Question:
Not good to dye your hair after surgery??

OK, I am a nurse and this one has put me into a loop. I just read on someones site that you should not dye your hair in the first 6 months following surgery. Is this true? If it is why? I am the queen of keeping my hair that wonderful plum color and I do it often hmmm. Krysti    — Krysti H. (posted on August 8, 2003)

August 8, 2003
Hi Krysti. I'm pre-op & was worried about that myself (only 36 y.o. & 40% grey). I asked my doc. She said that it's not that you "can't" or "shouldn't" dye for 6 months. It's just that many people lose hair & may not want to risk damaging the remining hair. Personally, nobody would notice if I lost HALF of my hair. So I'm going to keep on hiding the grey.
   — Annie H.

August 8, 2003
Hi, girlie - I've had my hair dyed (and highlighted) twice since my surgery 12/2/02. My hair didn't fall out or anything bad. It actually took the color quite well. I did go to the blond/light brown - no reds, if that matters. Best of luck.
   — MissPriss

August 8, 2003
I lost a lot of hair due to what was going on inside my body. Coloring it didn't make a bit of difference.
   — Amber L.

August 8, 2003
hello, i have been a salon owner and hairstylist for 12 years. it is ok to dye and perm you hair. it will not make your hair fall out. it is a myth to wait 6 months after a surgery to do any chemical to your hair. people think that it takes 6 months for the anesthesia to get out of the hair. chemicals(haircolor,perms, medications ect..) are in the hair untill that part of the hair is cut off. just because you can't see the color even semi-color , it has still made a chemical change to your hair and is there untill it is cut. so color away!! :)
   — franbvan

August 8, 2003
I did dye my hair before and after surgery.. no one would want to see me with all my gray hair!!! You loose your hair due to the drugs they use to put you under, and of course the schock to your system rite after surgery. Not hair coloring.
   — paulsgirl

August 8, 2003
It was about 10 days after surgery before I dyed my hair. But only because I felt like shi#, not because I worried about the dye hurting me. I had no problems with it, or my hair falling out ether.
   — Danmark

August 8, 2003
I'm a double processed blonde and have had my hair colored two times since surgery almost 3 months ago. I have had no problems. Color away and feel like you!
   — adeas

August 8, 2003
I think it depends on where you're at. At 4 months I was able to highlight my hair with no problem. Now at 7 months my stylist says I have "medicine head". It's falling out and kinking up, looking weird. She went with a very low level peroxide this time and tried to just touch up to keep the processing to a dull roar. She cut it so that it curls up (my hair never curled before, now it looks like I've had a permanent). I put curling gel in it and scrunch to keep the amount of blowdrying to a minimum. My stylist had surgery and has cautioned me to just try to baby my hair to see it through. I'm having more surgery this week so I'm really nervous about more hair loss. My hair was down to my waist and straight before surgery and now it is on my shoulders and extremely curly. However, my husband who mourned my long hair actually loves the curly headed look. Work with your stylist and find the most loving way to deal with your tender hair. Good luck!
   — susanje

August 8, 2003
susan said her hair was down to her waist before surgery and then cut shoulder length after. as we get older changes with our hormones can cause our hair to change. the fact that she got a couple of feet cut off of her hair is why it curled...i'm almost sure it is not because of surgery. hormones play a big part in our hair and skin (younger with lighter colored hair, a teenager with acne ect..) fran van~ master stylist
   — franbvan

August 8, 2003
Fran, I think it's a combination of both cutting it and it growing in differently. It always had a natural wave and one of the reasons I wore it so long was because the wave made it do strange things when it was shoulder length (one side would wave upwards, the other downwards). It's never been curly like it is now. My mom had chemo and lost all her hair and when it grew back in it was curly where once it was straight. I know that my hair is a lot curlier than it ever was. It probably is a combination or lack of weight on the hair, regrowth, medicine head, and hormones.
   — susanje

August 8, 2003
I will be 3 months post op on August 13th. I never heard anything about not dying your hair after surgery, and since my surgery have probably colored my hair 4 times. I have not encountered any problems because of it. I'm not saying that you should ignore that advice, I'm just saying that I've done it, and have not had any side effects, however, my theory is, when in doubt, ASK YOUR DOCTOR!!!
   — Ceil G.

August 9, 2003
My hair stylist said yes dye it! the dye plumps up the hair shaft and gives the appearance of thicker hair. and it worked!
   — **willow**

August 9, 2003
Too Late! Have dyed it 3 times and highlighted twice. Like someone else said it has made my hair fluffier and less oily so I don't have to wash it as often and scrub it and cause more hair to fall out. I've had very minimal hair loss but I figure the less scrubbing of the scalp the better.
   — zoedogcbr

August 11, 2003
I died my hair a week after surgery and have continued to do it every month since my surgery almost 2 years ago. No problems.
   — Patty H.

August 12, 2003
I had my hair colored 2 weeks after having the lap gastric bypass. I haven't had any problems from having my hair colored.
   — Angela M.

August 12, 2003
Yowza! I haven't seen my natural hair color in almost 30 years. (I strongly suspect I wouldn't see it now anymore, either ;-P). I think the shock alone would kill me! There's no reason to quit coloring your locks over WLS. I've had no problems with hair color due to WLS or any other surgery -- same process & results before & after, regardless of temporary hair loss (a separate issue). Rock on, Queen Of Plum!
   — Suzy C.

August 27, 2003
Fran Van...I have to protest your comment about perms. I "had" a perm at 2 months out & it didn't even take the minutest of a curl. My hair is totally straight! PLUS I still had to pay!
   — Rita G.

August 27, 2003
Fran Van...I have to protest your comment about perms. I "had" a perm at 2 months out & it didn't even take the minutest of a curl. My hair is totally straight! PLUS I still had to pay!
   — Rita G.

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