So I've heard that losing hair is common... I have fine hair as it is & it's been thinning over the years. I'm currently using rogaine to bring it back to normal but I'm fearful in losing more hair post-op. I know protein plays a huge role in this but is there any other tips for preventing hair loss?

i worry about this too--just a week out now--I have heard to take biotin and zinc.

Here's the thing, you may lose hair you may not. Most people will. I'm 6 months out and started losing mine. It doesn't matter what you take of do its going to come out. I would never ever Change my decision to have the surgery. I'm healthier and my hair is not why I had the the surgery. I can get a wig if I need to. I'm down 83lbs and have never felt better. :-)

my hair started falling out badly at 3 months post op. So as you have I came to this website looking for help. One member mentioned loreal for falling hair its a black and red bottle , I got it from Wal-Mart. I didn't think it would work because the problem was internal (decrease vitamins mineral and hormones gone wild after surgery)and shampoo would be used externally. It actually worked! my hair now falls out about 75% less than before. I'm glad I gave it a try. I also added infusion conditioner its a great hydrator. My hair has become dull brittle and dry after surgery this conditioner really helps.Oh and a spray in leave in conditioner after the shower. I had hair model hair pre -op and would get complements all the time about my hair. But I'm 92 pounds lighter so that's what's important. Good luck and I hope this works for you if you start to lose hair. Oh yeah I also read that some people have not lost hair at all.

The sad thing is that there really is no guaranteed way to prevent hair loss after surgery. Come to terms now with the fact that you WILL lose hair and try to not dwell on it. It lasts a couple of months but after while your body gets back to business as usual and your hair loss goes back to your pre-surgery levels.

Even with all the hair I'm losing (it looks like there's a tribble in the tub after I shower) it's still not noticeable to anyone but me. At any rate, you'll have more important things to obsess over after surgery, like getting in all your water and protein

I got Biotin at walmart 4.99 or 7.00. I have taken it a month before surgery. My hair is responding well to it. I have thick hair and it is growing more than usual. I read here someone wished they had started a month before surgery. So, I did. I will have surgery in a week. I hope biotin helps but I am sure I will have some hair changes as well. I will give my input between 5 and 9 mos. as that sounds like the critical time hair loss. I am hoping to be proactive but like most everyone else I will trade hair loss for weight loss.

So I've heard that losing hair is common... I have fine hair as it is & it's been thinning over the years. I'm currently using rogaine to bring it back to normal but I'm fearful in losing more hair post-op. I know protein plays a huge role in this but is there any other tips for preventing hair loss?

I am a licensed cosmetologist and my sister also had a gastric bypass a year ago and lost a lot of her hair but I formulated a plan for her that seems to be helping to keep her hair from thinning too much. Also, I thought I should add that I also have extremely fine hair myself that was already thinning before this surgery so I am quite worried as well about that but I think if we stay on top of it we could keep the hair loss as minimal as possible!

Anyway the first thing is, obviously, keep up ur protien levels and stay away from the bad stuff. Make sure u TAKE YOUR VITAMINS.... it makes SO MUCH of a difference in ur energy levels and in your attention span and mood and everything else and it will help minimalise the hair loss. Also had a biotin supplement to ur list of supplements. I went to costco today to see if they had invented a gummy vitamin for it yet but all I found were gummies for multivitamin, calcium with d3 and one for probiotic. Maybe u coukd find one online tho because the pill version is pretty big. In addition to that you need to be using a special shampoo/conditioner/treatment leave in when ever u wash your hair called Nioxin. This is only available for purchase thru a salon but it isn't that pricey. They also sell a generic version that is just as good at sallys beauty supply store called "Nutri-ox" which REALLY HELPS! You need to use the leave in on ur scalp every day! Even if u cant afford the entire system, which is about $25, at least buy the vitamins and the leave in treatment and do this when u get out of the shower every day! This treatment stimulates your hair follicle and stimulates the hair to come out of that phase and go into the growth phase! Also try washing your hair less often, say every 2-3 days and use dry shampoo between of u feel icky. Another thing is dont over brush or style or play in ur hair excessively as this will encourage hair loss. If you remember these simple little things u should be able to keep any loss to a minimum! Good luck to you all and I hope this has helped!

P.s. My sister still has a beautiful full head of hair after following my recommendation!