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Hair Loss / Renewal?



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So I've been "shedding" hair for a while. Now I wonder if it's because I'm not getting enough Protein in my diet. Has anyone had hair grow back once the proper amount of protein is reestablished? It's one of the things I'm most concerned about with the WLS - losing even more hair. Any and all comments and advice are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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I too am shedding hair. It started about 5 1/2 months post op and still at 7 months. I’m thankful that I had thick hair to start with but it can stop anytime. My nutritionist stressed that its very common and if I’m eating properly and taking my Vitamins and Iron it will subside. They don’t promote extra Biotin outside what’s in the multi Vitamin. I take ProCare Multivitamin with iron. It’s still unnerving that’s for sure. I cant tell from your post if you are post op or not? If you have not, have you had your thyroid checked?

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Hi Machalo, I am in Texas, during my initial Nutrition Consult, we were told if we were worried about hair shedding to take Biotin 5000mcg. I asked when should we begin and she stated today and that was two months ago. which I did, however I stopped the day I got my surgery date, a 1 1/2 weeks ago.

True story: I have always had thin fingernails, to the point that I could tear them if one was chipped. It has been a little over 2 months since i started taking Biotin and today my nail chipped and i had to file it down, because my nail was so hard.

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Thank you so much for your comments. I'm pre-op and am worried, that with the addition of the bypass surgery I might go bald. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because I could get some killer wigs, but I'd rather keep my own hair if possible. I'll try adding in the Biotin to my daily pills. Thanks again.

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I started shedding around month 3 and it kept shedding until about month 8 or 9. Even after cutting my hair short, I left a visible trail of hair everywhere I went.

I was getting in about 50-70g of Protein the first 4-5 months, then 80+ after that. I took (and still take) all my Vitamins religiously. I even took Biotin for a month somewhere in there (didn't see a noticeable diff).

Now, almost a year post-op, I can see a bunch of little hairs growing in all over my head, they look stupid sticking straight up right now, but I'll take 'em.

Unless you are one of the lucky few, you are going to lose some (maybe alot) of hair. But try not to stress too much, as it will grow back eventually. ❤️

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I am really dreading this process because my hair has been very thin for a very long time - although I'm wondering if this is because of my other underlying health issues because when I was younger my hair was really thick. I think that I will have to go for a pixi hair cut once this starts but my nut already warned me that this would occur and when it started would last for about 2 months.

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Thanks @ms.sss and @krisss. I was wondering about the Protein and whether I should up it right now while I'm in the pre-op phase of things. I mean, I still have another 3 months of NUT appointments and my hair used to be luxuriously thick. How I miss it! Of course when I had it I didn't think it was so great. I have curly hair, and the more of it there is, the more each strand wants to do it's own curly thing. And don't even think about when it rains. I looked like a poodle because all my curl went straight to frizz and I afro'd. LOL Oh, the good old days. :)

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8 minutes ago, Machalo said:

Thanks @ms.sss and @krisss. I was wondering about the Protein and whether I should up it right now while I'm in the pre-op phase of things. I mean, I still have another 3 months of NUT appointments and my hair used to be luxuriously thick. How I miss it! Of course when I had it I didn't think it was so great. I have curly hair, and the more of it there is, the more each strand wants to do it's own curly thing. And don't even think about when it rains. I looked like a poodle because all my curl went straight to frizz and I afro'd. LOL Oh, the good old days. :)

The extra Protein couldn't hurt, I think, so long as it doesn't mess up your macro goals and overall calorie intake?

I personally blame the Kid for my own hair woes. I too had luxuriously think hair...until I popped her out and then it was all sad thin hair from then on. :(

(I would kill for some afro-poodle hair right now)

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21 hours ago, Machalo said:

So I've been "shedding" hair for a while. Now I wonder if it's because I'm not getting enough Protein in my diet. Has anyone had hair grow back once the proper amount of Protein is reestablished? It's one of the things I'm most concerned about with the WLS - losing even more hair. Any and all comments and advice are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Im not as far into my journey BUT i have been taking this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FJQ32BG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and my hair has grown in inch in a month which is nuts. I started taking it as soon as possible in the hopes it prevents too much shedding and my nails and hair are growing insanely quickly. I know having high protein helps too, like being in the 90 range or above... but try the liquid Biotin.

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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