Question:
Can I color my hair?

I know you are not supposed to process you hair after surgery, but I am not ready to be as gray as mother nature made me LOL>.. anyone been successful with coloring?    — Gail S. (posted on February 6, 2002)

February 6, 2002
I hope Nothing happens to my hair because I just had it colored and Iam a 7 week post-op. I did use a gentle dye for only 50% gray coverage and it did ok. I look 200% better and it really improved my mental state. I know I won't go bald so I am thrown caution to the wind. Best of Luck to you!!!!
   — Laura G.

February 6, 2002
I'm 10 months post-op lap/rny and have been having my hair colored every 6 to 8 weeks since my surgery, same as I have been doing for years. My hairdresser uses double peroxide to turn me into a blond and I have not had any problems including no hair loss. Good luck
   — [Anonymous]

February 6, 2002
I have been coloring my hair since about 3 mos post op with no more hair loss than than I am already having. It also made me feel 100% better about the way I look. If unsure about if you want to color or not, try a test area for the full time that is required for coloring and if you have no bad effects, go for the whole head. Good Luck....Pick a fun color....
   — Joi G.

February 6, 2002
Unlike the previous posters, I did have a little problem. I tried to color my hair at just about 3 months post. I am a dark blonde, and I tried to go just a few shades lighter. I followed the directions to a "T" and my hair came out bright orange. I then tried to again to go lighter, hoping it would take out the orange but it just went a different shade of orange. I then tried a 3rd, yes 3rd time......I tried to go brown to cover up the orange, but with an orange base I got an auburn, or reddish brown. I dont know if it had anything to do with my surgery, but I will never try that again. What a nightmare!!!!!! Good Luck!!
   — skymaxjr

February 6, 2002
I cut and colored my hair the week before surgery (I regularly color it). I recently got it cut again at 7 weeks but it didn't need coloring at that time. (I am a natural red head, my gray initially looks blond, only have to color every 4-6 months). I plan to recolor as needed. The hair loss we have is from the shock to our system of the surgery, rapid wt loss and anesthesia. The hair loss doesn't begin until 3-4 months post op because the hair has a very slow growth cycle. So what you are doing to it at the time you loose it is not hugely important because the insult that is causing the hairloss took place months before. It is the same type thing that happens to many women 2-4 months post childbirth. Best wishes and happy loosing!
   — jsuggs

February 6, 2002
I had surgery in Aug. 2001 and I have colored my hair twice (possibily 3) times since then. I use revlon colorsilk and it has worked fine. I am at the stage of losing some hair but a trim and a minor style change has worked wonders.
   — Betty M.

February 6, 2002
I colored my hair at about 5 weeks post op with no problems. Only thing that happened to me was that growing up my hair was platinum blond, it got progressivly darker over the years...until it reached the mousy dark brown color it had been. The dark brown color had red undertones in it, so when I used "ash blond" hair coloring, it came out kind of a strawberry blond color. I must say however, with my hazel green eyes, no one, especially me, is complaining. Good luck.
   — Mustang

February 7, 2002
I had surgery on Aug. 31st and colored my hair the first part of December. I won't be going back to gray anytime soon! If you look at my profile you can see the difference that the combination of weight loss and hair color has made. I feel so much better about myself without all the gray as I'm only in my early 40's and at least 75% gray already. Maybe someday I'll let it all grow out when it is totaly white and it looks as nice as my mom's did. But not yet!
   — georgiacarol