Hair Loss Help!

Ok, so its been nearly a year (Aug 3rd); a year since I started my liquid diet.  I am thrilled that I have nearly reached my goal.  My labs are excellent, I am getting close to 100 grams of protein per day, taking  Bariatric Advantage Biotin (5 mg), B-50 complex, Selenium 300 mcg, using Nioxin #4 cleanser, scalp therapy, scalp treatment everytime I wash my hair.  I have cut back on any chemical treatments and yet since month 4, I have continued to lose handfuls of hair.  I really thought it would slow down by month 9 but so far it hasn't.  My hairdresser has done wonders but even she keeps saying she doesn't know what might help.  I am particularly losing everything from my ears forward, not so much in the back or the crown.  Bangs are just little whispy things.  My concern, other than getting a wig is that I am scheduled for my first round of plastic surgery at the end of August.  I am having "face work" done...browlift, lower eye lid surgery, and a face/neck lift.  I have had two hair transplants before due to male-pattern baldness and possibly lupus problems but didn't lose hair in such a large area.  Dr. doesn't think it is because of either of these conditions but rather something to do with the surgery.  He suggested taking Flax each day.  Are there any other suggestions that anyone could make that may have helped them?  It is really discouraging when everytime I wash my hair, I get a handful when I style it.  My bariatric support group leader said that it was probably because of the rapid weight loss, although I have lost less than 9# a month so don't think that's the cause.  Sorry for the length but really need suggestions.

I think you just have to ride it out. When we have surgery and then lose a ton of weight, it shocks our systems and often causes our hair to die. But we don't realize it right away because the hair just sits there. However, in about 3 months after the shock, the new growth starts pushing the old hair out and it we get handfuls in the shower.   Since the hair is already dead, nothing you take or put on it is going to stop this. Only time. Once all the dead hair is pushed out, the hair loss should stop. Generally this happens in the 6-12 month timeframe.

Oh and anything more than 1 pound a week weight loss is considered 'rapid' by our bodies.

What's your Ferritin level?  Anything < 50 and you will have hair loss...

 yep  ditto  June Cleaver  ...  its usually low   iron and zinc levels that are the culprits for continuing hair loss  post  6 months after surgery ..  

NO  its NOT normal  .. YES  you are RIGHT to ask about it and you CAN stop  it     

by the way  Minoxidil really helped me  in the in between time  ....  justto keep it on my head  .. 

protein ,  biotin , hair vitamins as well as the above two  help me GROW the hair now  ( and i grow a LOT )  I take  a  zinc and an iron  supplement as well ( NOT elemental iron ) 

  good luck Hun ..  let us know how it goes  plaese 

have you had your vitamin "d" level checked?  i experienced hair loss before surgery due to vitamin "d" deficiency.  i took rx strength vitamin "d" 3 months prior to WLS and now take dry D3 (bariatric advantage) daily.  i experienced additional hair loss from 4 months post op to 7 months post op but since then i've been getting lots and lots of new growth! 

sending warm wishes your way!!

Thanks for all your replies.  I am taking Bariatric Advantage Liquid D..5000.  Last blood work levels were 104 (they said it was a little too high).  I am taking 50 mg Zinc in addition to that in the Bariatric Advantage multi's.  I will try Rogaine but was told it was only a temporary fix.  I did stop taking estrogen before surgery and decided that it was probably better that I didn't continue it because of risk factors at my age.  I don't know if that would have an influence or not but am sort of grasping at straws.  I know that several have mentioned ferritin levels.  For some reason, my surgeon & PCP never mention it.  They say the iron levels are really good...B12 is above average but  I think they are talking about albumin but not sure.  I have to have ferritin levels, pre-albumin and albumin before my plastic surgery so they may tell more.  I am post-menopausal so they are really cautious about too much iron. Just would like to be going in the right direction.