Hair Loss - A Harsh Reality. Picture of Loss.

[Madam Reverie 2,958]

Just in case any of you were wondering what Hair loss looks like post surgery and wanted to evaluate the level of loss for yourselves?

(Obviously this is with the caveat that everyone is different; people have different hair types, nutrient intake, etc.)

Here is a picture of what came out of my head after washing my hair this evening.

This does not include what additionally came out after combing it, either.

I wash my hair every other day and obviously, brush it in between. My hair is fine, but there is (or should I say, 'was') a lot of it.

My hair loss started at 3.5 months and started falling at a pace at 4 months. I am now 5 months and 19 days out and this is average loss every time I wash my hair.

What a joy!

[belloni45 21]

Me too.....and I don't like it and it freaks me out.

[mlowell 39]

I thought I was losing a lot of hair but I'm not compared to yours. I'm so sorry. Are you taking Biotin? And I've been also using a hair repair Shampoo with keratin. I think Suave makes it.

[Domika03 309]

Yup, that looks about right. I had that several months after I was banded in 2012. It kept going on for a while, but it was then suggested I take Biotin, and use a Shampoo like Pantene. I can't remember why actually. Nonetheless, it did work & my hair stopped falling out at that pace.

Now that I'm sleeved (about 7 weeks post op), and am running into not having enough Protein each day, I'm starting to lose some hair again when I wash & brush. Definitely not pleasant, but apparently a part of the WLS journey, as we lose a lot of weight & don't get enough daily Protein.< /p>

Hang in there. Things should slow down, eventually...

[E2013 31]

Oh wow, that hurts to look at. I'll be three Months March 19th, so I'll know it'll start happening for me soon.

[aNewTanya 109]

Omg. That's so scary for me. My hair is so thin as it is! I would be bald after a few episodes of that

[RJ'S/beginning 5,357]

Looking at this pic Revs. I think I am glad that all mine came out after all during my hospital stay. It saved me the fear of seeing that happen to me every other day...i think I would have had a nervous breakdown if that had happened to me like it is happening to you.

Soon it will be just a bad memory...Hope your still up on the right amount of Protein and Water...

[Madam Reverie 2,958]

Thank you, all.

Just felt like showing the world for information purposes what I'm personally dealing with.

I am doing absolutely everything within my power. Biotin, Water, Protein, standing on my head - prayer

It is what it is.. What else can I do? Nothing.

I'm just hoping that it stops soon. I cannot sustain loss like this any more. The hair at my forehead and temples is getting thread bare

If ever there was a reason to turn to drink - this would be it!

[SueJH 205]

I started losing mine right around the 3 month mark. I decided to cut it short so it wouldn't be as noticeable both with it thinning out and with the regrowth. I'm just reaching my 9 month mark since surgery and it started slowly down considerably about a month ago. It's growing back so I have these little short hairs everywhere. The funny thing is that at my 6 month follow up with my surgeon, he said he never heard of people losing their hair.......really!

Anyway, yes it is a huge shock but it does come back. Also on that note, my hairdresser does notice a little bit of a change in the texture of my hair. Another thing to watch out for.

[Madam Reverie 2,958]

I bought some of those fibers which disguise baldness/thinning and electro magnetically adhere to your hair this morning.

I have visions of me moving my head and my disappearing into a cloud of fibers.

What a great look that will be!

[barefeet 73]

I bought some of those fibers which disguise baldness/thinning and electro magnetically adhere to your hair this morning. I have visions of me moving my head and my disappearing into a cloud of fibers. What a great look that will be!

Interested to see how you like them...

[ForkAndMindy 67]

Thank u for posting a picture! I've been trying to imagine what it will look like and this helps give a more realistic expectation. My hair has always been really long, I've donated it four times. Never thought mine would fall out! I'm having surgery in June so I'm having fun w my hair before it falls out. I dyed a piece pink :-) have never colored my hair before this. So much fun! Lol

[whodatgirl 58]

I'm so sorry, and thank you so much got posting it. I'm a few days over nine months out, and I still haven't had any Hair loss (or at least none that is significant enough for me to notice). I'm still very nervous about it, but I'm glad to have some idea of how much we're talking. I definitely couldn't afford to lose that much daily or every other day. I sure hope I'm past that stage and was just one of the lucky ones.

[Gina1010 86]

I'm going thru the same thing at 17 months out. My hair is normally very thick but now it is so thin I hate to wear it out. It's always in a pony tail.. Probably gonna have to cut it short so it can grow back evenly but for now pony tails.

[Madam Reverie 2,958]

I've lost so much, pony tails are just not viable. I look bald to the temples...

It sucks... and no lotions or potions are helping. Before anyone else messages me with the 'are you taking' question? Yes, I'm taking the works. It HASN'T worked.

On that basis, no more suggestions please. I know you mean well - but I'm an intelligent (sometimes) girl and I have done significant research of which, NOTHING has worked. It is, what it is.

My hair is still falling. It is genetics and my physical reaction to the surgery. There ain't nothing that can be done about it.

Any questions in this regard are getting on my mammories. I really don't need any 'helpful' reminders that the hair, 'potentially', could not have fallen so much if I'd been taking x, y, z...shoving my head up a camels backside, or given **** to a horse!

Know what I'm saying?

I have tried it all. I'm bright enough to know that each individual has a different fall rate. No one knows until they spin the barrel for themselves. Come talk to me when you're bald and you've been doing xyz in endless quantities and its still not worked. 50, 60, 70, 150 grm of Protein? It's all balderdash!

You fall at the rate that the surgery impacts upon you. Everything you ingest/apply just helps with the re-growth.

I'm losing hair like nothing anyone has seen and frankly; I'm tired of it.

I'm trying my best to minimise it.

Its not working.

I'm doing my best to disguise it in the meantime.

Best I can do.

Now.. Please, a little less of the shoulda, woulda, coulda? I have, I did, and it DIDN'T work! I'm still going bald with another (at least) 3 months to go.

'Nuff said?

<sanitised appropriately>

Edited March 10, 2014 by Madam Reverie