Question:
How bad can the hair loss get?

I just read the question about is it possible not to lose your hair and the reply was that she didn't have big bald spots. ARE there people (specifically women) who lost that much hair from this? Most people I've seen say no one noticed but themselves - I'm curious to know if that is not always the case. Thanks!    — K. Joyce Smith (posted on May 10, 2002)

May 10, 2002
Most posties do lose some hair and like everything else about WLS, it is never the same for everyone. I lost enough for it to be noticed. Thankfully, my hair was thick to begin with, so even though it has thinned out, I can live with it and it generally grows back. I found, through some research, that hair lose, splitting and extremely brittle nails and dry skin are a result of the lack of or malabsorbtion of vitamins B. My nails were very brittle and my skin was very dry. I made sure my daily multiple vitamin included all of the B vitamins and then I found a good vitamin B complex supplement to take. My hair lose is much less now, my nails are no longer brittle and my skin isn't as dry as it got shortly following WLS. I am 6 months post-op, open RNY.
   — Susan M.

May 10, 2002
Well, my hair loss was certainly noticeable. I did not have bald spots or anything like that, but I had major loss. My hair was quite long & VERY thick to start with. When the loss started becoming a real concern, I tried cutting it to about shoulder length, that didn't help. I eventually had to cut it very short as it just looked stupid. The still-long parts were so thin & stringy, it looked almost like some bizarre shag. The good news is that just at about the point where I began to really freak out & think I MIGHT go bald, it was beginning to grow back in. That "new tufts of hair" stage was "interesting." But it DID grow back & that's the most important thing to remember...this too will pass.
   — Kathy W.