Question:
losing hair....perm?

I am 5 months out (open RNY) and am losing some hair, not a huge amount, but enough for me to notice. Anyone have a perm while in the hair loss stage? Good results? Bad results? Horrible results?    — beachbum6264 (posted on November 29, 2001)

November 29, 2001
I was told by my hairdresser NOT to have any kind of chemical procedure done on my hair for quite some time. With the changes going on in your body chemistry, you might just lose all of your hair, for good. I would wait, there is too much going on inside of you right now.
   — Kerry P.

November 29, 2001
My hairdresser said that I should wait a while before doing any chemical process. I am also at 5 months and have been losing hair since the end of September. I just keep mine cut short and try to keep from putting too much stress on it.
   — Pamela B.

November 29, 2001
I lost an abundance of hair from months 2-8. I am no longer losing but I am recovering. I really need a perm, but I don't feel that my hair could handle it. I KNOW that while it was falling out, I would never have considered it. In addition to my hair falling out, my scalp was also incredibly painful. So, to put a chemical on my scalp was not very appealing. I am just dealing with my hair being thin and straight. It's interesting to see all of my thousands of new sprouts all over my head. I probably won't consider a perm until at least next summer. My new growth would have to be long enough to catch in the perm rods, or I will have a bunch of straight shoots all over. Shelley
   — Shelley.

November 29, 2001
Hi Cyndi, I am 7 months post op and I have lost a great deal of hair. I have had two perms since my surgery and they have helped my hair look fuller so the hair loss is not as noticable. My beautician told me that the chemical process would not hurt my hair but the perms may not take as well as normal. They both took just fine and I feel better not having straight limp hair. Everyone is different and I think you should check with your hair stylist because she knows your hair!
   — Tammy J.

November 29, 2001
Having your hair permed, colored, straightened...anything chemical...is THE absolute worst thing you could do. Doing anything like that to your hair is bad enough as it is for regular, healthy hair, but when it's falling out, you definitely want to stay away from any harsh chemicals. If it really bothers you, you might want to consider putting your hair up in rollers to curl it. I know it's a pain and it takes time to fix every morning, but if you're determined to do it, I imagine that would be the best thing for you.
   — [Anonymous]