Question:
To women who had very thin hair pre-surgery...

I have extremely thin hair (on top) that runs in my family. My dad started going bald at 20 yrs old, my brother started going bald at 17 yrs old (they are both totally bald on top), my mom has very little hair on the top of her head, and my maternal grandma has worn a wig as long as I can remember. Now for me...I started losing my hair in my early 20's and at 34 it's not as thin as my mom's or grandma's, but I do have to part it on the side or else you can see my scalp right through my hair. Ok, now for the question...is there anyone with a similar situation that had WLS, and if so, did you go bald on top after surgery? At the risk of sounding vain, my hair is so thin now that I can't spare much and I'm really worried about the post-surgery hair loss. Thanks for any input :-)    — Kellie L. (posted on September 3, 1999)

September 3, 1999
Hello ... No, I did not have thin hair prior to surgery, but I have had to wade through all of the information available due to a couple of battles with post op hair loss. Here are some things you can do to prevent your hair loss... make sure that your taking zinc, and make sure that your getting enough protein. Good Luck...
   — Mary Anne M.

September 3, 1999
I had very thin hair pre-op, maybe not as thin as yours, but pretty darn thing. I was very worried about this before surgery because I had heard pretty much everyone loses some hair. I had minimal hair loss, if any at all, and I'm now 8.5 months post op. My hair on top got no thinner than it already was. I took several precautions and I'm not sure if they worked or if I was just one of the lucky ones. First of all about a month before surgery I started using NIOXIN Shampoo. It's supposed to promote healthy hair growth and regrowth as well. I continue to use NIOXIN (it can be purchased at your hair dressers). Secondly, I took my vitamins and minerals, including folic acid and extra zinc. Because somewhere I read these were important. Third, I kept my protein intake up. After about the first 30 days post op I faithfully got in my protein every day. It was the first thing I ate at each meal to ensure I had adequate protein. You will find there is huge disagreement as to what causes the hair loss and whether anything can be done to prevent it. Some say it is as a result of the anesthetic, others says other things. But for whatever reason I was one of the lucky ones who did not lose my hair along with the weight and I thank my lucky stars. Remember the hair loss is temporary, usually starts around months 3-6 and it grows back. Best of luck and don't let a little hair loss prevent you from having the surgery.
   — Jennifer L.

September 3, 1999
I had the same problem as you. My hair was very thin on top and i also had to part it on the side. Now, 5 1/2 months post-op, i have to wear a wig. I am told it will grow back though. any more questions, you can e-mail me. Kyle
   — Kyle C.

September 4, 1999
One of the girls in our support group had a similar condition. She had the very radical distal gastric bypass and lost 185 lbs in one year. She is the picture of glowing good health, had her TT right at 13 months and hardly missed a beat. I think her hair is thicker and shinier than pre-op! She started takign 120g of protein AND hair preps before suregry and only missed the first 7 days after surgery (very limited intake with our doctor) and hte day of her TT. Oh, she took 200g of protein per day for 6 wks prior to her TT. Email me privately and I'll hook you up to her. [email protected]
   — vitalady

September 4, 1999
I had very thin hair like you describe. I lost a lot of hair following my surgery but it grew back thicker than what it was before surgery. The texture changed too.. It is fuller now as well. I didn't go bald but lost a good bit of it. Good luck to you.
   — Peggy W.

September 5, 1999
My hair was VERY thin pre-op. I had surgery 14 months ago and have had some hair loss. It is about like it was. It started coming out at 4 months but then about 6 months it started getting thicker and healthier. It is still thin and is still falling out some, but it hasn't gotten worse. It seems to replenish better than it did pre-op and it seems much healthier. It is still very thin, though. I wouldn't worry about going completely bald. I have never heard of that happenng and the hair loss does stop on its own after a couple of months. Good Luck!!
   — Donna D.

September 7, 1999
Hi Kellie, They told me the reason that you lose your hair after WLS is because of lack of protein. If you eat mostly protein than you should be alright. Also there is a designer protein from GNC store that isn't half bad. I recommend chocolate myself. I lost a little hair but not much.
   — Ellen M.