I had my surgery back in August of last year. While it’s been a challenge, I’ve seen great results. However over the past few months I have seen some significant hair loss. I don’t have any bald spots, but there is a noticeable thinning out. I’m taking my daily vitamins I am not sure what to do, if anything. Any advice?

hair loss is a potential side effect after major surgeries (and other things, too, like childbirth) because of the stress to the body, but I think we see it more often after bariatric surgery because in addition to the trauma, we're also taking in very few calories those first few months. At any rate, hair loss is a common occurrence after weight loss surgery.

there's really not much you can do about it other than let it run its course. It'll eventually stop and the hair will grow back. It usually lasts three or four months. I lost hair from months 5-9. Fortunately, I didn't lose much - I barely noticed it let alone others. Some people lose a lot, some people don't lose any at all, most of us are somewhere in the middle - WE notice it, but others don't.

about all you can do is keep on top of your vitamins and protein so it doesn't get any worse than it would otherwise - and know that it'll stop and grow back.

1 hour ago, ExactlyAsh said:

I had my surgery back in August of last year. While it’s been a challenge, I’ve seen great results. However over the past few months I have seen some significant Hair loss. I don’t have any bald spots, but there is a noticeable thinning out. I’m taking my daily Vitamins I am not sure what to do, if anything. Any advice?

I lost so much hair in months 4-6 and now its actually growing back. Thank God. It is normal so don't freak out like I did. I would literally cry every time I washed my hair. I have 2 bald spots, but because my hair is growing it is now covering them. My nutritionist told me to take Flaxseed Oil pills 1,000 mg a day. I have been doing it since month 4 and now I am almost 9 months out. I do believe it helped a lot.

I asked my dietician about prevention before surgery and she told me it’s just inevitable and a hormonal response from the surgery. I’m just expecting it. I’m also going to take flaxseed oil and biotin supplements bc they’ve helped me with hair growth in the past when I’ve had thinning hair from a hormonal imbalance.

My hair loss was pretty bad between months 4 to 7, but it has started growing back now. I am almost 10 months post op now.

I had my surgery back in August of last year. While it’s been a challenge, I’ve seen great results. However over the past few months I have seen some significant Hair loss. I don’t have any bald spots, but there is a noticeable thinning out. I’m taking my daily Vitamins I am not sure what to do, if anything. Any advice?

I had surgery in March and I have lost a lot of hair, I just hope it comes back before I am bald.

Our surgery center says there's nothing you can do about it and not to take too much biotin (something that some people do) because not only doesn't it help, but it can also interfere with lab values. It's almost always temporary and not that noticeable. (I haven't had surgery yet, so I can't say if it will be noticeable for me, but I have very short hair, so it might be pretty odd looking!)

I got a nasty shock after taking down my locs a few days ago. I tried everything to prevent or lessen the inevitability but I wasn't lucky. My natural hair is already fine and thin--NTM it takes FOREVER to grow anyway--so you can imagine how devastated I am. I keep crying whenever the thought creeps up on me. And to think I called myself emotionally prepping for this for months! I still wasn't ready. It's so thin and scalpy. ?

Part of me is so frustrated I want to shave it off, but I won't. I guess I'll just continue with my usual bariatric vitamins and supplements and try and be hopeful...

I feel you.

My surgery was in march and I started to shed hair in may. It's quite heartbreaking, especially while washing hair, it just comes off all the time and the amount is... really something. My only hope is that it will stop falling off, cause it's been two months already and at this pace I will be bold by the end of the year.

Do you know if it's better to keep your hair shorter during this time? Like visually.

I had my surgery im March and I have been the same way since May. I did have alot of hair, but it is really thin and brittle now. So sad and yes I am hoping it stops and regrows.

Mine is still below the shoulder, and I ha e contemplated getting it cut too. I just don't know what would be best.

I've been losing a ton of hair too. I expected it and did my best to mentally prepare, but dang this sucks!

I'm very seriously considering shaving my head and bleaching it. I've always wanted a shaved head, so I feel like this is a good excuse. I'll look so punk rock, which is kinda funny because I'm really not...

I must say, I work as a professor and clinical supervisor at a graduate school for East Asian medicine, and I'm concerned that my boss may say something about my shaved head. I dunno...we'll see. I'm about to order some clippers so I can just do it myself!

I got a nasty shock after taking down my locs a few days ago. I tried everything to prevent or lessen the inevitability but I wasn't lucky. My natural hair is already fine and thin--NTM it takes FOREVER to grow anyway--so you can imagine how devastated I am. I keep crying whenever the thought creeps up on me. And to think I called myself emotionally prepping for this for months! I still wasn't ready. It's so thin and scalpy. [emoji80]
Part of me is so frustrated I want to shave it off, but I won't. I guess I'll just continue with my usual bariatric vitamins and supplements and try and be hopeful...

Oh man. I'm so dreading taking down my braids for this reason. [emoji30]

On 6/25/2021 at 6:56 PM, GataAnime said:

I got a nasty shock after taking down my locs a few days ago. I tried everything to prevent or lessen the inevitability but I wasn't lucky. My natural hair is already fine and thin--NTM it takes FOREVER to grow anyway--so you can imagine how devastated I am. I keep crying whenever the thought creeps up on me. And to think I called myself emotionally prepping for this for months! I still wasn't ready. It's so thin and scalpy. ?

Part of me is so frustrated I want to shave it off, but I won't. I guess I'll just continue with my usual bariatric Vitamins and supplements and try and be hopeful...

What happened? I'm 4.5 months out and my hair is thinning out so bad. I read somewhere to put your hair in a protective style and wondered if i should get locs or if that is juts going to accelerate the thinning. Any thoughts you have would be so appreciated. Trying not to freak out over here!

1 hour ago, KarlaNJ said:

What happened? I'm 4.5 months out and my hair is thinning out so bad. I read somewhere to put your hair in a protective style and wondered if i should get locs or if that is juts going to accelerate the thinning. Any thoughts you have would be so appreciated. Trying not to freak out over here!

I'm wearing a locs style now (that I desperately need to refresh). I am hoping that the extra effort I'm putting in will help. I know at some point I may have to cut off the damage, though.

For you, I would recommend something that is not too heavy on the hair (don't be risky like me, LOL). Something that will definitely not expose any hair, maybe a crochet locs style. I've never done those, but it might go a long way towards recovering if you take good care of your hair underneath (moisturise, seal with a hair oil, etc). I have a friend who regularly gets lacefronts with no adhesive and her own hair stays protected somehow.