Question:
Has anyone seen an endocrinologist for hair loss?

I had open RNY on 1/8/01 and have lost 83 pounds (263-180)I realize that my weight loss has been pretty rapid and I am pleased with that. I have asked hair loss questions before and many answers have to do with nutrition. I am having 60grams protein supplement (plus what I get in my diet), 2 chewable vitamins, 2 chewable B12, chewable zinc, biotin, niacin, and chewable calcium. I feel that I have the nutrition covered. My problem is this: For 6 weeks my hair has been falling out A LOT. I know that people will think that I am exaggerating, and that is okay-I know that I am not. I started with extremely thick, long hair and it is now extremely thin and I can see my scalp through it. I recently got it cut 6 inches to decrease the amount of weight "pulling" on my hair follicle. Has anyone else experienced this much hair loss? I know that I am an extreme case. My surgeon does not feel it is a nutrition issue, but a stress issue. The surgery was an extreme stress to my body. Well, that's an okay explanation, but what do I do about it? Has anyone gone to an endocrinologist for this particular problem (hair loss after WLS)? If so, what did they say to do, or what is the cause? I will gladly go see an endocrinologist if this is the right speciality. Or how about a dermatologist? Every day I try not to panic as my hair literally falls out by the strands. As it continues and is quite severe, it is getting harder to stay calm and believe that it will eventually stop and I won't be completely bald. Thanks for all of your help. I really appreciate all of you. (FYI- I did check the database for this particular question) Shelley    — Shelley. (posted on May 3, 2001)

May 3, 2001
Since you've had such marvelous loss, you might want to have your testing by PCP or GYN for the status of your hormones. They "live" in the fatty tissue. And you have now upset their happy home. They may be runnign amok temporarily and need to be adjusted during your wt loss phase. Since you're covering the nutritional bases, you should have average hair loss, not baldness. I know you will always have SOME hair loss due to anesthesia, trauma, spotty nutrition at first, rapid wt loss...... But even though my hair is kind of wimpy and I did lose an alamring amount between months 4-6, I wasn't actually see-through. That'd be the next thing I'd check.
   — vitalady

May 6, 2001
Shelley, I, too, lost a lot of weight very quickly. I started with very thick, long hair. My hair was so thick when I was young, that I remember my mother taking me to the hairdresser to have it "thinned." Horrors! I was losing hair like you described. I, too, tried the cutting off about 6 or 8 inches to try to head off the full-blown cutting. It didn't work. My hair just got thinner & thinner til it looked ridiculous. It did start growing back, tho, at about 8 or 9 months post op. As I started seeing all the tiny tufts coming in, I realized how awful it looked & made the big step of having it all chopped off. I got a cute, very short cut. Lots of people tell me they like it better than how it was long. I still haven't decided if I will keep it short or grow it out again. But, it might have been better if I had just bitten the bullet & had it cut when I was losing so much rather than simply keeping it long. My hairdresser told me, " there's no point in keeping it long just so you can say 'I have long hair,' if it doesn't look good or attractive." She was right. I still miss my long hair, but I know this looks better. By the way, I did have trouble getting my protein counts as high as the should have been. Another interesting aside, my sister went on a huge diet before I had my surgery (to try to stay ahead of me.....didn't work, either!), but she didn't have surgery. By the time she had lost about 60 pounds, she started losing hair, too. She lost almost as much as I did & that was certainly due to weight loss & nutrition alone; no surgery or anesthesia involved. She did go see her Dr & had a full blood test done & all her levels came back normal. Her hair started coming back, too after a while. Neither of us went bald, but we both were really afraid it might happen. We both had very unattractive looking hair for a while that now looks just fine. I am just over a year post op now & have lost over 170# or half my body. Losing my hair like I did was tough, but very, very much worth it. I decided if it came to that, I would buy a wig. Fortunately, it didn't come to that and I have this terrific new thin (well, almost!) body, with all the good health & energy that comes with it. It's a trade I am very happy with & I'd trade the hair for the health & attractiveness any day---plus, the hair DOES come back!! :) Keep on top of your nutrition & protein, do the best you can, & check out the cute wigs selection "just in case" like I did. Hopefully, it won't come to that. My Doctor told me he'd never seen or heard of anyone actually go bald or have to go to a wig, so I tried to keep that in mind. It sure is tough, tho, when you see all your hair (it seems) on the floor or in the tub! I sympathize....it's really scary. Thank God that's over now & it will be for you, too, soon. Hang in there.
   — Kathy W.

May 27, 2001
Shelly, I had roux en Y surgery about 7 months ago. My hair used to be very thick. Then I went on a liquid protein diet when I was a teenager. My hair fell out and NEVER came back. Later I was diagnosed with a low thyroid. After beginning on the medication, some of it came back but was still very thin. I had RNY surgery 7 months ago and have lost even more hair. I lost it all over but had a bald spot about the size of a fifty cent peice on one side. My surgeon put me on prescription strength zinc. I have also been using SEMIDOX cream by Nioxin. Either or both of them have helped. It is starting to grow back. After my first episode with the liquid protein, I was afraid to wait to see if it would grow back this time. I must admit that I take 2 chewable mutlitvitamins every day but don't get in enough protein no matter how hard I try. This may well be a factor this time, but when I was on the liquid protein, I certainly was getting enough protein. You mentioned that you take a protein supplement. Is this a tablet or a drink? If you know of a tablet or supplement, please let me know. Thanks & Good Luck. [email protected]
   — Rene` B.