Hello all!

I have been loving the support and the community from this forum since I joined, so thank you!

Quick question for anyone in the UK, but where do you get your supplements from? I have seen a US site (Baricol), but I was wondering if there is anything specific to the UK!

Also - a general question - did people start taking vitamins before their surgery?

I am about 4 months off and this is what I am taking/doing so far: (probably a bit overboard)

• Taking biotin every day
• I plan on starting to take collagen capsules too every day
• Using peppermint & rosemary oil on my hair
• Using a caffeine shampoo and conditioner
• Using these every day (believe me, full-body moisturising x3 per day is NOT fun haha):
  • Firming Butter (palmers.com)
  • Firms Tones Firming Body Lotion (palmers.com)
  • Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks (palmers.com)

Again, I may be going a bit overboard but I just want to give my body the best chance of success!

In answer to one of your questions, I took bariatric vitamins before surgery thinking to put myself on the right track before surgery. My dietician was surprised to find out I was..but I thought I was supposed too..they gave me several months of samples before surgery... I started biotin, collagen etc., bioton shampoo/conditioner all months before surgery.

Results: My hair is still shedding tons 5 months post op regardless a lot!, I don't know about my labs yet .. That's next month. Its not about what you do before since your body decides to divert its energy to surviving on reduced calories afterwards and growing hair is not on your bodies needed requirements. So, each body is different - hopefully yours will react better!

Some things I’ve learnt. I am cynical so be warned. Save your money on any supplements or creams to save your hair or tone your skin or reduce skin laxity. Of course any general body care & self care is always a good thing. My cynical self says just don’t put your faith & heart into believing all the miracle cure alls.

The hair you lose is hair that you would have shed anyway - your natural shedding cycle is just accelerated for a couple of months. It’s dead hair & you can’t save that no matter how many supplements you take. Those that say it helped don’t know how much hair they would have lost & they still lose for the same 3 or so months as those who didn’t take anything or use special shampoo. Remember too your new growth hair is still growing just at it’s a usual rate. You & your stylist are probably the only ones who’ll notice your loss & in a year or so it will be as it was.

How much loose skin you end up with depends on many factors - age, how long you were at your highest weight, how long you carried weight, how much weight you lose, genetics. The loose skin is skin that has been stretched too far & can’t retract any more like elastic in old knickers or an old well used hair band. Only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I’ll be honest. I weakened & bowed to social media & bought that Maey’s B cream range: see results in a month. Well 6 months later & no change. My skin was softer but any cream would have done that. Still had sagging skin & cellulite. Should have saved the $200+.

Also did collagen powder & silica for months too. Any change? Nope. Best thing I did for my facial laxity was micro needling/RF. Not a miracle cure but I can see improvement. Did 4 monthly sessions a year ago & two maintenance sessions for this year. (Lipstick bleeding almost gone, acne scarring more shallow, jowls tighter, more defined jawline in general, don’t have to distort my face to see my cheekbones, skin velvet soft, …) See there are things I believe in - LOL!!!

As for general vitamins before surgery, have a blood test first & find out what nutrients you may be lacking in & supplement those so you are in a healthier place before surgery. No point taking vitamins you don’t need yet. Many of them you simply pee out what your body doesn’t need.

The better, more nutrient dense, balanced diet, being generally healthier, probably did me the most good. My skin isn’t dry anymore (even my feet), don’t have those little bumps on my arms, my nails aren’t as ridged, sleep better, etc.

All the best - exciting times ahead for you,

10 hours ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

In answer to one of your questions, I took bariatric Vitamins before surgery thinking to put myself on the right track before surgery. My dietician was surprised to find out I was..but I thought I was supposed too..they gave me several months of samples before surgery... I started Biotin, collagen etc., bioton shampoo/conditioner all months before surgery.

Results: My hair is still shedding tons 5 months post op regardless a lot!, I don't know about my labs yet .. That's next month. Its not about what you do before since your body decides to divert its energy to surviving on reduced calories afterwards and growing hair is not on your bodies needed requirements. So, each body is different - hopefully yours will react better!

Oooh I see! That is so strange but it makes sense that ultimately, our bodies will do as they please haha!

I am so worried about losing my hair given that it is already pretty fine! But it will be what it will be!

Thank you for sharing your experiences

3 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Some things I’ve learnt. I am cynical so be warned. Save your money on any supplements or creams to save your hair or tone your skin or reduce skin laxity. Of course any general body care & self care is always a good thing. My cynical self says just don’t put your faith & heart into believing all the miracle cure alls.

The hair you lose is hair that you would have shed anyway - your natural shedding cycle is just accelerated for a couple of months. It’s dead hair & you can’t save that no matter how many supplements you take. Those that say it helped don’t know how much hair they would have lost & they still lose for the same 3 or so months as those who didn’t take anything or use special Shampoo. Remember too your new growth hair is still growing just at it’s a usual rate. You & your stylist are probably the only ones who’ll notice your loss & in a year or so it will be as it was.

How much loose skin you end up with depends on many factors - age, how long you were at your highest weight, how long you carried weight, how much weight you lose, genetics. The loose skin is skin that has been stretched too far & can’t retract any more like elastic in old knickers or an old well used hair band. Only way to get rid of it is through surgery. I’ll be honest. I weakened & bowed to social media & bought that Maey’s B cream range: see results in a month. Well 6 months later & no change. My skin was softer but any cream would have done that. Still had sagging skin & cellulite. Should have saved the $200+.

Also did collagen powder & silica for months too. Any change? Nope. Best thing I did for my facial laxity was micro needling/RF. Not a miracle cure but I can see improvement. Did 4 monthly sessions a year ago & two maintenance sessions for this year. (Lipstick bleeding almost gone, acne scarring more shallow, jowls tighter, more defined jawline in general, don’t have to distort my face to see my cheekbones, skin velvet soft, …) See there are things I believe in - LOL!!!

As for general Vitamins before surgery, have a blood test first & find out what nutrients you may be lacking in & supplement those so you are in a healthier place before surgery. No point taking vitamins you don’t need yet. Many of them you simply pee out what your body doesn’t need.

The better, more nutrient dense, balanced diet, being generally healthier, probably did me the most good. My skin isn’t dry anymore (even my feet), don’t have those little bumps on my arms, my nails aren’t as ridged, sleep better, etc.

All the best - exciting times ahead for you,

Ooh okay this is so interesting to read, actually!

It is nice to hear it from an honest and upfront perspective, so thank you for sharing your experiences

I definitely know that surgery will be the only way to actually get rid of any potential loose skin, and I am already saving up for that eventuality, as I know you shouldn't really get surgery to remove that skin until your weight has plateaued, so probably around 2 years I imagine!

I think one of the main things for me at the moment is just preparing myself mentally too - I am trying to cut down on the amount of snacks I am eating, upping my water and protein intake, and making healthier choices. I just want my body and mind to be a bit more prepared for being hungry and healthy!

I had my surgery in the Uk. My package came with 2 years support. They told me to get a B12 injection every 3 months at my local doctors. I get dobbing big Calci- D tablets on prescription and take one a day. I also get full strength multivitamin Gummies from Amazon, my team said to take two a day. Every team has different recommendations. Once a year I have nutritional blood tests to see if my levels are ok, they have been.

Like @Arabesque, I did not bother with any supplements for my skin or hair. At my age It just would have been a waste of money.

34 minutes ago, summerseeker said:

I had my surgery in the Uk. My package came with 2 years support. They told me to get a B12 injection every 3 months at my local doctors. I get dobbing big Calci- D tablets on prescription and take one a day. I also get full strength Multivitamin gummies from Amazon, my team said to take two a day. Every team has different recommendations. Once a year I have nutritional blood tests to see if my levels are ok, they have been.

Like @Arabesque, I did not bother with any supplements for my skin or hair. At my age It just would have been a waste of money.

I think my package will come with 2 years support too! Just out of curiosity (if you don't mind sharing), who did you go with?

I'll have to ask my GP if I can sort those things out then - I am pretty sure I have a B12 deficiency anyway! Thank you for sharing your advice

I agree with everyone else. Some hair loss and loss skin is pretty much part and parcel with weight loss surgery, especially if you have a lot to lose. Fortunately, for many of us, we're the only ones who really notice it. I had minimal hair loss so I'm sure no one besides me noticed it - and my loose skin was easy to hide in clothes. I eventually had it removed because it was driving me nuts, but here I am before I had it removed. I can assure you that I had a TON of loose skin, but no one knew It was there except me and my husband.

for some reason this wanted to insert itself in the middle of my paragraph (above), so I had to post it separately. Anyway, here I am before my first plastic surgery. I had a lower body lift first, then a breast and arm lift, and lastly, a face and neck lift. But as you can see, no one would have been able to tell that I had a ton of loose skin under those clothes. And I did! My abdomen skin was especially awful.

5 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

I agree with everyone else. Some Hair loss and loss skin is pretty much part and parcel with weight loss surgery, especially if you have a lot to lose. Fortunately, for many of us, we're the only ones who really notice it. I had minimal hair loss so I'm sure no one besides me noticed it - and my loose skin was easy to hide in clothes. I eventually had it removed because it was driving me nuts, but here I am before I had it removed. I can assure you that I had a TON of loose skin, but no one knew It was there except me and my husband.

Thank you for your comment

You look great! And well done on such an amazing journey!

I do fully expect hair loss & loose skin - I am prepared for that, I just wondered if anyone had any experiences with trying to help the body along the way!

But it does seem that it isn't needed haha!

I started taking my bariatric vitamins back when I got my original surgery date, in October, I think. I take the Celebrate One 45 chewable bariatric vitamin and 3 Celebrate calcium chews (fruit flavored, delicious!) per days, as well as lutein and omega 3 supplements that were recommended by my eye doctor (not weight related), and half a biotin chew because it can't hurt, right? I started early strictly to get into the routine. My memory is shite and I wanted to have it be second nature by the time I truly needed it. I do also add a scoop of collagen powder to my tea in the morning and I use retinol body and face creams, but that's more an anti-aging thing as opposed to loose skin prevention.

As everyone has said, the loose skin and hair shedding is kind of unavoidable. The supplements, at best, are hopefully to ensure the new hair growth is as healthy as can be. I wouldn't go with expensive "miracle" products because they probably won't live up to the hype or the cost, but if it's in the budget to get a few things that make you feel better, it also can't hurt. I mean, peppermint and rosemary just sounds lovely. Even if it doesn't do a lot, it smells like heaven!

1 hour ago, NickelChip said:

I started taking my bariatric Vitamins back when I got my original surgery date, in October, I think. I take the Celebrate One 45 chewable bariatric Vitamin and 3 Celebrate calcium chews (fruit flavored, delicious!) per days, as well as lutein and Omega 3 supplements that were recommended by my eye doctor (not weight related), and half a Biotin chew because it can't hurt, right? I started early strictly to get into the routine. My memory is shite and I wanted to have it be second nature by the time I truly needed it. I do also add a scoop of collagen powder to my tea in the morning and I use retinol body and face creams, but that's more an anti-aging thing as opposed to loose skin prevention.

As everyone has said, the loose skin and hair shedding is kind of unavoidable. The supplements, at best, are hopefully to ensure the new Hair growth is as healthy as can be. I wouldn't go with expensive "miracle" products because they probably won't live up to the hype or the cost, but if it's in the budget to get a few things that make you feel better, it also can't hurt. I mean, peppermint and rosemary just sounds lovely. Even if it doesn't do a lot, it smells like heaven!

Ahh yes exactly that! I am really trying to get myself into a good routine and a different way of thinking, as I know this is something I am going to really struggle with!

I have always been historically bad with taking my medication every day so I need to improve!

The peppermint & rosemary really is a good time haha!

Thank you for responding

10 hours ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

Oooh I see! That is so strange but it makes sense that ultimately, our bodies will do as they please haha!

I am so worried about losing my hair given that it is already pretty fine! But it will be what it will be!

Thank you for sharing your experiences

I have very fine hair as well..just start to love hats! Beanies, slouch, stocking, berets, BB caps etc! I just tell myself - this too will pass! Good luck.

18 hours ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

… I think one of the main things for me at the moment is just preparing myself mentally too - I am trying to cut down on the amount of Snacks I am eating, upping my Water and Protein intake, and making healthier choices. I just want my body and mind to be a bit more prepared for being hungry and healthy!

This is a really great place to start. Start making small changes which are much easier to adopt & adapt to. And yes the head work is incredibly important & it is also the hardest thing so starting now is a good idea too.

If you do decide to go down the skin removal path, waiting until you’ve stabilised your weight for a few months is a good idea. I haven’t gone that route as I don’t have a lot of loose skin - two finger pinches so not worth the surgery. It doesn’t limit me in any way & like @catwoman7 I can hide it easily under clothes. I even wear body con clothes without shape wear. I was fortunate as I hadn’t carried my highest weight for long & didn’t have as much to lose comparatively. I certainly had my age against me but maybe good genes helped too ?.

13 hours ago, BlondePatriotInCDA said:

I have very fine hair as well..just start to love hats! Beanies, slouch, stocking, berets, BB caps etc! I just tell myself - this too will pass! Good luck.

Ahh I don't mind a good hat haha!

Thank you

5 hours ago, Arabesque said:

This is a really great place to start. Start making small changes which are much easier to adopt & adapt to. And yes the head work is incredibly important & it is also the hardest thing so starting now is a good idea too.

If you do decide to go down the skin removal path, waiting until you’ve stabilised your weight for a few months is a good idea. I haven’t gone that route as I don’t have a lot of loose skin - two finger pinches so not worth the surgery. It doesn’t limit me in any way & like @catwoman7 I can hide it easily under clothes. I even wear body con clothes without shape wear. I was fortunate as I hadn’t carried my highest weight for long & didn’t have as much to lose comparatively. I certainly had my age against me but maybe good genes helped too ?.

Yeah exactly what I was thinking! I think binge eating and snacking is one of my biggest downfalls, so I want to tackle that head-on. I am 3 days down without eating crisps and masses of chocolate and sweets!

I'll definitely let it stabalise - I imagine although I am 27, I will definitely have loose skin. I have always been a bigger girl. Been at my heaviest weight for a year or two now I think, but I have always had a belly so that's gonna be the area for me!

I will say though, with all the moisturising I have been doing, especially on my tummy, it has made me not hate it as much, but just to kind of accept it as part of me. I usually don't look at myself in the mirror, I won't even touch my tummy, so to have to be gentle and care for it in a way has been a bit cathartic. So, if anything, that is helping haha.

That is amazing you have been so fortunate with your loose skin, I am so happy for you!