I am an african american women who is pretty jazzie....I have a short hair cut and now my hair is beginning to thin!!!! Help!!! Wigs are not a option.

I have started taking Biotin 5000mg, any other suggestions?

VSG: March 10, 2010

Dr. Jason Balette

Houston, TX

My doctor said to use Nioxen shampoo and conditioner and take selenium too.

I used Folicure extra care shampoo that can be found at beauty supply stores or online. The nioxin and folicure shampoos will strip your hair of all oils, and can dry your scalp, so make sure you use a great, high quality conditioner/moisturizer if you choose this option. I only used the Folicure every other day, and an anti-breakage shampoo in between. No blow drying, no flat iron, no coloring or processing was recommended by my doctor and stylist. Massaging the scalp is supposed to help with regrowth as well. I was advised to not take any additional zinc, selenium or copper because you do not want an overabundance of these minerals in your system. Also, some multi vitamins include these in their formulas.

Having been through this surgery gig a couple times now, I'll tell you my experience. You will lose hair. It doesn't matter what you take, what you eat, what you do... Last surgery (when they removed my band) I lost a ton of hair, starting at about 3-4 months out. I wasn't taking anything special, like Biotin (etc) last time. This time around, I've been taking Biotin, Selenium, multis, Calcium, and lots of Protein from day 1... and now 5 months out, I started losing hair at, you guessed it, the 4th months after surgery. This is ongoing for me, some days it's worse than others... I would say do the best you can, try the Folicure or Nioxin, and just know... the hair does grow back. Though it's a long road, this is all very normal... and for me, it's worth it.

(I also lost hair starting at the 4th month when I had my band placed... so for me, this is a pattern.)

Hope things look up for you soon, and our hair sticks to where it belongs (on our heads).

losing your hair will be inevitable, with my lap band i lost over 50% of my hair starting at about 3 months post band. it took about 5 years for it to come back, i did everything, vitamins, special shampoos etc, while that will not hurt it will not help, nothing will......