HELP. I am really scared of hair loss
I have fine hair to start with. I am 8 months out now (WOW.. time flies). Anyway, I did prepare for forthcoming hair loss by getting my hair cut short. I started losing a some at about 4 months or so. I noticed today when I shampooed my hair that it is very minimale loss. I guess it is the "start to growing back phase" now. Would I of not gotten the surgery? Hell yes, YES.. I am down 101.8# from high weight. I feel really great. I am able to do things that I haven't done in years (cross my legs, yay) etc.. I would do it over again and again. Don't hesitate. It has been minimal and it does grow back. Good luck.. Pam
I have fine, thin hair and I did lose quite a bit, but my shedding didn't last for months on end - I started shedding just shy of 6 months out, and by the time I hit the 7 month mark the shedding had already stopped. I did cut my hair short before the shed started, and I am already seeing a lot of new growth coming in. It's just hair, it will grow back. Promise.
I was in my early 30's when I noticed that I was beginning to get thin on top. I did not bother about it then. As I was in my forties I had very little hair and I started worrying. I wasn't self conscious to the point of distraction but I was aware that in photos I was looking older than what I was. I consulted my doc at CHTC and decided to go for a hair transplant surgery. Looking at the before and 18 month after closeup photos side by side is amazing. Sometimes I go the mirror and make sure that the hair is still there and that no further thinning is occurring. In the initaila stages I had itching sensation but later as what my doctor said it was gone.
I certainly understand your concern. I have long, natural red hair and it's honestly my favorite feature, so I've been pretty concerned about the possibility of losing it. However, I was far more concerned about the possibility of losing my life due to my weight and co-morbidities. Hair will grow back. And if I temporarily lose a lot, there are things I can do to hide it - wigs, scarves, etc.
:)
HW: 378 | 1st Consult: 363 | Surgery: 339 | CW: 182
"We all have two lives. The second begins when we realize we only have one."
Hair loss happens between three and nine months after surgery. The amount of loss varies. Some of your hair is always in a resting state. Anesthesia puts the body and the hair follicles to sleep. Depending on where they were in their growing cycle, some of the hairs will start falling out. They all grow back.
I was looking at hair pieces, then it started to come back. My thinning was all on the top. I used a powder from the beauty supply that you put on the thin spots and it makes it look fuller. Nothing to be afraid of and not worth giving up surgery over.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
I get it - I almost didn't go through with surgery because of this specific issue. I already had fine, thinning hair and was post-menopausal. My hair loss started right away and got really bad between months 5-8. My hair guy estimates I lost at least half my hair...it was bad.
I actually bought a wig but couldn't go through with wearing it (too drastic of a difference). I used Toppik hair fibers to cover the light spots, kept my hair short and colored it, which helped to thicken up the strands a bit.
It took a good 18 months for my hair to come back to where it was before surgery and I don't regret my surgery at all - not one bit! If I had a chance to do it all again knowing how much hair I would lose I would still do it.
Completely - totally - worth it
on 11/17/15 10:48 am
I'm 6.5 months post-op, never had any trouble getting over 100g of protein a day right from the day of surgery, haven't missed a single vitamin, and I've still probably lost at least half of my hair. It wasn't thick to begin with, but it's actually kind of been the icing on the cake -- it's super soft and silky and much more manageable now, and not nearly as flyaway. My split ends are gone, because those were the most damaged hairs to begin with so they fell out first. I also only need to wa**** about twice a week and I can use a lot less shampoo when I do! No one else has even noticed, except my poor husband who has to deal with me shedding everywhere.