Hair loss and firming up.

galaxygrrl

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Jun 4, 2016
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Hi all!

Well, I'm 14 months out and my hair has thinned. :(. How long does it take to start to grow back?

Also, parts of me are starting to firm up - not my tummy, batwings, or behind - but the skin on my forearms and neck. I still would like to see it a little more and I'd like to see it a little more. How long does firming up take.

Thanks
 
@galaxygrrl we had our surgery at about the same time and I have about 3" of hair regrowth now in my areas of hair loss. If your hair loss is fairly new, it makes me wonder if you might be having protein or vit/min deficiencies.
 
I’m not very far ahead of you. (19mo out) I lots about 50% or my hair volume and I have about 20% that has decided to come back in. Of course the chin hair, mustache and leg hair couldn’t have thinned down. Fortunately, I had super thick hair and a great stylist who was able to give me a layered cut to hide the thinning. I use volumizing products and actually have to spend a little time to make my hair look nice now, whereas before the surgery I could blow it dry with a round brush and I was great.

I supplement some extra biotin per my dr suggestion— don’t know if that is helping or not but it’s a dissolvable pill that actually doesn’t taste bad so I just pop it into the bite routine.

As for saggy/baggy skin— for me the skin tightening hasn’t really hit yet. I set off the body scanner at the airport nearly every time I fly (unless I wear leggings). My whole lower abdomen lights up yellow, I get a pat down from TSA and we discuss that I’ve got some saggy skin that sets it off. I didn’t really realize how much skin I had until that started happening. I am sure I could drop 1-2 pant sizes if I got rid of my belly skin— my niece informed me that I look like ET bc I have poly ribs and wrinkly skin.

For my personal journey my husband and I still want to start a family, so my thought on it is hey- I should be able to go through a pregnancy without any added stretch marks. I drink tons of water and use a lot of lotion. I tried some crazy Nerium firming lotion (my recommendation there is to save your $60). Pretty sure all that lotion really did was make me smell funky.

I guess While I’d love to get all my hair back and have tight skin- the DS has given me so much more than that. So much in fact, that if I’m stuck with a little baggy saggy maybe it is just a reminder of everything I have done to better myself through this journey. If it gets worse and never does firm up, there are always the surgical options- but for now— I look at it as somewhat as a trophy for hitting 200lbs of weight loss.
 
I'm coming up on just 5 months post op and I am still losing some hair; however, I have noticed a bit of regrowth this month. I did read a post from a woman who lost all of her hair post op (I can't remember if I saw her here or on the DS fb group), but she said that her issue was that her copper tanked badly and that made her hair all fall out. She also noted that by the time she figured out the culprit, it was too late and she does not believe her hair will ever grow back. I would follow the advice above and check your labs for any trends toward deficiency in protein or anything else. Hair is such a fickle thing and so much can impact the integrity and growth of hair. On that woman who lost all of her hair--she looks freaking incredible and her attitude seems to be that she would still do the DS over again, but she would take supplementation way more seriously than she did.

Oh a more cosmetic note: What are you using to wash and condition? Do you take biotin? I started using Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner and I also use the leave-in conditioner (spray). I switched to that because I used to use Mane and Tail when I was a teenager with horses and working in barns. One of the trainers told me that the same shampoo we used to make our horses gorgeous worked great on humans. My hair grew down to the back of my knees once I started using Mane and Tail.

Anyway, they now sell it at Sally's. I also use Nutriox 3c (for extremely thin hair), which is a scalp treatment. I buy mine at Sally's, but Amazon has a kit with the scalp treament (blue bottle) and a shampoo and conditioner. One of the ladies who works at my local Sally's told me her sister had RnY and her hair fell out in clumps. She started using the Nutriox 3c and it stopped falling out and started growing back. That could be coincidence, or it could be that the stuff actually works. I know I am having a similar experience since using it, but I also coupled it with Mane and Tail. I linked the Nutriox at Amazon below. I cannot say for sure any of this is helping, but at least I feel like I am fighting back. I have noticed that my hair feels just better with this combination. And, I am taking 20,000 Biotin daily. If it doesn't help my hair, at least it will help my nails and skin.

Here's the link to the Nutriox: https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...argid=kwd-128603550742&ref=pd_sl_5u8ulvhbqe_e
 
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I've been taking Biotein since my surgery. My hair is starting to grow back, but like @Pattycake813 I lost about 50% and I would say about 10% is growing back. We will see. Time will tell.

The firming up on my tummy and behind and boobs has not happened, but neck, forarms, etc has. We will see. Time will tell.
 
My turkey waddle under my chin is less noticeable than it was at the 1-2 year mark.

That part actually firmed up...thank goodness. I was concerned for a while, but it got better. My lower arms too, my veins popped for a while, but now, they look good.

When can I get plastics. ;-)
 

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