I had the sleeve on 1/29/16. I don't regret my decision one bit but I want to advise you on things I'd wish I'd followed:

1. Get your daily Doctor recommend Protein in however you can. And Take the Vitamins. I'm 4 months post op and have started losing lots of hair at the root!! Yikes!!! I couldn't stomach the vitamins the first few weeks and barely started getting in the protein 1 month ago because I was not at all hungry. Drink the Protein drinks with the most protein i.e. Premiere protein drinks, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury

2. Exercise - even if it's the elliptical or walking 10 min a day to start. It will break your plateaus.

3. Energy - I was exhausted the first 2 months post op. Healing and eating so little exhausts you. I started to feel incredible energy gains about 3 months post op. I've started Orange theory (1 hour each) workouts and I can do the whole session albeit awkward and slow but I can do it!!!

Good luck on your journey!!

HW 284

CW 210

GW 170

The hair loss is due to rapid weight loss. Protein can't prevent it, slow weight loss can. But who wants to lose slowly? ☺

Patience is a virtue!

Yeah I got all my protein in (75+ grams) starting the day of surgery, ate high protein before surgery, loaded up on vitamins and biotin both pre-op and post-op, and still lost hair like crazy. My surgeon says the hair loss is due to telogen effluvium from the surgery and not caused by any sort of nutritional deficiency or even by the weight loss itself.

Thanks for clarifying now I can stop beating myself up over that!

Yeah I got all my Protein in (75+ grams) starting the day of surgery, ate high protein before surgery, loaded up on Vitamins and Biotin both pre-op and post-op, and still lost hair like crazy. My surgeon says the hair loss is due to telogen effluvium from the surgery and not caused by any sort of nutritional deficiency or even by the weight loss itself.

I have to disagree with your surgeon on that one. I once lost weight very rapidly on Atkins alone and my hair started falling out around month 3. No surgery involved, just rapid weight loss. I'm inclined to bet the surgery itself has NOTHING to do with hairloss. What makes a lot more sense, to me at least, is that the rapid weight loss is shocking to the human system. The hair loss is a side effect of that.

I could be wrong, but I speak from my own experience.

Addendum,

Telogen effluvium is due to calorie deficiency and/or nutritional deficiencies. I just researched it. hair will stop falling out when you begin consuming enough calories to get your system out of "stress mode". So actually rapid weight loss and hair loss are both side effects of extreme dieting.

Am suddenly glad my weightloss has slowed down... tho I hardly feel safe from this. I remember losing hair in clumps and thinking I would rather be fat with hair than skinny and bald. It all grew back tho.

I fractured my wrist a couple years ago and had to have a metal plate put in. I started losing my hair for a short time after that. My doctor and my hairdresser both said it was from the trauma to the body. Maybe eating healthier would have helped back then but I don't think I had any nutritional deficiencies. I'd love to not repeat the hair loss after this surgery and will definitely do what I can nutritionally but it might just be something that happens to some of us after body trauma.

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Yeah I got all my Protein in (75+ grams) starting the day of surgery, ate high protein before surgery, loaded up on Vitamins and Biotin both pre-op and post-op, and still lost hair like crazy. My surgeon says the hair loss is due to telogen effluvium from the surgery and not caused by any sort of nutritional deficiency or even by the weight loss itself.

I have to disagree with your surgeon on that one. I once lost weight very rapidly on Atkins alone and my hair started falling out around month 3. No surgery involved, just rapid weight loss. I'm inclined to bet the surgery itself has NOTHING to do with hairloss. What makes a lot more sense, to me at least, is that the rapid weight loss is shocking to the human system. The hair loss is a side effect of that.

I could be wrong, but I speak from my own experience.

Yeah, you're wrong.

I was a very slow loser and still lost hair, even up to a year out. At 21 months, my hair is finally back to what it was pre op.

it could be that there are a lot of different reasons regarding the hair loss.

A number of years ago I went through severe emotional trauma, my son was in a mental institution and then into a group home and the state played hard ball with me, and then David and I were separated for about 6-7 months or so. maybe 9. can't really remember anymore.... it was about 18 months of HELL. anyway I lost so much hair I thought I would go bald. who knows if or what I was eating then. I could barely make it through the work day. kinda proud I survived actually.

but so far since surgery, no significant hair loss. I am loosing weight at a pretty good pace I think, well over 30% of the excess at 3 months.... but not loosing crazy fast. haven't ever really had any trouble getting in my Protein or Vitamins or fluids most days. (I'm only 3 months out - a lot of people said they started loosing hair after that, so we will see)

because there could be so many reasons people loose - or don't - it's not something anyone should beat themselves up over. It's not something I worry about. if it falls out, I'll whack it off and get a wig for a while. it'll grow back.

Yeah, you're wrong.

I was a very slow loser and still lost hair, even up to a year out. At 21 months, my hair is finally back to what it was pre op.

Did you read my second post? I said that rapid weight loss was an effect, and not the cause. Even if you were losing slow, there was still a calorie deficiency or you wouldn't have lost at all.

----

Let me also elaborate that nutritional and calorie deficiencies is just one cause.

The bottom line is telogen effluvium occurs when your body is stressed in some way. Period. This could be due to change in diet, trauma or injury, surgery, meds, or any number of other physical or mental stressors. This isn't secret info, google can be pretty useful.

WLS patients are going through multiple stressors. Which I would assume is why it's such a common occurance 'round these parts. What isn't going to prevent it, is stuffing in Protein. I'm just tired of hearing "eat more protein" as a cure for the hair loss. It's a myth. Hair loss will happen to some, maybe most. It will run its course and for the majority, the hair will grow back fine.

Right now I'm happy that it's not happening to me, however I'm not even 11 weeks out yet and am fully aware that could change.

Edited May 29, 201610 yr by Shaydi.Laine

I had same hair loss after surgery to remove my gallbladder.

Soooooo... does anyone ELSE have advice they wish they would have listened to after surgery?So we can stop arguing about hair?

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The hair loss is due to rapid weight loss. Protein can't prevent it, slow weight loss can. But who wants to lose slowly? ☺

Patience is a virtue!

This is what I have been saying all along.

Caloric restriction is the prime reason for hair loss..

Surgery perhaps but I've had other surgeries and have not had hair loss.

I made it a point to increase calories to try to prevent this and so far so good. Weight loss has been slow but for me, I'm ok with it.

It's not from lack of Biotin or protein.

Edited May 29, 201610 yr by IrishGermanRN

I REALLY wish I'd not consumed my Coke with a straw while I was eating pizza and smoking, all whilst laying on my stomach in my hospital bed the day after my procedure...

Anyone?

Anyone?

^{Prayers going "Who let the dogs out? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who?"}

@KindaFamilar You gave me a laugh to start off my day!! You are one funny guy[emoji3]

@@KindaFamiliar

Heh.

Also, great song quote.

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