majior hair loss

Ok guys my husband has been asking me on a daily basis if I am taking my vitamins. Today I  when I gave him my answer and a dirty look he said im asking because you are loosing so much hair. :( Hes right its getting bad! Is there anything I can do?

Hi Kelly, I too have been losing lots of hair.  My hair dresser washed it a couple weeks ago and commented "OMG!"  She was shocked by the handfulls she was getting just from washing my scalp.  Although we lose quite a bit of hair, I have heard it lasts a few short months and RARELY does anyone go bald enough to warrant wearing a wig.  Also, the hair will come back in time.  I have very fine hair, although a lot of it.  I just got a perm to help give the illusion of fullness and it worked great for me.  My hairdresser also told me to really massage the scalp when washing hair as it promotes new hair growth.  Other than that, I don't know of any way to stop the hair loss.  It has to do with rapid weight loss that will slow down.  I've been losing my hair for a couple of months now and can already see it's slowing down some.  Hope this helps you. Darla

I either got lucky or my supplements kept me from losing hair.  I took Biotin daily from when I had surgery until about 5 months out, when it was apparent I wasn't going to lose a large amount of hair.  I don't know if taking it now would do anything.  I've also heard Zinc can help too.  But the hair loss is temporary and should not last more than a couple of months (hopefully)! How is everything else going, Kelly? Are you losing at a rate you are happy with? How is the eating going?

Not much you can do, no.  Some people lose it some don't.  But here is the breakdown on what's happening: You had surgery and in conjunction with that you are technically starving.  Your body takes this as a dire emergency and focuses all it's energy on healing the wound and feeding nutrients to the most vital body parts.  The least vital body parts lose the nutrients first.  The least vital body part is hair, so it is the first to go.  Some people think pushing vitamins and protein will help.  This might for some people, but for others the fact that they had surgery and their bodies are so focused on healing the wound will keep them in the mode of losing hair.  It's something most folks who have wls will have to endure, but for the vast majority it will be temporary.  My hair loss lasted about 4-6 months total, but the regrowth helps fill things in too.  Just a little stubble of 1/4 inch will fill in the bald look and give more body.   I didn't go for too long with the bald look...maybe a month or two.  When it started growing back in, I realized I didn't need to get it all cut off after all. A very very very minescule percentage of people might find their hair loss is permanent.  This is the exception and not the rule. 

It's a very normal part of the journey for most.  Some a lot and others hardly any.  I mostly had hair come out when I was washing it.  I have fine hair and not a lot of it, so I was on the paranoid side.  I was lurking on wig web sites, sure I would have to resort to wearing one.  I was actually kind of thinking it would be cool to have an excuse to try one.  One of the culprits is the anesthesia.  Lots of people having other surgeries experience hair loss too.  It's a shock to the system and the hair reacts to it.  I think keeping up your vitamins and protein are good things to help, but I really think it's mostly the luck of the draw.  My hair dresser said that the products that help for hair loss (like Rogain) take a long time to work, and by that time you would probably have stopped losing it anyways.    I didn't think I had lost much, until it grew back and I had a halo of short hair standing up around my temple.  It's very temporary and way worth it! Patty

Hey patty girl I have not seen your pretty face and pink shirt on there in a long time are you doing ok? Did you sell the house? thanks for the reply. The journey is changing with the hair loss and all. I feel a little stuck I am at 249 or 248 depending on which day it is. I have been having emotional break downs alot and find myself down right mad at the world. I recognise that its not due to any one or any thing as a matter of fact I cant really tell my self why I am so frustrated, sad, emotional and have such anxiety so I am trying to just ride it out. I have only had 1 cycle in 4 months so I imagine I may be prementipausal. GEEZE as if I need one more thing LOL Kel

Kelly, you are going through a huge hormonal flux with losing weight.  We store hormones in our fat, and when that goes, so do the hormones.  That is probably why you have only had one cycle. And why you are mad, frustrated and sad.  My dr. recommends using the Climera hormone patch to get through this rough time.  He says, when you are irritable, or your family starts complaining about you, it's probably time for a patch.  you might want to ask your dr. if you could try a patch or two and see if it makes a difference.  My dr. told me it's just for short term, like 6 months or less.  It may help.

Kelly, thank you for posting how things are going for you, the hair loss the anger and all.  Through your posting, I learned a lot about the next part of the journey that I am going to be entering.  I knew about the hair loss, as I was once a hair dresser, and sort of knew that after any surgery people can lose a huge amount of hair.  I didn't know about the hormones being stored in body fat - that really took me to a different level of understanding.  So, I love it when people really share their honest feelings, and I really appreciate that you were willing to speak so honestly, Thank you!

Gayla, thanks I am just one of those hang it all out there people :) Drives my kids crazy LOL