hair loss?

I was over on the RNY board and they were talking about hair loss.

I know this is a possibility from reading this forum, but how much hair are we talkin'?

These women had bald patches all over their heads and had to wear wigs!!  My doctor never even brought up this issue, and I'm wondering just how much hair loss I am in for?

Please tell me how much you lost, how long it took to regrow, and is there any vitamins or anything I can do to avoid it??

The guidance I was given to avoid terrible hair loss was to increase water, protein shakes, iron, zinc and selenium. I lost some hair but not to the point of bald spots. I think the reason we lose hair is from heavy duty ketosis we go into directly after surgery, and in later months and years, protein deficiency.

--gina

I started losing my hair in about the 3rd month after surgery.  I had  thick hair and it just got thin.  I did not have any bald patches.  My Dr. recomended biotin and be sure to get my protein.  I was already getting the recommended protein so I believe that the biotin helped.  I have a lot of new hair close to my scalp now and It is getting thick again.  It also came back more curly that it was before. 

Linda W

I am 4 months out and have had very little hair loss although I don't think I have dodged the bullet quite yet.  I have been really good at getting my protein and water in and have been taking bioten before and since surgery. I take 10mg a day.

My surgeon warned me that most patients experience this from mild to severe. It is dependent upon your protein intake from what the bariatric doc explained to me. The recommendations were as previously stated to make sure you got atleast 60g protein, take your vitamins and minerals and add biotin to the list to help with regrowth. It doesnt stop the losing.
I had thick hair preop, I had lost enough that people close to me could notice that I was thinning especially around my face and part. Now at almost 6 months, the thinning is slowing down and I am seeing regrowth.

 I also had pretty thick hair. Like the other posters I didn't experience any bald patches but definitely loss a good amount of hair. I noticed it most while washing my hair, it would kind of pull out. My pony tail just became progressively thinner, I noticed it the most, but no one commented on my hair loss, My mom agreed when I told her my pony tail was getting smaller, but she is my mom.

It was a bit traumatic but it got better within 2 months after it started. I don't remember when it exactly started, but in the last 4-5 months I have grown a lot of whispy hair . I have not had bangs since high school and now the regrowth has given me bangs and I kind of like them. 

Howdy,

Rapid weight loss, major surgery and certain medications can cause telogen effluvium.  Telogen effluvium is not necessarily caused by loss of protein. You could have the correct levels and still lose hair.

I do have bald patches.  BUT... I started with very thin hair. My sister used to tease me when I was young that I only had three strands of hair, enough for a braid.  It doesn't bother me most days because everyone is used to seeing my scalp.

IF you are one of the unlucky ones that lose hair, realize it will most likely all grow back. Unless you do not follow the protein and vitamin recommendations and then you will have other problems besides hair.

Everyone is different. 

I started losing my hair around 4 months out.  It got pretty bad.  I really noticed it in the shower. It came out by the handful. I never got actual bald spots it just thinned out all over.  The texture is a little fuzzier too.  But now I am 71/2 months out and the hair loss is slowing down and today when I was blowdrying my hair I noticed short new growth around my hair line.  I am not taking Biotin, but I keep meaning to pick some up.

my hair loss started at 4 months post op.  i already had thin hair.  the loss was pretty substantial but seems to have slowed a bit.  i'm now almost 7 months post op.  i have lots of new growth so i'm hoping the vitamins, protein, biotin, etc will help the new growth to come on in!  i don't have bald patches but my hair is really thin now!  best wishes to you and i hope you dodge the hair loss bullet!

My hair loss started just before 3 months.  Sometimes its alarming, when I am shampooing and a chunk falls out.  I lose it all the time.  I am praying that I don't have any bald spots.  I am starting to see thinning around my hairline.

I am horrible with protein.  I never found a supplement my tummy and tastebuds would tolerate.  Vitamins are rough for me too, chewables make me gag and vomit and the whole ones dont sit in my sleeve very well.

I started taking biotin before surgery, but after I just can't tolerate it.  I use Nioxin shampoo.