From DFW Bariatric Institute:
"Hair loss after bariatric surgery is very common and very stressful. We all want to achieve great weight loss results and still have great hair. The Hair loss associated with weight loss surgery is called telogen effluvium and has to do with the normal Hair growth cycle. It usually starts abruptly and very seldom lasts longer than 6 months. Human hair has a two-stage growth cycle. The growth phase is called anagen and 90% of our hair follicles are in this phase at any given time. The resting phase is called telogen, which lasts about 1 to 6 months, with an average of 3 months. About 5-15% of our hair is in the resting phase at any given time. It is also known that telogen effluvium has to do with stress to the body and hormonal changes that can occur. Due to the stress more hair follicles can enter into the resting phase. This is important because the hair in the resting phase at the time of surgery is most likely the hair you will shed. This is why your hair sheds between 1 to 6 months after surgery (usually about 3 to 4 months)."
Some people say taking Biotin can help.
I told no one except my husband and kids. Not even my parents know. Yes, people have asked about my weight loss, "How did you do it?" My standard reply is "This is what I am doing............." By the time I get to no sugar and no alcohol, they usually walk away. My other standard answer, "Most people who lose weight regain it. If I am still thin in a year, you can ask again and we can discuss it."
Because I tell them what I AM DOING, not what I DID, I do not believe I have lied to anyone. Interestingly, the only overweight people who have asked are ones who could stand to lose 20 - 40 pounds, and who would not qualify for surgery anyway. What I tell them about dietary, exercise, and lifestyle changes is spot on, and exactly what I AM doing and what they could be doing. A morbidly obese person has NEVER asked me about my weight loss. I have relatives who have lost a LOT of weight and then gained it all back. I saw them at Christmas, and they never even mentioned or asked about my own weight loss. I think it might have been a little threatening to them, and they might even be waiting to see if I gain it all back by next Christmas.
I still don't intend to mention surgery to anyone. It's my personal business, and I have watched reactions about other people who have had surgery. It's the "easy way out," or "all someone has to do is eat less and move more," or "why would anyone want to mess up their internal plumbing." I am just not secure enough to wonder about what people would be saying behind my back or always putting an "asterick" by my name in their minds: "Sure, she looks good, but she had surgery...."
