labeba69

I started taking hair supplements four months before surgery still take them. I get in 80 grams of Protein a day and drink tons of Water.
I take my Vitamins and all that stuff.
I still lost hair. I am loosing about half a handful each shower, but I do have a lot anyway.
I am not too worried about it because My hair is curly and can mask thinness very easily. I did chop it short so it didn't look stringy though.

In the meantime, I've gone and gotten a pixie cut (veeerrrry chic for a 49 year old I can tell you) and I'm reveling in the no muss no fuss hair days after years of long (and sometimes very long) hair.
Yup, hence my super short hair! Got tired of pulling long strands out in the shower!

Not to burst any bubbles, but the hair loss usually doesn't start until about 3 months out. A lot of people are under the impression that it starts falling out right away, but that is not the case. That being said, some people don't lose any or very little. From the people I have talked to, the ones that lost it just lost it no matter what they did or tried. From my own experience, I was 3 months post op when my hair started falling out and I lost a lot. I lost until about 9-10 months post op. The only thing I found that helped me at all was Biosil (not to be mistaken with Biotin). Biosil is a silcon supplement which is suppose to help hair and nail growth as well as skin. I didn't start taking it until later but did notice that it helped my new hair coming in.
I am now 20 months post op and all my hair is back in and healthier than ever!

Some people will lose no more than the regular amount of hair (normal growth/regrowth cycles) and some will lose a lot of hair. It depends on how the individual's body handles the "insult" of surgery and the wls. Keeping up the Protein helps with the regrowth cycle, but does not prevent hair loss. For those of you who didn't lose much hair, say a small 'hallelujah' and observe a moment of silence for those of us who have.
There's great suggestions in one of the other forums on hair loss, and some will work and some won't. Again, depends on the individual. Fortunately, research so far supports that nobody goes bald (with the VSG) and the loss is temporary. I decided I don't care, I'd rather be skinny. So I'll either shave my head a la Demi Moore, or wear a wig a la Dolly Parton if it gets too bad. In the meantime, I've gone and gotten a pixie cut (veeerrrry chic for a 49 year old I can tell you) and I'm reveling in the no muss no fuss hair days after years of long (and sometimes very long) hair.
The thing that seems to be helping me is the silicon supplement. As a side effect, my fingernails are looking pretty amazing too. Just in case, I'm eyeing up the long blonde wig in the window at the mall. HWHN* says it looks way more like Rod Stewart than Dolly Parton. But what would he know? He thinks Dolly is a test-tube sheep.
CE
*HWHN = "He Who Hates to be Named" aka my quiet, introverted husband.