Help for hair loss
I was wondering if anyone knows of any reputable products out there to help with hair loss. I'm at 3 1/2 months out now and I'm really starting to shed! I know protein helps but I've also heard people at my support group mention different products they've tried.
Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks, Jen
Hi Jen -
Unfortunately the hair loss associated with WLS is not an external problem that a hair product can resolve. Some people recommend Nexxion, but personally I think it's a waste of money. The reason we lose hair is:
* Trauma -- the trauma of major surgery shocks the body and causes it to "re-set" the hair growth cycle in the body. Also the traume of dramatically decreased caloric intake and the emotional trauma of changing our relationship with food both contribute to this factor. When hair folicles are reset it begins to show up around 3 months after the trauma and it lasts for about 3 months. Then it takes another 3 months before we start to see new hair growth. So it sounds like you're right on schedule.
* Hair is made of protein and right after surgery we struggle with getting in enough protein in our diet and what protein we eat is being used for more important, life-sustaining tasks. Protein's duties include healing damaged cells in the body (surgery incisions), creating new red blood cells, fueling muscle mass (including the heart) and helping the nervous system function properly. So the tasks of growing hair and nails is way down on the priority list.
So..... here are some things you can do to help slow down the shedding process or at least make sure it doesn't last beyond the 3 month period it's expected to last:
1. Get all your protein needs in every single day. 60-80g per day
2. Drink all your water every day.
3. Be hyper-religious about your vitamins and supplements every single day.
4. Be patient.
You can start taking Biotin. It's a B-Vitamin that helps the new hair growth come in strong and healthy. But remember that it's going to work on ALL the hair on your body, so stock up on razor blades. Because it's a B-Vitamin, make sure you're taking it with the rest of your B's (usually in your multi-vitamin) because the B-Vitamins work best when they are all in your system together.
Here's an article that tells a bit more about hair loss as it relates to WLS.
http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/2008/10/hair-loss-after-wls.h tml
Unfortunately the hair loss associated with WLS is not an external problem that a hair product can resolve. Some people recommend Nexxion, but personally I think it's a waste of money. The reason we lose hair is:
* Trauma -- the trauma of major surgery shocks the body and causes it to "re-set" the hair growth cycle in the body. Also the traume of dramatically decreased caloric intake and the emotional trauma of changing our relationship with food both contribute to this factor. When hair folicles are reset it begins to show up around 3 months after the trauma and it lasts for about 3 months. Then it takes another 3 months before we start to see new hair growth. So it sounds like you're right on schedule.
* Hair is made of protein and right after surgery we struggle with getting in enough protein in our diet and what protein we eat is being used for more important, life-sustaining tasks. Protein's duties include healing damaged cells in the body (surgery incisions), creating new red blood cells, fueling muscle mass (including the heart) and helping the nervous system function properly. So the tasks of growing hair and nails is way down on the priority list.
So..... here are some things you can do to help slow down the shedding process or at least make sure it doesn't last beyond the 3 month period it's expected to last:
1. Get all your protein needs in every single day. 60-80g per day
2. Drink all your water every day.
3. Be hyper-religious about your vitamins and supplements every single day.
4. Be patient.
You can start taking Biotin. It's a B-Vitamin that helps the new hair growth come in strong and healthy. But remember that it's going to work on ALL the hair on your body, so stock up on razor blades. Because it's a B-Vitamin, make sure you're taking it with the rest of your B's (usually in your multi-vitamin) because the B-Vitamins work best when they are all in your system together.
Here's an article that tells a bit more about hair loss as it relates to WLS.
http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/2008/10/hair-loss-after-wls.h tml
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