Dear Friends,

I am 3 1/2 months post op , my weight loss is great, :clap2: but I'm beginning to notice a definite thinning trend in my hair line! AAAGGHHH!

I'm really careful about eating adequate protien each day, take a Vitamin B supplement, and a multi vitamin every day... I realize drastic weight loss can cause some hair loss, (I had some hair loss after my last weight loss adventure ten years ago, the hair never came back, although all the weight did:faint: ) but is there any way to keep from losing more???:grouphug:

I've read posts suggesting Nioxin, so I've ordered the shampoo and conditioner. BUT I'M CONFUSED... there are a lot of hair treatments out there to pick from! Some contain Minoxidil, which claims to actually grow hair.. others don't, like Nioxin. SO... I'd like to hear from anyone who has ACTUALLY USED any of these treatements... and what results have you noticed? Would you reccommend one over another?

HELP! I don't want to end up like one of these "hair challenged" smiley faces....BALD!:help:

Hey, your talking to the hair loss queen.

Back in my twenties, I was a hair model. Long, very thick and very wavy. My hair was always my crowning glory.

Now, it's so thin you can see my scalp. But it's from hormone issues. It began to really fall out bad when I was on Atkins, so it defo was not anything to do with protien.

I tried everything. From Minoxodil (it gave me bad dermatitis on my scalp), pills, everything. What is working for me is the Nioxin. I use the line for chemically treated hair. Because it is thin, I have lightened it. It disguises the scalp better.

I get mine off of Ebay to save money. But use the entire line to really be effective. The shampoo, conditioner and the scalp treatment. It's really helped.

I also use the supplements when I can afford it.

Thank you Leener! (I LOVE your signature...)

When you say Nioxin helps, do you mean you notice a difference in the thinning or does it make the hair feel thicker? Do you notice increased growth at all or is it mainly a good preventitive keeping more from falling out?

I SOOOO appreciate your comments, it sounds like you have run the gamut for different treatments and I will take your wise advice and add the scalp treatment to my order. Are the supplements you mention also from the same maker? Thanks again for your help with all these "hairy" questions!:hippie:

Mary Petunia

Have you had your iron levels checked? Low iron can cause hair to thin. True iron deficiency anemia cannot be detected from a hemaglobin and hematocrit. You need a ferritin level, iron level, total iron binding capacity and iron saturation... one tube of blood.

Hi Elisabeth,

No, not that I know of. I haven't had any blood tests since the surgery. It would be interesting to find out, though. I don't have an appointment for awhile, so maybe I'll email my doctor's office and find out if that's something they can do for me. Thank you for the advice, it really sounds like you know your stuff, are you in the medical field? Congratulations on your band and weight loss! You are doing fabulous!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Hi Mary,

Yes, I have been in the healthcare field (RN) for MANY years and I also have iron deficiency anemia that was discovered when I had my gallbladder out a few years ago. Your MD could give you a Rx to have the bloodwork done at your leisure.

OK in the industry, skin end but still know a bit about hari. Nioxin works well for some people. As do all the others. It is so individual. My sister noticed a big difference in her thinning hair with nioxin, used the shampoo conditioner, the conentrated serums (always changing what they call it as they imporve it). All of it helped, but what made the biggest difference was the nioxin supplements. The real key to stopping the thinning and even regrowth for anyone is trial and error. If you try something try the entire treatment, don't pick and choose. What will work for you is determined by why your hair is thinning. It could be genetic, hormonal, diet, etc. so try different things for a fair amount of time. Nioxin does take some time to work, but for those it works for it does help regrow even. Nothing is a miracle cure that will give you all your hair back. If you don't find something that works for you, consider getting a weave. They are pretty durable and your hair will always look great!

I was actually in the Upjohn study in Denver back in 1992-1993 that tested the effectiveness of Minoxidil for use on women. It was a nine-month long study. I did get noticably regrowth, but I personally did not find it worth the trouble of putting it on twice a day. Of course, when you stop using the product, what grows in due to the product will fall out. So now I'm 49 and have thin hair. I decided to enjoy it instead of fighting it. I took the clippers out a few months ago and buzzed it to about half an inch and bleached it white. A few weeks ago I put some pink in it. It's dark ash blonde today, but I feel the urge for change coming on strong!!

Hi Mary, Yes the supplements were from Nioxin.

hair loss can be caused from so many things;

surgery

hormone imbalance (in my case it's PCOS)

skin/scalp condition

excessive shedding (I forget the medical term)

lack of protien/minerals/vitamins

Like waterlilly said about sing the whole line and trying things to see what works best. But find out why it's happening

You guys are good.:clap2: Very good advice. HERE IS MY TWO CENTS WORTH.

I have been doing hair for 21years and nioxin is one of the best I have ever seen.:phanvan If it grows your hair back it will not fall out. :biggrin1: My favorits are the cleanser the conditioner and the follicle booster along with the vitamiamins. Those are what my clients have had the best luck with.

If you have a Supercuts near you, you can get it there.

I went to my doctor a few weeks ago and complained that my hair is falling out in clumps. He said this is normal for weight loss patients. I asked when it would stop, he said when I stopped losing weight. I asked if there was anything I could take, you know extra Protein, etc. He said no, there is no medical evidence that any product/supplement works.

So folks, I think we just have to deal with it for now and eventually it will grow back. My friend who had gastric had the same problem, she lost a ton of hair but now that she is a few years out from surgery and pretty much maintaining her weight, her hair got nice and thick. She said there's not much you can do, just make sure your taking your Vitamins and do make sure you are getting enough protein...can't hurt.

Just my to cents as well.

BTW, my hair was so nice and now, its stringy :eek: good thing is, it will grow back Its just so scary when every day clumps fall out :mad:

Hang in there band buddies :eek:

anillacookie, I like the follicle booster too. I even tried other hair loss product lines but found Nioxin to be the best. My friend who is a hair stylist at Supercuts introduced me to it.

Eileen is right, about the hair loss. But for me it's PCOS, and it never went back to it's former glory. I really feel like if my friend didn't introduce me to Nioxin last year I'd be wearing wigs right now.

HI All,

THANK YOU so much for your input! I'm going to order the supplements and extra treatment today! All your advice is SO appreciated! If this helps keep even a few extra hairs on my head I'll be happy!!

Blessings to you all!

Just an update... I've been using the Nioxin shampoo, conditioner, scalp treatment, and supplements for just a week now.... and I definitely notice a positive difference in my scalp!! (Flaky, scaly patches seem to be lessening, hair doesn't feel so stringy and oily, feels cleaner...) I'm sure it may be awhile before I notice a difference in thinning, but I feel happy with what I'm doing today. Thank you all again for your wise advice!

Your welcome Mary. I was wondering about how you were doing with this. Glad to have helped. I know how frightening it was when I was losing my hair.

I know this post is a little late in the game and I have not had any problems with losing my hair personally but my husband started losing his after being in the military. We never worried about and he wasn't self conscious about it at all but I started my own business with a company who offered a hair growth stimulator and he tried it. We started seeing results in about 3 weeks. It is a hair and scalp revitalizer. He has got every guy in church using this stuff now and all have noticed a difference. I don't know how it would work in your situation but it was worth letting you know about. check out this link to the website if you wish. https://www.arbonne.com/shop_online/showCatalog.asp?category=143