it is when you lose your hair, I mean at 327 pounds my shining glory was my hair. So to lose it killed me. But you will come to terms with it and it WILL stop I promise! hugsssssss krista