I really hate to sound vain, but wow, this is difficult to deal with. If I were a man, I would just shave the head and grow a goatee and be sexy as hell!!! But that doesn't work for the ladies does it? Just as I start feeling good about myself again, this. My hair has always been very fine and since the huge shedding that happened after the birth of my son 10 years ago, I have not had much to lose. For now, I'm disguising a huge part and mucho scalp with keratin fibers and root touch-up, but I may have to resort to some sort of a topper or something. I really worry that it won't grow back. My mother's hair thinned out so much as she aged and I'm guessing I've inherited that from her.

Still wouldn't change course now even if I could. I did this for my health and I'm feeling really good, but damn!!!! This is what I lost when I washed my hair. Yes, I gathered it up from the drain and took a picture. I do not wash my hair every day, more like twice per week. Thinking of switching to a nioxin shampoo??? Do you think it would help?

And just for the record, I get 80 - 100 grams of Protein daily, plenty of Water (70 oz min), I take my multi-Vitamin, plus a Biotin supplement. I know it's not the end of the world, but it sure makes it more difficult and time consuming to get out the door. Someone please tell me it will grow back!!! Also, any ideas for disguising this thinned out mess until it does?

If you experienced hair loss, when did you notice thickness return? I'm 4 months out, so I'm guessing this is just the beginning. I will be bald very soon.

On 2/20/2017 at 9:07 AM, Crafty-in-Carolina said:

I really hate to sound vain, but wow, this is difficult to deal with. If I were a man, I would just shave the head and grow a goatee and be sexy as hell!!! But that doesn't work for the ladies does it? Just as I start feeling good about myself again, this. My hair has always been very fine and since the huge shedding that happened after the birth of my son 10 years ago, I have not had much to lose. For now, I'm disguising a huge part and mucho scalp with keratin fibers and root touch-up, but I may have to resort to some sort of a topper or something. I really worry that it won't grow back. My mother's hair thinned out so much as she aged and I'm guessing I've inherited that from her.

Still wouldn't change course now even if I could. I did this for my health and I'm feeling really good, but damn!!!! This is what I lost when I washed my hair. Yes, I gathered it up from the drain and took a picture. I do not wash my hair every day, more like twice per week. Thinking of switching to a nioxin shampoo??? Do you think it would help?

And just for the record, I get 80 - 100 grams of Protein daily, plenty of Water (70 oz min), I take my multi-Vitamin, plus a Biotin supplement. I know it's not the end of the world, but it sure makes it more difficult and time consuming to get out the door. Someone please tell me it will grow back!!! Also, any ideas for disguising this thinned out mess until it does?

If you experienced hair loss, when did you notice thickness return? I'm 4 months out, so I'm guessing this is just the beginning. I will be bald very soon.

Hello! First of all, there is nothing "vain" in being distressed when you start losing hair at such a fast rate, so give yourself a break there!

I was sleeved in August 2013. I have very long, very thick hair and my surgeon warned me that it was going to thin and fall out, and sure enough, it did. I thought I was prepared for it, but when it happens, is upsetting and even though you're thrilled to see your constantly shrinking self in the mirror, that thin hair is tough to deal with.

I have posted this before, but I will again here: I chose to get hair extensions. They are not inexpensive by any means, but it was an expense that I felt was worth it for me. After two years of a very healthy diet and treating my hair carefully (extensions can be damaging if you aren't very careful), I am happy to say that my hair has made an incredible comeback. It is thick, and shiny and healthy again and I no longer feel I need to augment it with extensions. While hair extensions are very expensive and not something everyone is willing to endure, there are a number of rather inexpensive and very attractive options out there like clip-in extensions and what are called halos. These are things you can easily put in yourself and just wear when you go out and they just give you a bit more hair. You can buy them online or at any beauty store like Ulta or Sephora.

One of the things to which I attribute to my hair's comeback is definitely the addition and regular use of additional vitamins. Everyone seems to know about Biotin, but Vitamin C , which is an essential building block for the production of collagen, is the unsung hero of hair growth. I take a C supplement above what is in a multi-vitamin. I also take pretty large doses of Vitamin E. I take 15,000 mg of C and 1200 IU of a natural form of E everyday over three doses. These are large amounts, I don't necessarily recommend that for someone else without consulting your doctor.

Good luck with everything! I'm sure you will find a way that works for you to make peace with your temporary "bad hair day"!

Edited February 22, 20179 yr by Oak Park Lorena
put wrong year for my surgery!

Thank you for the kind words Oak Park Lorena. I am not opposed to extensions, clip-in or otherwise. I'm curious though, did you get the kind that are sewn into your natural hair? I'm curious what kind of maintenance is required? How frequently must you visit a salon for upkeep? I would love to know more if you feel like sharing. I'm also curious about cost. I know they aren't inexpensive and that prices can vary hugely depending on location and skill of the provider, but just curious on ballpark numbers. And how do you find someone who really knows what they are doing? I feel word of mouth referrals are always the best bet, but I'm a bit of a hermit, so I have a tiny social network. Thanks for the info and congratulations on your amazing weight loss.

I had two different types of extensions, keratin bond extensions and what are called tape-in extensions. The keratin bond extensions are where they take a small bundle of hairs and attach it using a bond made of keratin to one strand of your hair right at the scalp. It takes a couple of hours to get them installed. I have long hair so I opted for longer extensions. It was about $1200 to have them put in and they lasted 5-6 months with no need to visit the stylist until the next set. Generally, you cannot re-use the keratin extensions, so you have to have a new set put in. I also tried the tape-in extensions. They are 1/2 wide bits of hair that they attach to your hair with special tape. It takes only about 20 minutes to get them installed. Those can stay in about 6-8 weeks and then they have to be removed and replaced. You can remove and replace the same set of extensions three times. The cost to put them in was $600 with going in at 6 week intervals and paying about $100 for her to remove them and put them back in. The cost of the two types of extensions are really the same because you'll need a full new set of tape-ins probably 3 times a year plus the upkeep.

I never considered a weave. That is where they create a braid and then sew in extensions to the braid. I just don't have the right hair for it and I already had enough of my own hair that it wasn't necessary. I've also heard and read that the scalp under the braid can get very itchy! I also did not like the idea of the micro beads because you can feel them against your scalp and you cannot get your hair colored when you have them in (you can color your hair with the keratin and tape ins).

Both types of extensions looked completely natural on me and no one ever knew I had them. Even hairdressers were surprised to see that wasn't all me! The tape ins I would say are a bit easier to wear and you can't feel them when you touch your hair (or someone else does!), the bonds, however, you can feel as little bumps if you touched that area. With any kind of extension, you cannot run your fingers through your hair from scalp to end. The tape in extensions are definitely "lighter" feeling than the keratin bonds and generally speaking, they probably do the least amount of damage to your natural hair.

As far as taking care of them, you have to be gentle with brushing and have to avoid putting any conditioners or oils or slippery things on the bonds or tape that might loosen them. You have to be very careful when you're drying your hair or styling not to heat the bonds or tug too hard. You also have to keep out tangles and sleep in a braid or pony tail to avoid tangles.

Finding a good stylist to put them in and to cut your hair so they blend in is key. Improperly placed extensions can pull on your hair and potentially cause hair loss. Also, it's not just knowing how to put them in, but take them out--whatever kind of extension is used, they must be gently removed so as to avoid pulling out or damaging your natural hair. I found my person on Yelp and she's terrific. I live in the Chicago area so there were many choices, I'm not sure about where you live, but extensions are become more and more popular, so more people are doing it. There are also many, many different companies making extensions and you'll want to make sure that you pick someone who uses a good product. You can also google the makers of the extensions and then see if they have a way to locate a stylist who uses their products near you. I used Great Lengths.

Beware though, extensions look so great, it can be hard to give them up!

Hmmm. This makes my $200 beautiful easy wash and wear wig look like a ,great option!

Any one wvery try a topper?

I had two different types of extensions, keratin bond extensions and what are called tape-in extensions. The keratin bond extensions are where they take a small bundle of hairs and attach it using a bond made of keratin to one strand of your hair right at the scalp. It takes a couple of hours to get them installed. I have long hair so I opted for longer extensions. It was about $1200 to have them put in and they lasted 5-6 months with no need to visit the stylist until the next set. Generally, you cannot re-use the keratin extensions, so you have to have a new set put in. I also tried the tape-in extensions. They are 1/2 wide bits of hair that they attach to your hair with special tape. It takes only about 20 minutes to get them installed. Those can stay in about 6-8 weeks and then they have to be removed and replaced. You can remove and replace the same set of extensions three times. The cost to put them in was $600 with going in at 6 week intervals and paying about $100 for her to remove them and put them back in. The cost of the two types of extensions are really the same because you'll need a full new set of tape-ins probably 3 times a year plus the upkeep.
I never considered a weave. That is where they create a braid and then sew in extensions to the braid. I just don't have the right hair for it and I already had enough of my own hair that it wasn't necessary. I've also heard and read that the scalp under the braid can get very itchy! I also did not like the idea of the micro beads because you can feel them against your scalp and you cannot get your hair colored when you have them in (you can color your hair with the keratin and tape ins).
Both types of extensions looked completely natural on me and no one ever knew I had them. Even hairdressers were surprised to see that wasn't all me! The tape ins I would say are a bit easier to wear and you can't feel them when you touch your hair (or someone else does!), the bonds, however, you can feel as little bumps if you touched that area. With any kind of extension, you cannot run your fingers through your hair from scalp to end. The tape in extensions are definitely "lighter" feeling than the keratin bonds and generally speaking, they probably do the least amount of damage to your natural hair.
As far as taking care of them, you have to be gentle with brushing and have to avoid putting any conditioners or oils or slippery things on the bonds or tape that might loosen them. You have to be very careful when you're drying your hair or styling not to heat the bonds or tug too hard. You also have to keep out tangles and sleep in a braid or pony tail to avoid tangles.
Finding a good stylist to put them in and to cut your hair so they blend in is key. Improperly placed extensions can pull on your hair and potentially cause hair loss. Also, it's not just knowing how to put them in, but take them out--whatever kind of extension is used, they must be gently removed so as to avoid pulling out or damaging your natural hair. I found my person on Yelp and she's terrific. I live in the Chicago area so there were many choices, I'm not sure about where you live, but extensions are become more and more popular, so more people are doing it. There are also many, many different companies making extensions and you'll want to make sure that you pick someone who uses a good product. You can also google the makers of the extensions and then see if they have a way to locate a stylist who uses their products near you. I used Great Lengths.
Beware though, extensions look so great, it can be hard to give them up!

Thank you so much for this wealth of info. You make the tape ins sound rather appealing, but I never knew how such things worked. Did you find it difficult to style your hair with the extensions since you have to be so gentle? I've always used a hairdryer + round brush = done. I may explore this further. I hate to have to visit a salon frequently, but I don't think I would like to feel the little bumps you describe. I can't imagine wearing a full wig in these NC summers, hot and humid... I imagine being hot, itchy and uncomfortable.

Oh, no you can style your hair just the same way you always do, you just shouldn't pull really hard on the hair the way some stylist do when they do blow outs. I actually did some wig shopping, but they are very hot and like you, I could not imagine walking around with that on my head in the middle of a Chicago summer! And, I'm single, so I also imagined how awkward it could be to say, "let me slip into something more comfortable, oh, and take off my hair, too!"

Oh, no you can style your hair just the same way you always do, you just shouldn't pull really hard on the hair the way some stylist do when they do blow outs. I actually did some wig shopping, but they are very hot and like you, I could not imagine walking around with that on my head in the middle of a Chicago summer! And, I'm single, so I also imagined how awkward it could be to say, "let me slip into something more comfortable, oh, and take off my hair, too!":51_scream:

OMG, this cracks me up. I have to admit it did cross my mind that I don't want to take off my hair to climb into bed with hubby, lol. Again, I really appreciate your time answering all of my questions. I need to find someone who does this. Here in Charlotte, I'm sure there are lots of stylists who can do it, I just need to find out who they are.

If you start to notice thin spots, try Toppik hair fibers. You shake it on and they stick to your hair and scalp and fill in the blanks.

If you start to notice thin spots, try Toppik hair fibers. You shake it on and they stick to your hair and scalp and fill in the blanks.

Yes! This stuff really works well on thin spots. Lately the only thing that keeps me holding my head up is a combo of root touch-up spray and the shake on keratin fibers. It also gives my fine, limp hair a little texture which is nice. I'm just thinking it would be nice to have a more long-term solution.

Hair loss different for women than for men.

SMH. The money I wasted on this junk.