Hi all,

I am still pre op - my date is April 2nd...

I have accepted that a period of hair loss is heading my way and that's part of the parcel that comes with the sleeve. That said... is it just hair thinning or do some people have bald patches?

Thank you

Shelley

Yeah, I hit protein and fluid and still lost a lot of hair. It really is just luck of the draw. Only me and my hairdresser really noticed. I cut my hair above shoulder length to help it not look stringy. Plus is that I couldn’t really pull off short hair when I was heavy- but now that I’m a normal weight i don’t need long hair to hide behind.

That was my concern as well..I am 4 days post-op and it’s scary to think about I’m hoping my vitamins help and just hoping for it not to be as bad as post part I’m hair loss I went bald in some spots after I had my daughter so I hope that doesn’t happen it was very hard to deal

I have huge bald spots all over my head at six months post surgery. I won’t go out in public without a hat or bandana on. My hair was lower-back length and I had to cut it to just above my shoulders so I wouldn’t have SO MUCH HAIR going down the drain and getting in my vacuum. My hair was thinning before (due to probable but unconfirmed PCOS), and I had a really rough go of it between months 2 and 4 where I know I was malnourished. It’s starting to grow back already, but that’s probably my biggest frustration right now is my hair.

My hair was pretty much a casualty of WLS. I lost most of my hair and it hasn't grown back. My surgeon speculates that my hair fell out due to the normal telogen effluvium that comes with drastic weight loss. Then it didn't grow back due to age-related hair loss I would have had anyway (I'm 57). So the surgey sped up the hair loss and I lost it all at once, rather than gradually over a couple of years. But my experience is unusual and I wouldn't take back the 130 pounds I've lost to get my hair back!

I kept my protein intake high (80g) & took my vitamins and didn’t have hair loss. I feel like there’s a lot of hair on my bathroom floor, but my actual hair looks the same as always. (Sleeve 6/30/2021)

On 3/12/2022 at 1:02 AM, armartin98 said:

Sleeved 12/22 and don't have Hair loss (I'm older as well). Good luck.

You're not out of the woods yet sorry to say mine started at the 4 month mark and a friend at the 6 month mark

8 minutes ago, SleeverSk said:

You're not out of the woods yet sorry to say mine started at the 4 month mark and a friend at the 6 month mark

Yup, mine was from 6 to 11 months. Have plenty to take from, so no biggie. You'll know when it starts itching up top!

?

I'm six months out. I see a lot of hair in my comb and in the sink, but it only looks thinner on some days, although I'm not sure why. My hair is very short, and I think that helps it be less noticeable when it sheds. No one else has noticed my hair getting thinner - I asked my hairdresser and he said he couldn't tell, but I am not sure. I always take my multivitamins and almost always get 70+ g of protein. We were told that there really isn't anything you can do to prevent hair loss. Taking extra biotin can mess up certain lab levels, too. As far as I can tell, I have just been lucky - so far!

I have a lot of fine, long hair. I didn’t think I had hair loss, but my hairdresser noticed and cut it into a bob for awhile. No bald patches or anything anyone else noticed. Good luck!

On 03/11/2022 at 10:55, WhispersOfAngel said:

I'm dreading this part too! I adore my long, curly hair. And I'm trying to decide if I should just go ahead and cut it now so maybe it won't look so bad when it does thin out. I didn't have Hair loss with the Lap Band.

Don’t do it! Just wait. It might not happen for you.

You're not out of the woods yet sorry to say mine started at the 4 month mark and a friend at the 6 month mark

Yup mine didn't start falling out till the 6 month mark. My brush is full of hair this morning, going on 8 months. No bald spots but it is thinning for now. I also have met my protein and vitamins. I sure hope it grows back after I up my calories on maintenance...

3 hours ago, Tomo said:

Yup mine didn't start falling out till the 6 month mark. My brush is full of hair this morning, going on 8 months. No bald spots but it is thinning for now. I also have met my Protein and Vitamins. I sure hope it grows back after I up my calories on maintenance...

I have got visible new hair growth now so don't worry it will come back

No bald patches, per se, but I had new growth on one upper temple, and nearly a bald other temple. Rest of head is covered fully, but so much thinner and drier. Still trying to figure out how to style to maximize the hair I have. Pre-op I had long, thick, shiny hair…but I gladly trade it for the weight loss!

I didn’t get full protein/supplements till around two months post-op due to vomiting, so hopefully others will do better!

I was taking biotin religiously months before surgery, and post surgery met all protein and vitamin goals plus collagen support supplements. I couldn't have done more to prepare, but from 4 months, my hair has thinned and while it's slowed down now at 6 months, I joke that I have to style my hair into a comb-over. I had fine hair normally, so losing volume has really thinned it out. It sucks. It really does. I'm not quite at the "wear a hat" or scarf stage, but I'm not far off.

Just got to ride it out and focus on the good. My brother says I look ten years younger, so even with crappy hair, that's a plus!