female only The dreaded hair loss

[wondering1 103]

I have lost about 1/2 of my hair. It really bums me out but I know that it's likely to come back in 6 months or so. I get over 80 grams of Protein daily, take 10,000 mg Biotin and use Nioxin Shampoo, conditioner and scalp treatment. I think this is slowing down the loss but it's definately not preventing it. Ugh.

[Julie76 251]

I have lost soooo much hair! Now I find out I have to have my gallbladder taken out too. If I lose more hair I will have to buy wigs. :`(

[Soup-a-Woman 43]

I lost about 1/2 my hair after VSG. I did lose hair after both my kids' births as well, but not to this volume. I didn't lose any at all until 4 or 5 months after surgery and then Wham! It's coming back now... I have a ton of little 1-2" hairs all over my head. The funny thing is that both the hair that I have left and the hair that's coming back in has gone wildly curly. I always had a wave to my hair, but now I'm all crazy curly.

I would go bald though, if it meant I could lose the 150 pounds I've lost. I feel terrific, even with thinner hair!

[DIAMOND45 20]

I was freaking out about this hair thing because I have been reading all these comments about handfuls of hair falling out starting around 3-4 months post-op and I am a person of color and I do have a head full of thick shoulder length hair. After reading all the blogs on the internet about this topic, I was really considering cancelling my surgery (March 15, 2012) because I take pride in taking excellent care of my hair which we all know is an extention of who we are. But then I started thinking, "hey it's only hair, do what you can to minimze the Hair loss, it will grow back, or just cut it short now, and by some Diva wigs and by the time it grows back, you will be a healtier, slimmer you"! So I am going on full

steam ahead! Just think about it, we've had this struggle with our weight for so long and now with this tool and and our own efforts, we now have a chance to be FREE of this obesity monster, so if it means we lose some hair on our heads to gain a healthier body for life, then I say

it's worth it! So I'm going to continue to trust in the Lord with all my heart, take great care of my hair, take my Vitamins, Biotin ect. and if the hair falls out, I'm getting me a fabulous Diva Wig Collection to have on standby and if I will "Rock The Wig!" :D :D

[DIAMOND45 20]

Look at it this way, you can never have a bad hair day with a "Diva Wig" on standby!

[Dooter 1,457]

Okay, I've been reading about everyone's almost inevitable hair loss and how there is really nothing we can do to prevent it. I have also read (online and at other places) that sometimes the trauma of the anesthesia/surgery causes the hair to go into resting phase or whatever. It made sense to me and I accepted that as fact, then I started thinking, wait, I had tonsils out and gallbladder out and they had to put me under to remove a kidney stone and all told about 8 surgeries in my life and my hair never fell out with any of them? So, does this mean mine won't or is there something else at play here? Could it be that we just aren't getting enough nutrients at first?

My surgeon insists that the Hair loss is preventable IF you are absolutely diligent about getting the necessary grams of Protein in EVERY EVERY day. Even if you DO lose some, it will grow back.

[Caradina 65]

I lost around half of my hair after my hysterectomy last summer. I was thin and fine to begin with. I'm really scared about losing more with the sleeve, because my scalp shows now. I guess I'll have to hope and pray it doesn't get much wore, and if it does, I'll shave it off and start over and wear wigs until it comes back. I was told it has more to do with hormones and a shock to the system than with Protein. I lost my ovaries and so went into instant menopause, which is probably what caused it. Because the fat loss releases so many hormones in women, this might be a connection in a VSG case as well.

[Patienlywtng on my Curves 73]

I read an article that suggested Evening Primrose oil helps. Actually someone on youtube mentioned it in their video that they found it on OH. My plan is to start now, stop shortly before surgery and revisit a few weeks after surgery.

[circa 333]

Evening primrose oil helps with a lot of things - it can help to stave off hormonal effects, which contribute to the hair loss - also good for PMS, by the way

I lost a whole lot of hair when I was going through chelation treatments. I thank my lucky stars I have overly thick hair because I was the only one that noticed. It was so bad I was pulling handfuls out in the shower. I have noticed that since surgery, my hair is actually getting THICKER. I know I've been exceeding my Protein goals each day and that my thyroid is functioning better, which also helps. I'm excited to know how well this is going to go for me!

[MzPecanBrown 86]

I am VERY concerned about this. I lost hair a few years ago due to another condition and it FINALLY has some length and fullness back to it. I am said to think about going through that process again. I had to cut my hair short and stop all chemicals. I am now wearing my hair naturally curly instead of using any chemical product to straighten it. I have been taking 5000 mcg of Biotin since my previous bout with Hair loss. Hopefully this and lack of stress will help me some.

I PRAY it doesn't happen to me or at least is minimal. It grew back very fine the last time.

[LayleezMoMMii504 1]

This might sound crazy but I actually cryed reading this thread!! My hair is down to my butt and I take pride in it, im soooo scared this will happen to me when I get the surgery, I pray it wont!! I feel like my hair is a big part of me, I hide behind it sometimes if that makes any sense... Being a BIG girl I guess theres not alot of things I find attractive about myself but my hair is one. This terrifies me ;(

[Madison 59]

This might sound crazy but I actually cryed reading this thread!! My hair is down to my butt and I take pride in it, im soooo scared this will happen to me when I get the surgery, I pray it wont!! I feel like my hair is a big part of me, I hide behind it sometimes if that makes any sense... Being a BIG girl I guess theres not alot of things I find attractive about myself but my hair is one. This terrifies me ;(

I was in the same boat pre-surgery! Severely overweight with very long thick hair--pretty much the only thing I loved about myself and received plenty of compliments about. It was one of the few things I took pride in. I'm 8 months post-op, and for the first time ever, able to shop in normal stores. I did lose a LOT of hair, but I kept it long so it still looks beautiful. It really thinned out but there aren't any bald spots and at least my body is physically attractive now (if that matters ) Now I'm much, MUCH slimmer with thinner (but still pretty) hair. My advice is to take great care of it, be positive, and learn to love your new self...trust me once you see those numbers go down on the scale and remember what your previously morbidly obese used to feel/look like...you'd trade all the hairs on your head to never go back there.

[Dooter 1,457]

Don't forget it does grow back!! (stay up with your Vitamins and protein)

[Becca 108]

I lost hair with my Lapland surgery, but not as much as I did with the VSG. I lost my hair until about a year out. It finally stopped on it's own and is now growing back. I think it is from such a drastic change in our food intake.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I got more than the required amount of proten from day one. I took Biotin and everything else anyone recommended, including Nioxin Shampoo and conditioner. I still lost half my hair.

It's crazy. I have always had really straight hair .It came back in curly. I don't know how to deal with curly hair. It gets reallly frizzy now if it's humid out. It's very weird but I don't think there is anything anyone can do to prevent Hair loss. My friend never ate much Protein, and she still doesn't. She didn't lose any hair.