Hair is seriously shedding!!!

[chilo1 62]

GREAT. My hair is brown and gray naturally and so I dye it blonde. I have short hair. I will die if I lose my hair. I barely have any as it is. It is fine and thin. I guess I better get a cute short cut, but I don't think i can stop dying my hair blonde to go ugly brown/gray mix. I'll talk to my doctor

[chilo1 62]

GREAT. My hair is brown and gray naturally and so I dye it blonde. I have short hair. I will die if I lose my hair. I barely have any as it is. It is fine and thin. I guess I better get a cute short cut, but I don't think i can stop dying my hair blonde to go ugly brown/gray mix. I'll talk to my doctor

Same brown hair, short with a few grays and I get it highlighted blond religously every 2 1/2 to 3 months. I already got it highlighted once since surgery, when I was 2 months out. I'm still going to have to get it done, the roots are starting to grow, but this time I'm going to wait 3-4 months in between if i can

[chilo1 62]

I don't know what's with this Protein myth...I mean, yes, you have to get a reasonable amount in, but LOTS of people (e.g. practically every vegetarian and vegan) eat only 40-50 grams a day and their hair doesn't fall out. It has to do with the surgery trauma. When you go through a major physical or emotional stress, your hair may arrest in growth and then fall out all around the same time (telogen effluvium). No amount of protein is going to do anything because the arrest happens within days of surgery. Of course, if you are eating like 100 calories and 5 grams of protein a day for months on end, then your new replacement hair actually won't grow in, but if your original hair is gonna fall out, it's gonna fall out whether you eat 20 or 100 grams of protein a day.

I've had a few major surgeries in my life and never had Hair loss. I did have hair loss once when I was doing my masters dissertation and had 2 small kids and was stressed like never before, I also started piling on the pounds at that time. I believe the quick weight loss also contributess to the hair loss, at least that's what my surgeon and Nut said. Are you shedding any hair??

[Globetrotter 1,340]

I think this hair-dye-equals-hair-loss is also a myth. I have been dying my roots evrey 3 weeks since surgery and my hair didn't start falling out till my fourth month.

When I was in the Peace Corps we were told that our hair would fall out around the 3rd month after arrival, because that's how long it takes the body to process trauma. Sure enough, 3 months later all of us females were losing clumps. Mine never recovered but I think that has to do with thyroid issues and genetics.

[Tiffykins 672]

I don't know what's with this Protein myth...I mean, yes, you have to get a reasonable amount in, but LOTS of people (e.g. practically every vegetarian and vegan) eat only 40-50 grams a day and their hair doesn't fall out. It has to do with the surgery trauma. When you go through a major physical or emotional stress, your hair may arrest in growth and then fall out all around the same time (telogen effluvium). No amount of Protein is going to do anything because the arrest happens within days of surgery. Of course, if you are eating like 100 calories and 5 grams of protein a day for months on end, then your new replacement hair actually won't grow in, but if your original hair is gonna fall out, it's gonna fall out whether you eat 20 or 100 grams of protein a day.

I've been saying the same thing for over a year now. I've posted links on telogen effluvium, and still people want to believe if they suck down 100mg of protein per day, it'll save their hair. It doesn't help when healthcare professional i.e. surgeons and nutritionists are telling people it's due to protein or lack thereof.

[chilo1 62]

I guess that even when we know it's gonna happen and that it is gonna regrow it's still scary, especially when you have such thin and little amount of hair to start with like I do, and as human beings we worry and try to find a cause and a way of preventing it

[Tiffykins 672]

I guess that even when we know it's gonna happen and that it is gonna regrow it's still scary, especially when you have such thin and little amount of hair to start with like I do, and as human beings we worry and try to find a cause and a way of preventing it

I promise I'm not trying to negate the emotional side of losing hair. I think acceptance of there is nothing to prevent it really helped me get through it. I was devastated to lose my hair, but knowing that it is going to happen, and knowing that it'll grow back helped me get through it. Plus, I could not tolerate Protein drinks/supplements so I was pretty sketchy on Protein intake until I got to mushie/pureed foods and even then, I'm sure I didn't get exactly 60gr of protein every single day even though I was super close.

My hair was the one thing I was proud of, the one thing people "envied" and complimented me on when I was fat. When I started shedding, losing in clumps, I mean I was having to put drano down my shower drain at least weekly, believe me, I was upset. I chopped all my hair off, and had 100's literally 100's of layers cut into it just to hide the loss.

Here's the best way I can show the dramatic change in my hair:

Obviously pre-op Thick coarse, gorgeous luster

This was 2 months post lapband December 2008 so 6 months pre-VSG revision:

Right before the shedding started (I had it cut off, highlight, lowlighted) You can tell it's still thick and coarse 3 months post-op

After the shedding had stopped not so gorgeous, no luster, little chia pet hairs everywhere This was January, 1 month after the shedding stopped

2 months after I chopped it off and 2 months after I stopped shedding, can you see my scalp? ? ? Yeppers, that's how severe it was for me.

This is late March, after I went back to dark hair. You can still see how much my hair is lacking

Most current still super thin(a couple of weeks ago), luster is coming back finally, but still not anywhere near where it was pre-op volume-wise

I know this doesn't help any, but I think it's a great visual to see that hair does come back, and I'm still getting "baby hairs" all along my hairline, and especially underneath around the nape of my neck. My flat Iron gets a workout just because I have to tame all the crazy hairs.

[chilo1 62]

Thanks Tiff, the pics do actually help cause I can see the process, and it's stupid of me really cause I knew/know perfectly well the facts, and thayt there is nothing you can do to prevent it. My hair pre-op was like your hair was when you say you can see your scalp, now i don't want to take pictures even!

But to be honest, i'd rather have hardly any hair than being as fat as I used to be, even though I haven't reached goal yet! Thanks for sharing your pics

[lissi 15]

I was so scared around the fifth month post op that I went to natural dark color (stopped coloring blonde) and cut about 9 inches off. It has helped with the Hair loss. I have to say that now 8 months post op... I'm not seeing so much shedding. I have not noticed any new Hair growth though...

[emilygrace 5]

God I traumatize mine with brazilian keratin treatments, otherwise it's like a poof of pubes on my head. There's no way I can go au natural!

Thanks for the pics Tiff, definitely helps to see the process (and your gorgeous smile!).

[LisaaaLisaaa 8]

Wow, you look amazing after your weight loss. Very beautiful. Even with your hair loss.

\

I promise I'm not trying to negate the emotional side of losing hair. I think acceptance of there is nothing to prevent it really helped me get through it. I was devastated to lose my hair, but knowing that it is going to happen, and knowing that it'll grow back helped me get through it. Plus, I could not tolerate Protein drinks/supplements so I was pretty sketchy on Protein intake until I got to mushie/pureed foods and even then, I'm sure I didn't get exactly 60gr of protein every single day even though I was super close.

My hair was the one thing I was proud of, the one thing people "envied" and complimented me on when I was fat. When I started shedding, losing in clumps, I mean I was having to put drano down my shower drain at least weekly, believe me, I was upset. I chopped all my hair off, and had 100's literally 100's of layers cut into it just to hide the loss.

Here's the best way I can show the dramatic change in my hair:

Obviously pre-op Thick coarse, gorgeous luster

This was 2 months post lapband December 2008 so 6 months pre-VSG revision:

Right before the shedding started (I had it cut off, highlight, lowlighted) You can tell it's still thick and coarse 3 months post-op

After the shedding had stopped not so gorgeous, no luster, little chia pet hairs everywhere This was January, 1 month after the shedding stopped

2 months after I chopped it off and 2 months after I stopped shedding, can you see my scalp? ? ? Yeppers, that's how severe it was for me.

This is late March, after I went back to dark hair. You can still see how much my hair is lacking

Most current still super thin(a couple of weeks ago), luster is coming back finally, but still not anywhere near where it was pre-op volume-wise

I know this doesn't help any, but I think it's a great visual to see that hair does come back, and I'm still getting "baby hairs" all along my hairline, and especially underneath around the nape of my neck. My flat Iron gets a workout just because I have to tame all the crazy hairs.

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

I've had a few major surgeries in my life and never had hair loss. I did have Hair loss once when I was doing my masters dissertation and had 2 small kids and was stressed like never before, I also started piling on the pounds at that time. I believe the quick weight loss also contributess to the hair loss, at least that's what my surgeon and Nut said. Are you shedding any hair??

I am losing a bit more than I'm used to, but it's not too dramatic. Hopefully it stays this way. From what I've seen on here, people seem to lose for 3-6 months, and if I keep losing at this rate, I don't think it'll get to a point where it'd be obvious until like a year later. I just hope it doesn't grow in funny and different from the rest of my hair - I was born with thick black hair, and then it all fell out around 1 year old and got replaced with fine blonde hair, so the potential for some weird color/texture change is definitely there....

I've never had surgery until the VSG, so I have nothing to compare it to. But I don't remember losing hair when I was severely bulimic and doing 2-3 hours of cardio a day as a teenager - when I WAS actually severely malnourished.

[TexasT 99]

I'm at 11 months post-op and mine has finally seemed to stop shedding. As I said in another thread though, all my new growth looks to be gray, which is a whole new can of worms!!

[chilo1 62]

I'm at 11 months post-op and mine has finally seemed to stop shedding. As I said in another thread though, all my new growth looks to be gray, which is a whole new can of worms!!

I won't mind being grey if it comes back cause I'll just dye it anyway!

Do you guys take zinc apart from the zinc in your Multivitamins? If yes how much?

I started doing a Protein Shake daily again, hair is hardly falling out since I started, coincidence, mad or placebo effect???

[thinoneday 445]

I am 4 1/2 months out and my hair is falling out a lot! I have very fine and short hair, and I can tell it falls out in bunches when I wash it. I'm trying to wash it less frecuently, but I have to wash it at least 2-3 times a weeks after the gym! My 12 yr old daughter was combing my hair yesterday and was saying that I have a few nearly bald bits, behind my ears and at the front my forehead, (That one I had realised) I'm starting to panic, I take all my supplements, Vitamins, Iron, etc, the only thing is that my Proteins aren't as high as the should be (sometimes only around 40 gr a day) So I am going to work on my Proteins from today, and I know a lot of you have said that it grows back, but it'sstill so scary. Any words of advice/encouragement will be very much appreciated!

I can SOOOOO relate to your panic. . . I started losing hair back in March and it's still dropping so severely that I could have literally made 3 or 4 long haired wigs by now. . . it's very long but my braid, which used to be so thick is less then the size of my pinky now. . . it's pretty pathetic, i've tried Biotin Vitamins and shampoos, eating more Protein, etc. . .but nothing has worked. . so I'm just going to let what nature wants to do happen. . . it's sad. . . sorry i don't have more advice or words of encouragement. . . sure hope mine will either stop or slow down and new growth start. . . i really don't want to get a wig. . .