To those who have lost hair - Have any of you dyed your hair during the time it was falling out? If so what was the result? I need to dye my hair but I'm afraid it will make it fall out faster.

I'm not a hair dresser but when you consider the reasons why the hair falls out, I can't imagine that a dye job would make it worse. The dye is just topical. The reasons the hair is falling out are systemic.

There may be some impact on how your hair takes the color. Things like anesthesia, and especially antibiotics, exit our bodies in a lot of ways, including our hair (hence hair-based drug tests are effective for months). WHile they're still in our hair significantly, it can impact how certain treatments work. E.g. my stylist will not perm your hair if you've taken antibiotics in the last 3 months, she has you wait.

Just my best guess.

I colored my hair twice during the falling out time and it didnt hurt anything. Between the 3 and 6 month period I lost a lot of hair but at about 6 1/2 to 7 months the loss stopped. I've had surgeries before and knew to expect this, the anesthesia is what causes it. Hope this helps. Good luck

Anesthesia can cause it, but it's notusually the exclusive cause. E.g. had my lapband, lost hair like mad. Had my gallbladder out, didn't lose hair. Had my lapband removed, didn't lose hair.

It's probably more likely the general anesthesia combined with the trauma of surgery and the stress of healing. In the case of WLS, throw in nutritional/protein defecits. Physical trauma can actually change the lifecycle of hair.

For women, falling estrogen levels can contribute as well. Fat people have more estrogen.

I have had to dye my hair twice. I have come to the conclusion that if my hair is going to come out, there's really not anything I can do to stop it. Trust me, I have tried. I'm seriously thinking about getting it dyed really soon due to gray hairs are about an 1" now. I do take a lot of biotin and silica for my hair. So it is growing really fast.

I've dyed mine during my falling out phase. I don't notice a significantly larger amount of hair falling out, but I would rather have blond hair falling out of my head than gray hair.

I have dyed, and highlighted my hair three times since surgery and it doesn't make it fall out any faster, or worse. I gotta agree with Wheetsin again (sheesh, Wheetsin, you practically write my ideas for me!!) that our hair loss is systemic and hair dye is topical, so doesn't really matter. It's gonna fall out regardless if that's what your body wants to do. And it is hormonal, not tied to anesthesia (for many hormonal reasons - unfortunately, obesity causes a maelstrom of related hormonal issues and when we have the surgery and suddenly lose weight, our body's panic). That's why some have some hair loss and others not. I had HORRIBLE hair loss after the birth of my son three years ago (another hormonal upset and maelstrom on the body) yet some women don't lose weight after having a baby like that (most do), but my hair loss since the surgery hasn't been as bad. But it has not been pretty, either. It is definitely thinning...was worse right at the three month mark, which is very common, and has slowed down a bit, but it is still falling out, just not as bad.

Wow..so has your hair grown back?

Wow..so has your hair grown back?

I agree that hormones can contribute to it too, but my anesthestiology and hairdresser both told me the anesthesia will do it by itself. Whichever I'm just glad mine has stopped. lol

Thanks for asking this question, as I was wondering too about hair dye. I haven't had WLS yet but wondered about coloring it. I have it colored every 2 months. I am worried about it falling out though after surgery. I think I will start taking the Biotin (I think that is what some one recommended) that helps with hair loss. I was at Sam's Club recently and saw a bottle of it but didn't buy it. I have an indiv. nutrionist appointment tommorrow and I am going to ask her about it and see if taking the biotin now will help some and in the future!

I think I will start taking the Biotin (I think that is what some one recommended) that helps with hair loss.

Opinions vary. Many believe it helps with regrowth, not hair loss; others swear by it for hair loss. Let us know what your nutritionist says.

I asked at my nutrititonist apt yesterday if Biotin would help with hair loss after surgery. She said not really. She said hair loss after surgery is due to a person not getting a enough Protein so it's very important to get all the protein in post surgery and also there are hormones released when a person looses weight that can make a person loose some hair. She told me if I would suffer with hair loss they would do lab work to see what is going on and from there.

Just wanted to let you know what she said!

Thanks for asking this question, as I was wondering too about hair dye. I haven't had WLS yet but wondered about coloring it. I have it colored every 2 months. I am worried about it falling out though after surgery. I think I will start taking the Biotin (I think that is what some one recommended) that helps with hair loss. I was at Sam's Club recently and saw a bottle of it but didn't buy it. I have an indiv. nutrionist appointment tommorrow and I am going to ask her about it and see if taking the biotin now will help some and in the future!

I dye my hair every 4-6 weeks. I'm 55 and loaded with grey, not that cute brown/blonde in my pic anymore without a lot of help! My hair has thinned at the same rate since month 4 and is just now coming back at 9/5 months. I've got little fuzzies all over and when my hair is clean it is so puffy at the roots cuz of those short hairs in there.

Lynda

I get my hair foiled every six weeks like clockwork. I don't think it impacted how much has fallen out. I did lose A LOT of a hair, but at nearly 7 months I still look good, and I am getting regrowth already