Did you experience hair loss after banding? A few of us are on the edge of hysteria with hair loss and we would like to know if we are the minority or the majority.

If you are a newbie and you are already experiencing hair loss, please vote. If you are less than six months from being banded and have not experienced hair loss, please don't vote. According to a bariatric surgeon hair loss typically happens somewhere between 3-11 months after surgery. It might not have happened to you yet. I am trying to avoid someone 2 weeks after surgery saying they have no hair loss, that won't give an accurate measure.

I am almost four months post op and have lost about 50% of my hair. It is so frustrating!!! The drain in the tub must be cleaned out daily. There is hair everywhere in the bathroom. When I wash my hair my hands are covered with hair, hair wrapped around all my fingers...it is gross and I hate it. On the other hand, the hair that i have left is soft and smooth and manageable. I had very thick hair and lots of it. Now I am down to 50% of what I had....I eat everything and do not exclude any food groups so I know it is not a nutrition thing. I also took very expensive vitamins the first three months and have now gone to Flinstones Complete. I might try to go back to the other vitamins to see if it helps.

It's spooky, isn't it? If I lose much more hair I'm going to start looking at wigs.

I am with you on the shower drain, the floors, it gets caught in your hands... but there's more! My dogs are now pooping my hair.

It's just gone too far.

I swear I feel like I am losing my hair. I seem to have alot of it in my hands when I run them through my hair but my best friend is my stylist and she swears I haven't lost any. I have plenty to spare but its scary. I am almost 7 months out.

I didn't vote because I haven't been banded six months, but I started losing about six months ago and that's probably what triggered it, the weight loss itself. Then I had the band placed and I'm sure added to my loss because of anesthesia...ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!! I have lost at least 25% at this point, and it's continuing to fall at a rapid rate....

I didn't vote because I haven't been banded six months, but I started losing about six months ago and that's probably what triggered it, the weight loss itself. Then I had the band placed and I'm sure added to my loss because of anesthesia...ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!! I have lost at least 25% at this point, and it's continuing to fall at a rapid rate....

Faith... please vote!!! If you read the OP again you will see that if you are less than six months AND have lost hair, you are requested to vote!!

Actually, your vote counts more than others. You didn't have anesthesia before you started losing weight. Your vote shows it is weight loss and not anesthesia that caused the problem.

Faith... btw, won't you be happy (thrilled) when you and I are both at the point that we can assure newbies this too, will pass?

I just want my hair back!

I voted 25% although I am not really sure what % it is. I have a lot of hair, but since losing weight, I was losing a LOT of hair. Always clogging drains and coming out in my hands when washing. It was freaking me out. Then I hit a plateau and the hair loss stopped. I have all these sprouts of new hair growing on top of my head. My hairdresser even notices (doesn't know I am banded but does know I lost some weight) and she said she sees this a lot when people lose a lot of weight...it is like our body is all out of whack. I sure hope I am at the end of the cycle and now that my weight loss has started again, I don't start shedding. I will let you know!

Hi I have lost about 25% of my hair since I was banded4 months ago. It seems to have stopped now though so I am relieved! x

Faith... please vote!!! If you read the OP again you will see that if you are less than six months AND have lost hair, you are requested to vote!!

Actually, your vote counts more than others. You didn't have anesthesia before you started losing weight. Your vote shows it is weight loss and not anesthesia that caused the problem.

Sorry, WasaBB, I missed the part about newbie and losing hair to please vote. Oops

Yep, I'm convinced it is the weight loss that does it. I know anesthesia also contributes, so I'm sure Im going to get double whacked, but I suppose I can always buy wigs...

I'm just starting to get sad about the hair, if I lose a lot more, I'll be hysterical. I've never colored my hair, it's waist length and deep auburn. Crowning glory as it were. (Definitely WAS, past tense!) Not only is it falling out, but what's left is scraggly and dry and horrible looking despite all my best efforts.

Like you said, I'm just going to hope that we can eventually tell the new folks that it *will* come back because ours did.

At over 2 and a half years post op, my hair is still as thick as ever. No loss at all.

I voted 50%, I would guess it to be between that and 75%---it was drastic!

I have spoke to many of you about this---but for the new ones, I will say it again---mine may be worse due to the fact I have lost ALL my hair in the past due to chemo, so I may be more predisposed to losing it.

I am now 15 months out, have zero hair loss, and new hair---tons of new hair---about 2 inches long! running my hands through it next to my scalp, it is thick and lustrous again....unfortunately it is also unruly as hell!!! I look like a dandelion without lots of product!!! BUT I am NOT complaining---I am just thrilled it is coming back, and it is coming back the same color, and texture it appears!

When I lost it due to the chemo, I lost pale blonde straight hair, and grew back darker blonde curly hair!!! I was afraid this time what I'd get!!!

Big hugs to all of you dealing with this, I so understand. Figure mine is growing back in just in time for me to undergo surgery again for the TT.....dangit! I have read many lose it with that too.

Oh well, at least I can be comforted knowing it WILL come back!

Kat

I voted 50%, I would guess it to be between that and 75%---it was drastic!

I have spoke to many of you about this---but for the new ones, I will say it again---mine may be worse due to the fact I have lost ALL my hair in the past due to chemo, so I may be more predisposed to losing it.

I am now 15 months out, have zero hair loss, and new hair---tons of new hair---about 2 inches long! running my hands through it next to my scalp, it is thick and lustrous again....unfortunately it is also unruly as hell!!! I look like a dandelion without lots of product!!! BUT I am NOT complaining---I am just thrilled it is coming back, and it is coming back the same color, and texture it appears!

When I lost it due to the chemo, I lost pale blonde straight hair, and grew back darker blonde curly hair!!! I was afraid this time what I'd get!!!

Big hugs to all of you dealing with this, I so understand. Figure mine is growing back in just in time for me to undergo surgery again for the TT.....dangit! I have read many lose it with that too.

Oh well, at least I can be comforted knowing it WILL come back!

Kat

Hey Kat...

Congrats on the 100lb mark! That's fantastic!

I lost a lot of hair. I would say about 50%. It recently, finally stopped shedding. Since I had gorgous wavy, red hair that was extra thick and down to my midback, the sort of hair strangers would stop me in the mall to compliment me on, I took this pretty hard.

There were some areas on my head where I lost hair more than other areas. I had a solution. I shaved my head. My hair was less than 1/4 long. No more big wads of hair comming out when I tried to wash it!

I have some theories. I think it hit me so hard because I had not one surgery, but two. I had the lapband, then I lost tons of weight right away, and then my gall bladder failed rather splendidly and I had to have that taken out six weeks after my band was put in. I was fortunate enough to pick up a couple of infections while in the hospital, one of which was mono or something like it, so I'm sure that helped. I was a sick puppy for a while. And then, just in case my body wasn't confused enough, I started a new neurological medication a couple of weeks after that surgery. While that medication has had wonderful, life changing results, that was a lot for my body to go through.

As for the different spots/areas of heavy loss. I have a rythmic head movement disorder where when I am asleep I move my head from one side to the center and repeat this rythmically for hours (I also throw in some moaning says the husband). Now that fun sleep disorder has always had side effects like the way I could move my neck less and less each month and the permenanet knots in it and it was horrid on my hair. I would get terrible knots in my hair and so forth. Now the meds I am on now make it so I don't do that anymore, but I think years of doing it probably affected my hair/scalp and I did lose a ton of hair from that affected area.

So I've been hairless for a few weeks. I let the hair continue to shed. I took all my Vitamins and Calcium and made sure my Protein was adequate and my doc also ran some bloodtests. I started using some organic products for my hair-- Morroccan method, as well as coconut and jojoba oil. Also silicone free. The shedding stopped. I haven't had any hair growth yet. Maybe a few baby hairs. My doc said it might be a few months before it grows again.

So now I'm stuck with short hair thats ginger (my natural shade, which is mousy, when its a bit longer I'll get some henna or something and make it prettier). I got a wig. Its a synthetic wig and it was little less than $150 and it looks natural. I also have a bunch of hats and scarves and the hats look adorable on me, esp with a pair of big sunglasses.

I'm a bit nervous about colour and texture myself. Growing up my hair would change around on its own. I guess time will tell. I figure this way I can grow it out nice and healthy and even. In a few years it will be down to my waist and beautiful.

I didn't vote - but this has me worried... I don't have tons of hair to begin with and can't afford to lose any. My gf who did medi-fast (not banded) has had her hair fall out too, so it's not just a band or bypass issue - but i think a diet issue.

I would assume that you all of you are taking vitimans and boiten since you have such restricted calorie intake???

I am taking the bioten as a prevenative measure and take my flinstone w/iron twice a day - along with my sublingual B...

I don't think there is a lot more you can do than what you are currently doing. I take Flinstones w/Iron x6 daily, Protein is at 60gms daily, and a calcium supplement. I was doing another product (xango or something like that) and did not notice a difference.

Just hang in there, you are doing everything you can.