Hello! I’m just 5 months post-op and doing fantastic. Everything’s gone so well thus far except for the crazy amounts of hair I’m losing. It started a few weeks ago and hasn’t let up.

I knew this would happen and it’s an easy price to pay for how healthy and happy WLS has made me. I’m wondering if anyone knows of a way to combat or at least mitigate the loss?

My hairstylist suggested a supplement called Viviscal, and castor oil for my scalp, and shampoo and conditioner that regrow and thicken hair. Has anything worked for you?

Thanks in advance!

I started losing tons of hair around the same time as you. I had thought I was in the clear since it didn't happen early on. After my 6 month blood test, everything was in the normal range, I was recommended Rogaine for women or Viviscal sauce it wasn't an obvious vitamin or mineral deficiency. I opted for Viviscal, and it took two months and the hair finally stopped falling out. I see a lot of new hair growth near the front.

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This is something I'm nervous about. I've never heard of Viviscal but I'm going to look into it for when the time comes.

From what I have heard nothing really helps with the loss. What happens is the cycle is sped up and you just shed the hair faster than normal. Most of those products will make the new hair growing in nice and healthy and thick but they won’t make slow the shedding or speed up the growth. Some people get a cute shorter cut to try distract from the issue.

I did everything I could both pre and post surgery with hair supplements and collagen support supplements, and am still religiously taking them now. Still didn't stop hair loss. It MAY have helped in how much I lost, but I'll never know because I have nothing to compare it with. I started losing hair from month 4 until about month 7. Now I'm just waiting for it to grow back, and hoping the supplements will assist with that. Just gotta be patient.

Beyond that, cutting my hair off into a cute pixie has made my loss a lot less noticeable, especially to myself! A good cut will honestly make all the difference.

Although my dermatologist said I could take Rogaine, she said that it could also cause more shedding at first.

I opted to do nothing and let nature take its course. About six months after surgery, more hair started growing in, especially around my face. I now have hair of two different lengths. The longer hairs are thin, and the shorter hair is thicker.

A lot of it is due to the stress you & your body has been going through. The hair you’re losing is hair you would lose as part of your usual hair loss cycle. It’s just this cycle has been accelerated. You are growing new hair but at it’s usual rate which you normally don’t even notice. The new growth hasn’t been affected which is why taking rogaine, etc. is really an unnecessary expensive. Supplements to supposedly support hair growth again only help your new growth not your existing hair which is dead & is supposed to fall out at some time.

It usually last about 3 or 4months & that seems to be about the same for people who take additional supplements, etc. But even knowing about how long it lasts & that it’s part of the process it still can be difficult to accept the clumps in the shower. If your hair is long, cut it shorter so the loss isn’t as noticeable.(Also the clumps won’t look as much with shorter hair than long strands.) It will also take less time for your new growth to catch up & be the same or similar length to your shorter hair.

Edited July 10, 20224 yr by Arabesque

15 hours ago, SleeveDiva2022 said:

This is something I'm nervous about. I've never heard of Viviscal but I'm going to look into it for when the time comes.

I wonder if you have to continuously use it like you do Rogaine. Once you stop Rogaine you will lose the hair it helped you grow back.

Thank you everyone! Yes, seeing the amount of hair in the mesh drain cover is disturbing. I’m heartened to hear it has grown back for you all.

I appreciate your replies!

I posted this to answer someone else but wanted to share my answer with you too.
My dietician said hair supplements & collagen DO NOT WORK! Stop wasting money & time with them.
Said collagen is empty calories. And on supplements, just because it says “hair doesn’t mean that’s where your body will apply it. Your body will use it where it’s needed & hair generally isn’t the priority to your body.
PROTEIN is the ONLY thing that will keep you from suffering from hair loss. So meet your protein goals as set by your doctor (usually 60-80g protein/day for women, 70-90g for men).

I posted this to answer someone else but wanted to share my answer with you too.
My dietician said hair supplements & collagen DO NOT WORK! Stop wasting money & time with them.
Said collagen is empty calories. And on supplements, just because it says “hair doesn’t mean that’s where your body will apply it. Your body will use it where it’s needed & hair generally isn’t the priority to your body.
Protein is the ONLY thing that will keep you from suffering from Hair loss. So meet your protein goals as set by your doctor (usually 60-80g protein/day for women, 70-90g for men).

Your dietician may be right about hair loss and collagen but she is wrong about calling it empty calories.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835901/

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