I know it is a side effect to loose your hair but WHY?

I have tried to avoid this b/c I already have thin hair.

It will be two months next week. I have taken 5000mg of biotin (sometimes twice a day)

I use a keritan shampoo an a conditioner.

I get around 70g of protein a day and meet all my fluid goals. I exercise at least 30 min to an hour daily. I also meet all the goals for vitamins daily.

The last two days my hair is starting to come out. Is there a reason why? And anything more I could do to slow down or stop the process.

I don't believe there is as I was eating close to 1,800 calories, getting ample Protein and carbs, exercising like crazy, taking all my Vitamins and Biotin daily. What was happening was I was losing weight rapidly. It is my belief they hormones contained in the fat being constantly released is the reason. If you have slower weight loss, more in line with "normal" diets, you may be able to curb the hair loss as your system wouldn't be quite as flooded with these hormones.

But do know that the hair does grow back and this is a temporary thing. Well worth it, in my books.

General anaesthetic plays havoc with your system. The shock to the body will cause the hair to fall out in the majority of patients. As well, the dramatic change in diet composition and calorie amount is also a huge shock to the body and one of the responses is the hair falling out.

You are doing everything you can to balance that out and slow down the "falling out". Try not to stress too much about it. It will stop and you will have new growth. In time it will be as good as it was pre-op or even better, now that you're eating so healthy and exercising!

I started losing my hair approx. 3 months post-op and it continued at a steady pace for approx 5 months (8 months post-op). I did get new growth starting around 7months post-op (little "spikies" that I thought were broken hairs, but are actually new ones!). Now my loss has basically stopped completely. My hair was thin beforehand and is quite thin now, especially on the sides and back. But I know it's growing and it will come back and be great in time. By this time next year I'm sure I'm be close to when I started this whole crazy ride.

In the meanwhile, I've lost over 120 lbs and my entire life has changed for the better! So what's a bit of lost hair? It left with the excess lbs, so I'm happy!

I can't wait for my hair to come back!!

My hair started falling out at the 6 month mark. Continued for 3 months and then started coming back. 12 months post-op, you would have never known I had lost any hair.

I have heard of the anaesthetic playing a role in hair loss, but I have had 3 more procedures since my VSG where I was put under and never had any issues with hair loss. Of course, it is going to affect everyone different and I am not saying it isn't what happened for anyone here, but for me, I don't think it is related.

If you look up reasons for hair loss, hormones do play a role. I know of folks who stuggle with this (non-sleevers) are referred to endocrinologists for help. We also know that hormones are stored in fat, so ...

I'm 3 months post op and I started losing hair at 1 month post op, I don't have any bald spots or anything like that and my hair has always been thin and I've always been someone who loses alot of hair, but I have noticed my hair becoming more thinner on the top and on the sides too :-( I had to unclog my bath tub from all my hair going down the drain every time I shower and when I brush it and blow dry it, it's a ridiculous amount, I know it's just hair but it still makes me sad and makes me cringe after seeing all the hair I lose on a daily basis =\

I'm almost 4 months out and was hoping I was one of the lucky ones...but it started coming out in the last week or so. I guess it's a small price to pay for a healthier and longer life.

~~~I would rather be bald then to go back to 349 pounds!~~~

The weight loss is so fast the body goes into shock causing the hair follicle to shed. It's kind of like how chemo patients lose their hair. It will grow back. In the mean time...there are cute hats and scarves you can use to disguise. You could even go get some hair extensions to thicken it. Get some that are different colors and have fun with it. I ended up cutting my hair down to a cute short bob to make it look fuller. Good luck...and happy styling!

There are a lot of methods like using rogaine and all that but really, you are losing your hair because of a stressful traumatic event in your life, and it WILL pass. All the Vitamins in the world probably won't prevent this so I wouldn't get too worked up over it. This is really common after surgery, huge losses, weight loss even without surgery, even life events like moving to a new area can induce hair loss.

Just ride it out, try a new style maybe and go easy on heat tools and don't over wash it.

There are a bunch of theories on here about why. A different thing I read said that at any given time, 90% of our hair is actively growing and 10% is dormant. The individual hairs, I mean. It is a constant process. Approximately 120 days after going dormant, the individual hair falls out and a new one starts actively growing When your body has a shock, I.e., the surgery

and several days of starvation, about 50% of the individual hairs go dormant all at once. So about three months or so after the shock, a bunch of hair falls out. The article I read said if your hair falls out two to four months after surgery, it is the shock. After that, it is probably protein/vitamin deficiency.

I can relate. My hair was thin prior to surgery, but I do agree with the others; that it's a small price to pay for the benefits gained with the sleeve. Hang in there!

Thank you everyone. I know it was part of the process and I agree that I will take it with a grin on my face b/c I am getting a life changing chance to be healthy! Just wanted to understand the underlining reason.

I also have a thyroid issue that could cause the thin hair. I think I will get those level checked now that I have lost 28 lbs.

Thanks again for offering a reason to this side effect.

My mom had the same issue after a successful lap band and I lost hair as well after each pregnancy. My hair is crazy thick so it didn't bother me, but my Mom's hair is much thinner and she felt self conscious about it. Her doc told her to take the 5,000 biotin twice a day for a few months until she noticed improvement. She did and it definitely worked. She still takes the 5,000 once daily, because she liked the way her nails grew too lol but she's had no more hair loss issue! good luck!

I posted this on other threads, this is information on hair loss from my dermatologist :

My dermatologist explained that the type of hair loss we are experiencing is called telogen effluvium and is more due to recent shock to your system, ie., weight loss, pain, recent surgery, over or under active thyroid, childbirth, medications and other underlying conditions not just lack of Protein. The dermatologist mentioned that one could lose over 50% of your hair, but that it will grow back in 5-8 months. She suggested using minoxidil, which will stimulate the growth of new hair faster. The less expensive brands are: (both 2%)

* Equate which can be purchased at Walmart

http://www.walmart.c...e&cat_id=976760

* Kirkland Minoxidil which can be purchased at costco.

Important instructions on use:

It is important that if you do use the minoxidil, it is to be placed on your scalp, do not rub it into your hair, it will just make your hair more brittle and susceptible to breakage. Do not let it drip onto your forehead as it will cause headaches. The best application is laying back preferably into a shampoo sink.

http://www.webmd.com...loss/effluviums

http://www.aocd.org/..._effluvium.html

I hope this helps.

I think Gemini is talking about what I also read. Telogen Effluvium is the temporary excessive loss of hair which is in it's resting phase. The issue for us, I guess, is trying to determine if the precipitating factor is something we have control over. In other words, can we do something to insulate ourselves from this shock that causes a bunch of hair to suddenly,

simultaneously enter the resting phase and thus be irretrievably doomed to fall out some weeks later. The hair loss is so normal to WLS, I have to conclude that it is inevitable and I will just have to live through it.