Can someone who is a little down the road with their VSG experience please tell me about the hair loss ? I would love to hear form someone who has gone thru the hair loss and the regrowth. Are there things that can be done to help minimize the hair loss. Does the hair go back to its normal thickness eventually (how long)? Does hair loss happen to everyone?

I have read some talk about the surgery and anesthesia causing hair loss but i have had several surgery's including gall bladder removal in May and I have never experienced hair loss with any of my surgeries so it must be due to the rapid weight loss and the stress it puts on the body.

I'm considering the Sleeve procedure and want to make sure I have a clear understanding of the good, the bad, and the ugly's of VSG.

Thanks...

I haven't personally had this experience, but there are many who have posted of their experience. I have seen various answers from none to extreme. I have yet to hear of someone who it has lasted more than half a year. I have heard several say it grows back but some not the same as before. I wanted to respond to pop this to the top of new content and give it a second try for an answer from someone more experienced.

I'm 20 months out. At 3.5 months, my hair started falling out in huge amounts. I lost 1/2 of my hair by volume, by 5 months post-op, I had regrowth coming in. I never had bald spots, but you could definitely tell it was thin on top.

There is absolutely nothing that will stop the hair loss. Ensuring that you get in your Protein helps with recovery and regrowth, but it's not going to stop the loss. There's plenty of people that never struggled to get in protein and lost hair for longer and in more quantities than I ever did.

My shedding significantly slowed down, and almost stopped by 6.5-7 months out. I had gallbladder surgery at 8 months post-op and about 2 months post-gb removal, I had shedding again although not as severe as post-sleeve.

I used folicure extra care shampoo to help with regrowth. I never took Biotin on a regular basis which is supposed to help with regrowth as well, but I never did.

Zinc levels are also supposed to help with regrowth, but my zinc levels were always normal post-op, and never had any deficiencies in any of my labs.

My hair has grown back in about 2/3 of it's pre-op luster and thickness. The big change is that pre-op, I had super wavy, natural body, almost curly hair. The new growth has grown in stick straight, and my hair still lacks body, but it's nothing that a little mousse and creative blow-drying doesn't resolve.

Here is an article that explain the hair loss. It is a combination of anesthesia, trauma to the body, and significant dietary changes:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1071566-overview

I'm 20 months out. At 3.5 months, my hair started falling out in huge amounts. I lost 1/2 of my hair by volume, by 5 months post-op, I had regrowth coming in. I never had bald spots, but you could definitely tell it was thin on top.

There is absolutely nothing that will stop the hair loss. Ensuring that you get in your Protein helps with recovery and regrowth, but it's not going to stop the loss. There's plenty of people that never struggled to get in protein and lost hair for longer and in more quantities than I ever did.

My shedding significantly slowed down, and almost stopped by 6.5-7 months out. I had gallbladder surgery at 8 months post-op and about 2 months post-gb removal, I had shedding again although not as severe as post-sleeve.

I used folicure extra care shampoo to help with regrowth. I never took Biotin on a regular basis which is supposed to help with regrowth as well, but I never did.

Zinc levels are also supposed to help with regrowth, but my zinc levels were always normal post-op, and never had any deficiencies in any of my labs.

My hair has grown back in about 2/3 of it's pre-op luster and thickness. The big change is that pre-op, I had super wavy, natural body, almost curly hair. The new growth has grown in stick straight, and my hair still lacks body, but it's nothing that a little mousse and creative blow-drying doesn't resolve.

Here is an article that explain the hair loss. It is a combination of anesthesia, trauma to the body, and significant dietary changes:

http://emedicine.med...071566-overview

Hey Tiff, where have you been? I've missed you! Are you ok? Is everyone ok? Glad your back.

Can someone who is a little down the road with their VSG experience please tell me about the hair loss ? I would love to hear form someone who has gone thru the hair loss and the regrowth. Are there things that can be done to help minimize the hair loss. Does the hair go back to its normal thickness eventually (how long)? Does hair loss happen to everyone?

I have read some talk about the surgery and anesthesia causing hair loss but i have had several surgery's including gall bladder removal in May and I have never experienced hair loss with any of my surgeries so it must be due to the rapid weight loss and the stress it puts on the body.

I'm considering the Sleeve procedure and want to make sure I have a clear understanding of the good, the bad, and the ugly's of VSG.

Thanks...

Hi, well I had my surgery Dec 29, 2009 and my hair started falling out in March 2010. . . and it hasn't stopped! Ugh, my beautiful thick braid is now the thickness of my pinkie! and my hair is so thin on top you can see my scalp. . . BUT!!!!! there are little sprouts of hair coming up here and there. . . looks like a rat chewed my hair though, it looks funny! But it's still dropping out. . . oh well, I gave up one thing for another I guess. . . can't have it all. . . but why not??????

I know this sounds crazy but i've always had such nice think hair and the thought of losing it is driving me nuts.... it's the one thing that is keeping me from making my decision. I know it's crazy. The Protein shakes I can handle (did medifast for 3 mos) Protein I can do (Atkins... been there, done that) but loss of hair... REALLY

Also, what if you color it... doesn't that stress it even more. Nobody has seen my "all natural" in years.

Hey Tiff, where have you been? I've missed you! Are you ok? Is everyone ok? Glad your back.

I need your email or Facebook or something, I"ve been posting randomly, and just kind of hit or miss.

I can clue in you on what's going on with me. . . It's NOT VSG related at all ! ! !

Oh chickee, believe me, I know exactly how you feel. I had hair that all my friends envied. Men loved my thick, coarse wavy locks, but I lost it. If you look through my before/during and after pics you can really see the changes.

And, yes, my stylist did tell me no coloring, highlighting, heavy heat processing during the shedding. No ponytails were the biggest thing so I sported a ballcap A LOT.

In the grand scheme of things, I'll take losing the hair with losing the back fat ! ! ! It is temporary, it does grow back. But, it takes time, and it's one of the cons, but for me, it was way worth it to go from a size 22/24W to a size 2 at the expense of some of my hair.

Believe me, no one noticed my hair once I started dropping weight.

I know this sounds crazy but i've always had such nice think hair and the thought of losing it is driving me nuts.... it's the one thing that is keeping me from making my decision. I know it's crazy. The Protein shakes I can handle (did medifast for 3 mos) Protein I can do (Atkins... been there, done that) but loss of hair... REALLY

Also, what if you color it... doesn't that stress it even more. Nobody has seen my "all natural" in years.

Well you may be one of the lucky gals where the hair isn't affected at all. . . you never know how your body will react to this surgery. . . as far as color? I don't know, I have never did anything with my hair ever and now am thinking about coloring it myself because guess what color the hair is that is growing back? You got it GRAY!!!! ugh!!!!!

Are you serious about forgoing the surgery and losing the ability to finally get out of obesity versus hair that will eventually grow back?? The Protein Shakes aren't that bad. . . I think most folks make a mountain out of a mole hill when it comes to these. . .sort of like hospital food. . . you'll hear people gripe about hospital food all the time, but in reality it's NOT that bad. . . good luck with your choices , whatever you choose you will do fine! Good luck with your future endeavors!

I guess I am an oddball. I actually look forward to losing some of my hair. My hair is sooo thick, I never get a good style. The stylists always mess it up. I have anxiety attacks when it is time to get a hair cut because I know how bad it is going to be. They don't want to cut it without thinning it first. Thinning it makes it grow back even thicker.

I know this sounds crazy but i've always had such nice think hair and the thought of losing it is driving me nuts.... it's the one thing that is keeping me from making my decision. I know it's crazy. The Protein shakes I can handle (did medifast for 3 mos) Protein I can do (Atkins... been there, done that) but loss of hair... REALLY

Also, what if you color it... doesn't that stress it even more. Nobody has seen my "all natural" in years.

I just posted somewhere else, mine was very thin to start with, ,hair loss started for me at 3 months now at nearly 6 months it's strating to grow back(horrible short dark brown hairs) and hardly falls out any more. I never stopped colouring or styling, I figured if it was gonna fall out anyway I would still look nice in the process! Nobody notices unless I specifically point it out. I'd have the hairlossinstead of the fat anyday!!

I'm still coloring my hair even though I'm losing some (but not huge amounts). I don't use permanent hair color, but semi-permanent with no ammonia. I HAVE to color the gray and I'm not going to let that lapse for a few months!

I need your email or Facebook or something, I"ve been posting randomly, and just kind of hit or miss.

I can clue in you on what's going on with me. . . It's NOT VSG related at all ! ! !

I think I sent you an email with my email address. My name is Kim

Well you may be one of the lucky gals where the hair isn't affected at all. . . you never know how your body will react to this surgery. . . as far as color? I don't know, I have never did anything with my hair ever and now am thinking about coloring it myself because guess what color the hair is that is growing back? You got it GRAY!!!! ugh!!!!!

Are you serious about forgoing the surgery and losing the ability to finally get out of obesity versus hair that will eventually grow back?? The Protein shakes aren't that bad. . . I think most folks make a mountain out of a mole hill when it comes to these. . .sort of like hospital food. . . you'll hear people gripe about hospital food all the time, but in reality it's NOT that bad. . . good luck with your choices , whatever you choose you will do fine! Good luck with your future endeavors!

I actually like Protein Shakes... I actually had one this morning for Breakfast. I love protein and I'm not a sweet junky so i know i will get protein in my diet. I'm just trying to weigh (excuse the pun) everything out. Make sure there are absolutely no surprises when surgery day arrives. I've been watching as many youtube videos and possible. My husbands probably thanks I've lost my mind but once you have the surgery there is no turning back and I don't want to have regrets.

I started losing my hair 4 years ago after getting the Lap Band. My doctor at that time, did not put me on any diet or protein. I read on the OH site that Biotin would help. so I started taking that. I did get some regrowth and then it was discovered that my lap band had to come out. So I had revision to the sleeve 3 months ago. My hair fell out again, I am almost bald on the top, and the rest of my hair is very brittle. I ask my current Doctor about it after he checked all my vitamin and protein levels. They were all fine. He said that my body had gone thru a lot of stress and that it would grow back. I hope and pray he is right. But if I had to trade my hair for major weight loss, I would do it all over again. Having my health is more important.

My husbands probably thanks I've lost my mind but once you have the surgery there is no turning back and I don't want to have regrets.

I had to think a minute about the hair thing too, my thick long hair has been my crowning glory when all else was sh*t. I have always gotten tons of comments on my hair. I went and did it anyway. I will use henna just as always, it adds some volume and will get the waist length hair cut into something that will boof up better if I need to. Nothing like long stringy hair to put a dent in ones glamor! I decided that my health is just to important to avoid this change, hair trauma or not! Im sure you know some fantastic stylists that will give you a makeover if you need one.....Girls day out! Might call for some new earrings and lipstick at the same time.