hair loss

can someone please tell me about the hair loss.  is this temp or perm.  i saw a lot of women in my meeting last week who were balding.

No way! It's only temporary. I lost hair by the handfuls from about the time I was maybe a month post-op until I was at least a year out... and it still came out sporadically from then until about two years. You CAN fight it a little bit, I guess, with stuff like biotin... I never tried it because my hair was (well, is again) thick and I really could stand to lose a bit. Some people have thin hair to begin with, though, and I think it's those people who you'd notice the most. Now I'm kind of a weirdo... at 17 I shaved my head on purpose, did it again at 19... 20... because I LIKED it. So for me, I'd have gone COMPLETELY bald again in order to get rid of these 235+ lbs... maybe would have traded it permanently!

Unlike Julie, I have very fine hair, so I was concerned, too.  I started seeing hair loss at about 3 months, and it has slowed markedly since!  In speaking to my surgeon and also my dermatologist, it can happen as a result of the surgery.  What I did was kept my protein up (which is important, regardless, and I still do!), started taking biotin (still do), and worked with my stylist, who has had several WLS patients as clients and knew how to handle it.  I started using a hair thinning product that added volume to my hair, I cut it short...and before I knew it, I didn't see as much hair falling out when I did it in the morning...and now, I have lots of "baby hairs" that are growing in great!!!  I have heard that there are people who have no hair loss, so don't assume you will lose hair.  That might not necessarily be the case.  Good luck!  :)

I'm with Julie, I'm losing handfuls of hair, but have really curly hair so it looks thick.  The only time I notice the hair loss is when I pull it back into a pony tail because the "stalk" isn't as thick as it used to be.  When I wear my hair down, no one notices.  In the last maybe two weeks I've noticed it's been a bit better and I'm losing less.  I'm not cleaning as much off the drain screen after showers and not taking as much off my comb.  So hopefully it will continue to S...L....O....W down.  :)  Best of luck.

Hi! I was very fortunate that I didn't see a lot of hair loss. I have always lost hair here and there and daily etc.  I'm not sure if its because of my highlighting or blowdrying... but I haven't noticed it until recently. It's a little thin at the top of the scalp.. just a little... not too bad... but I notice it underneath... but that could be because I need a haircut... and shape put back in...  All in all.. I'm VERY lucky that  I didn't loose tons and tons of hair... I think, like others, I had lots of hair so loosing a bit didn't hurt too bad... I'm embracing it... as I know it is temporary.

I never lost ANY hair at all and I am so relieved as I have very thin hair anyway - and finally I got brave enough to cut it short and it looks thicker now than it did before. I was so paranoid about it though that I took lots of protein from the week or surgery and also took biotin - but I am really happy to report I never lost anything - but your hair is usually a reflection of your general health and it takes a couple of months to reflect that condition so you would need to be diligent. Your body goes into starvation mode right after surgey and for the first few months.  So that can reflect in your hair if you do not supplement and take enough protein.  Sometimes it is the shock of surgery that makes you lose hair too and there is nothing you can do about that. But in all cases it is usually only temporary and people do not usually go totally bald....... Hope this helps Jackie

Good am, Hair loss is normal just about around 4 to 5 months post op. Some lose very little while others (like me) freak out and think um what in the world is going on??? I'm told its due to anesthesia and our bodies taking inventory and saying HEY what did you do to me. Some things to keep in mind are taking things like Biotin that help with hair and nails, keeping up with ALL your vitamins, getting in your protein etc. All the things you'll need for LIFE anyway! It is temporary and for me personally stopped about 6/7 months post op for me. Hope this helps. All best!