Black Hair Care Question

I'm wondering how African American women who have had RNY deal with hair loss?

Depending on how you wear your hair:

Do you still relax it?
Did you cut it off?
Did you make the leap and go natural?
Did you braid it?
Did you add weave?
Do you wear a wig?
What type of conditioner do you use?

I've been wearing braids off and on for many years.  It's my "go to" style of choice.  I haven't had a touch up in almost a year because I'm still choosing to wear them.  I'm currently due to have them re-done and I'm TERRIFIED that the braids are going to fall on my lap when I start to take them out.

I would love to give my hair a break and get a touch-up but I'm not sure that there will be anything left when I sit up from the sink.  Going natural is not an option for me as I love my creamy crack.  I would consider a cut or weave/wig.  I'm not familiar with the weave/wig thing as I've never worn them.

I'm looking for any and all suggestions/comments. 

(I specifically addressed this post to the women of color because our hair texture is different and requires different needs.)

LMAO at the disclaimer at the bottom.......

I had a relaxer prior to RNY, then went to braids after and my hair did thin considerably and the tension at my hairline was just too much.  took them out, went back to relaxer but then kicked my exercise into overdrive and got tired of washing, wrapping, drying, curling, combing, spraying - aw hell - all that shyt! LOL

now - I go natural (almost) - with 'creamy crack lite' - a texturizer.  I also sport a short cut (my choice - LOVE IT) - but I do wear a wig to work since not everybody likes the look of natural hair..... *****ed eyebrow - you KNOW what I'm talkin bout! lol*

As for weave/wig - I can say I love my wigs - they are short hairstyles like my relaxer look was - synthetic and VERY easy to care for.  Weave is a whole other story - wore that too - the keys there are the hair you buy and keeping it up and avoding the hairline tension problems. 

I've been natural for a good 9months or so now and ain't lookin to go back EVER! As for conditioner - Pantene has a special line for 'Women of Color'- the intense conditioner is GREAT - I swear by it and use it all the time. 

Mack Mama you crack me up!  I orginially posted this in the RNY forum and didn't want to offend folks

Thank you for your comment..I'm having the worst day and I'm still laughing at the "work" we have to put into our hair just to look the way we want

HA! shoot - you ain't gotta tell me bout the work! I am a certified kitchen beautician....... I even have a professional grade hair dryer at my house! I do my mom's relaxers, her color and rinses - I do my own color and I do my own touch ups on my cut - yes ma'am - with clippers just like the dudes do - I gotta have my fade right in the back! LMAO

I used to **** off my last stylist - I only went to her cause I was lazy - and she knew it.  when I didn't come around for a while, she knew I was doing my own and when I did come back around - it was just as off the chain as what she'd do - she asked me how I got it like that - I told her - bytch - I use the SAME shyt you do! she didn't understand how Mr. Chow was hookin me up with the same professional shyt she was buying and using - heffa started tryna hide labels from me....... LMAO! 

I recommend a lace front,  they are very hot right now and don't look fake at all 

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good question...

I read the replies and yall are funny.

My bypass surgery is 12/13 and I am wondering what am I going to do with my hair.

I have extremely long hair that falls below my butt and let me tell you I went into the hospital with a braid one braid in the back and my hair is the type that unravels very quickly, so I ended up coming out of surgery with loose butt length hair all over my head and not a sistah in the place to hook me up.

I didn't care though I felt like **** and looked like **** but my hair got really matted and I ended up cutting like 6 inches off.  If I were to do it again I woud have french braided it and put rubber bands on the ends.

Good luck an God bless I wore mine for 3 months touch ups here an there but wow did my sides fall out an I mean fall out i am no strangers to braid wore them all my life but i dont know if it was fromv surgery or what but damn my hair has been terrible since surgery which is almost 4 yrs now so my advice to u now god luck I got a sew in now

Hey Ladies
I was so nervous when I had surgery.  You know we are vain creatures and love our hair.  I didn't want it to thin or fall out.  I had heard so many horror stories about hair loss.  I began taking biotin 2 mths before my surgery (and continue to this day)!  I think what really saved me (and my hair) was a stylist that knew how to work with my hair because he had bypass clients before.  My hair is natural and I wore a weave.  I finally stopped wearing it about 10 mths post op.  My hair never thinned nor did it fall out.  This is the longest  and healthiest my hair has been ever.  I would be very hesitant to perm.  I think the chemicals have an effect on our hair especially after surgery.  I know you've gotten a lot of suggestions.  Just make sure you do what's best for you.  Best of luck to you and your journey!