Hair Loss

First topic message reminder :

Hi has anyone experienced hair loss since there surgery and weight loss

I am now 5 and bit months post op and in the last month or so I have been loosing bulk hair. We usually loose 50-100 hairs per day normally, but in this last month I noticed how much extra I have been loosing, especially when I wash my hair. I know I am Iron deficient, so I am being much more diligent in taking the iron supplement, plus multivitamins, plus protein supplement etc etc, so hopefully it will resolve itself soon. Don't want to loose too much more as my hair is very long (ie half way down my back) and is very fine (even though fine I used to have heaps of it, so the hairdressers keep telling me, especially when I have had perms or colours done as it takes them ages to roll it). I have noticed how thin it is at the scalp level, but it is pretty evenly thinned out. I must say, it has been getting me down a bit of late as my hair has always been one of my better features (cause the body was always a bit of a loss). But as Deb said, better to have thinning hair "temporarily" than stay obese. I guess it's a small price to pay in the scheme of things for better health in the long run.

Thank you so much .I have found this ite very interesting and will get my Dr to have a look and see if she can arrange some tests to see if I can stop my hair from falling out
I shall keep you alll up dated

Hi Bedugl,

Welcome to the site.
You had quite good weight loss with the gastric balloon didn't you? That is very interesting.

Thanks also for the information about hair loss.
I was sleeved less than 2 weeks ago so I am not sure how much of a problem this will be for me. I would rather be slimmer than more hirsute though! If only we could decide which areas of our body lost hair as a result of weight loss- now that would be great!
Are you still waiting (or is that weighting?) for the sleeve operation or has it since been done?

Hi Everyone,

I am new to the forum, but had a gastric balloon inserted to kick start me along the way while I waited for the 12 month waiting period to finish. I lost about a quarter to a third of my hair over six months - absolutely freaked out and called the dietician, who told me to take a multivitamin (which I was already doing).

I recently found some info on weight loss causing hair loss on youtube. A blogger who had had weight loss surgery mentioned that she had significant hair loss and had gone to see a dermatologist.

Now I am not a doctor or nurse, and this is *not* medical advice in any way - just sharing of information. If you are worried, I strongly recommend going to see your Doctor and discussing it with them.

From what I have found out, it turns out hair loss is a fairly common side effect of rapid weight loss (among other things). It is *not* balding as there are generally no 'patches' rather it is hair loss across the whole scalp.

Basically, a greater percentage of your hairs have entered the 'resting phase' or Telogen. Most people have a telogen cycle of about 3 months, after which time the hair enters the anagen (or growth) phase. Your hair should start to grow back within a few months.

The medical term for it is Telogen effluvium and can be caused by (not an exhastive list):

Physiologic stress
Hormonal changes
Major Surgery
Major Trauma
Change in diet
Crash dieting
Low protein intake
Chronic iron deficiency

Any of those sound familiar??

The hair loss can occur between 1 and 6 months after (but usually 3 months after the trigger) and it usually resolves itself. Go see your doctor if it doesn't.

I have cut and pasted some links below, but if you type Telogen Effluvium into a search engine, you should get at least a couple of hundred hits.

Hope this helps,

Bedugl

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1071566-overview
http://www.hairdiseases.com/diseases-that-cause-alopecia/alopecia-cause.shtml

Hi Febe,

I was fine until about 3 months and then started to lose hair. I'm now 6 months and it's eased off and isn't so bad.

steph

ok up to treatment 6 still losing some hair while I put treament in. buggar.
have noticed that the hair is very noticably thinner at the root end, more than half the thickness than the other end , about 1 inch long so thats about 2-3months ago something changed . My mother-in-law moved in . gee I hope it aint her that is causing this. Off to the Dr to day if I can get an appointment

well I do take lots of vitamins
A
Multi B
C
D
E
zinc
iron
caltrate
fish oil
I eat meat not much but do eat it first so I can get as much in as possible
I am clutching at straws when I self dignose what could be causing it.I have not idea.
Dr did say that what I eat body was maybe still thinks I am starving it. Although I have not lost any thing in months.She was not happy that I had op in 1st place.

Febe, some ppl get it, some dont, depends on the makeup of your body.
I have heard it tends to start after 3 - 6 months.
I have it pretty bad but thats also because I had a baby 10 weeks before my surgery.

Anne, I have also heard that Zinc helps too.

Thanks for that Nomesskinnypants (love the name).
So it means upping the amount of protein taken in. mm........ I am going to have to start liking steak again.
And plenty of fish.
Anne

Fast weightloss and a decrease in the amount of nutrients we are taking in, is what causes it Anne. Head hair, to the body, is just an accessory, therefore when it sees the need for protien elsewhere, it will divert it from the hair to somewhere else. This results in hairloss.

To what do you put this losing hair down to? Do you think it may be due to the anaesthesia, or medication? If so, then I may be in the clear, as I have had many procedures over the years, and have been a walking dispensary for years. lol. Hope so any way.
Cheers,
Anne

mmmm sorry to say but it seems to be fairly normal. I seem to be losing what i think is alot...but i saw a girl that i know the other day that has had the sleeve and she is suffering alot more than me.

Nicole

Oh goodness, I didn't know about this side-effect !!!!!!!!! Is this very common, or just the minority? Ye gods, I don't want to lose any hair. :[img]http://sm

Anne

I noticed the biggest loss is when i wash my hair, so I decided I may be a grot and only wash my hair once a week for a while.

Hi
treatment 2 went ok I am wrapping my head in glad wrap to help the treatment.
did treatment 3 yesterday and did notice that not as much hair came out with me putting the treatment in.I am only washing my hair after esch treatment not every second day as I was told thius is onlt strippingthe natural iols which I really knwe anyawy . Sometimes you just have to be told by someone else to listen .
My mother in law did move in 6 months ago and my Dr seems to think the added stress of her could be making it happen too.
no signs of new growth but it is only 1 week

mine is falling out just on optifast, like clumps of it. It's quite disturbing. I already lost alot of hair from medication, I can't afford to lose much more. Anyway, I suppose as long as it does grow back well, I'll just have to grin and bear it and trip over it and suck it up with the vacuum...I think I'm losing more hair that the cat is at the moment.

Holy moly - 70 pounds already. You are just running away with the weight loss jackpot. So exciting- you must feel great.

I am now four months post op and I have notice more hair falling out than usual, hopefully not too much will go. I have fine hair but lots of it, so hopefully that will compensate. My hair is very long at the mo, so don't want to loose too much.

i also noticed mine falling out all over my bathroom floor and vanity at about 3 months...im also about 6 months out and mine is still coming out. Hopefully it will stop soon.
Im also very lucky that i have thick hair and i really cant notice to much of a difference, but my vaccum cleaner can ...lol

Nicole

well I was hoping that mine would of subsided by now .
It is almost 1 year post op for sleeve , but I did have a hysterectomy, tummy tuck August and the old camera job done in September,
I have increased my vitamins .I proberly don't drink enough.
If I can get back half of what I have lost I will be happy.We are talking just the hair now.lol

Hi I also lost about half a head of hair, but now at 18 months out it has all grown back and is as thick and healthy as it was before. So just hang in there, it will come back. Dee

What are you using Fadding? Nioxin?

Cathy I noticed my hair loss at about 3 months too but now 6 months on it has slowed. But i also had really thick hair to start with although now feels like half the head of hair I had before.

steph

Hair loss,
No epiphony here on that one, but possibly some hope. My hair loss started at about 3 months post op. Lucky I had alot to start with. I tried shampoos, treatments, increased protein, vitamins and minerals by the bucket load (on dieticians advise)............ nothing helped. The one thing that seemed strange is that although it was falling out, within a couple of weeks (about 7)new growth came through at the same time. So the ends were mangey and I had a fine spike, all at the same time.

So, here is the hope bit. I am now 8 months post op and the hair loss has reduced markedly, how can I tell you may ask?? The brown rug with the grey tips on the white bathroom times is diminishing, god touch wood........ excuse me for a minute while I go roll in the wood heap lol. The only thing that has seemed to change mine is time and in all honesty I was advised by the doctor when this started that it (hair loss) could last six months to 12 months but would cease when it was ready too (especially if the weight loss was extreme at the beginning). Seems she may have right. Doesnt make it any less scary and I do know that some treatments have worked for others.
Best of luck...Cathy

Ok applied 1st treatment
lost several hairs in the process of getting in hair. I was very gental.
but does smell nice

Ok I said it
my hubby actually commented yesterday :[img]http://sm :
So
I am starting this new essiential oil treatment today
actually as soon as I get off here
shall do updates weekly
so hold on to your horses i mean hair and $ I shall tell you all if it work
shit I hope so

or I may just end up like this bald