Thought I might dodge the hair loss bullet. . .

[newanatomy]

Nope! I have been taking vitalady's recommended list since very early out. I have been taking the biotin, zinc, selenium combo since before my surgery to help avoid hair loss post op. I have been getting a minimum of 90 grams of protein since about 6 weeks out. None of it has helped. My hair is falling out at an absolutely alarming rate!

Bummer! I hope it doesn't end up being too terrible. It's a little scary even though I knew it could happen.

 

[brooklyngirl]

NA- it seems that if your body wants to shed the hair, it'll happen no matter what. I had ridiculously thick hair before and the rate that it fell out was insane in the beginning. It started around 4-6 weeks for me and is still shedding a little at almost 9 months, but not too much and I do have lots of regrowth. This is the first time in my life that I was able to rock a chic short cut because I had too much poof to maintain short hair before. From the pics I saw, it looks like you have pretty thick hair, so be thankful for that at least, and remember, it won't be forever!

 

[newanatomy]

NA- it seems that if your body wants to shed the hair, it'll happen no matter what. I had ridiculously thick hair before and the rate that it fell out was insane in the beginning. It started around 4-6 weeks for me and is still shedding a little at almost 9 months, but not too much and I do have lots of regrowth. This is the first time in my life that I was able to rock a chic short cut because I had too much poof to maintain short hair before. From the pics I saw, it looks like you have pretty thick hair, so be thankful for that at least, and remember, it won't be forever!

XO, @brooklyngirl girl! It is not as thick as it looks. I have very curly/frizzy hair that I straighten. I will reevaluate in a month or two to see if it may be time to go back to short hair. I have a little under two and a half years till I hit fifty, I was going to wait till then but, whatever. Just hope I don't have to go the wig route. It seems like it will be too itchy/hot for me.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

It's normal. It will grow back. Besides, you have a little bit of hair to spare .

 

[newanatomy]

I do have a lot of hair. If it continues to fall out in clumps, I'll have to do a Donald Trump comb-over.

 

[brooklyngirl]

I have frizzy curls/waves too. It used to take me over an hour to straighten my hair and even then, sometimes it would poof up and out an hour later. So even though it was very long, I wore it up most of the time. Now it takes 10-15 mins to blow dry, flat iron and style

 

[Sheanie]

Don't sweat it, babe. Pretty soon you'll see a cute little "halo" of shorter hairs growing in around your face. Always happens to me at least once a year normally. Look at different hair cuts, possibly go shorter temporarily, maybe get a perm. I just went short, my hair used to be long (almost to my waist) and spiral permed. It's now at my shoulders, still permed, but I can straighten it. I like it. I'm allergic to hair dye, though, so the grey is now part of me.

 

[Terri]

I was going to suggest maybe going short as well. Everyone has different reasons for saying it falls out anesthesia, lack of protein, etc. so I am worried about it. My hair is average thickness but poker straight and I already wear it short. My niece is my hairdresser so we are going to shop for wigs, just in case before the time comes. I am not going to buy one but get an idea what I like.

 

[newanatomy]

I was going to suggest maybe going short as well. Everyone has different reasons for saying it falls out anesthesia, lack of protein, etc. so I am worried about it. My hair is average thickness but poker straight and I already wear it short. My niece is my hairdresser so we are going to shop for wigs, just in case before the time comes. I am not going to buy one but get an idea what I like.

I would wait on the wigs because you will want them to fit properly and you will be shrinking. You could play around and see which styles you like though. I have worn my hair short for the last almost 20 years. I just grew it to this length. I will have to wait and see how things progress.

 

[Sheanie]

@Terri , I'd not buy wigs either. It's very rare that you'd lose that much hair. Not unheard of, but rare. Just make sure you get in your protein and you will have the cards stacked in your favor. I did not do any research before my DS. Didn't get on the computer or anything. That was in 2009, and by the grace of God I found a good forum shortly afterwards. But I didn't hear the 30-60-90 rule of getting in protein, so I followed my surgeon's advice and forced in 90 grams of protein every day from day one by using protein drinks. I never lost hair, don't know if that was why or not. But after every **other** major surgery I've had, I lost significant amounts of hair. Noticeable handfuls in the shower. Never happened after my DS. I've only had two lab dips, my A and my iron, both happened past a year post-op.

You will do so much better than I did, because you found this forum BEFORE your surgery. You won't learn the hard way like I stupidly did. You will benefit from the collective knowledge of this entire group, which is beyond measure in value.

Save your money for new underwear and shoes. You're going to need it. Oh, and stop buying clothes, because they won't fit long.

 

[Terri]

I would wait on the wigs because you will want them to fit properly and you will be shrinking. You could play around and see which styles you like though. I have worn my hair short for the last almost 20 years. I just grew it to this length. I will have to wait and see how things progress.

@Terri , I'd not buy wigs either. It's very rare that you'd lose that much hair. Not unheard of, but rare. Just make sure you get in your protein and you will have the cards stacked in your favor. I did not do any research before my DS. Didn't get on the computer or anything. That was in 2009, and by the grace of God I found a good forum shortly afterwards. But I didn't hear the 30-60-90 rule of getting in protein, so I followed my surgeon's advice and forced in 90 grams of protein every day from day one by using protein drinks. I never lost hair, don't know if that was why or not. But after every **other** major surgery I've had, I lost significant amounts of hair. Noticeable handfuls in the shower. Never happened after my DS. I've only had two lab dips, my A and my iron, both happened past a year post-op.

You will do so much better than I did, because you found this forum BEFORE your surgery. You won't learn the hard way like I stupidly did. You will benefit from the collective knowledge of this entire group, which is beyond measure in value.

Save your money for new underwear and shoes. You're going to need it. Oh, and stop buying clothes, because they won't fit long.

No not going to buy any wigs was just going to look.

I have been reminding myself not to buy any clothes. LOL on buying new underwear. I had just bought 10 new pair at Lane Bryant when I decided to have WLS. I was whining to DH about how I had just spend $$ on new underwear and soon they would be too big. My daughter still has all kinds of clothes here that she doesn't wear whether it's that she doesn't like or they don't fit but I have been eyeing and thinking some things may eventually fit and are even appropriate for someone that is not under 30.

 

[huneypie]

Hey Terri, you may be lucky and not lose any hair - I didn't. I get my hair thinned when I go to the hairdresser's as I have too much, but I got mine cut into a very short bob (ie shaved up the back) for the surgery just in case, plus you don't want long hair when you're recovering.

The reason people lose hair is due to telogen effluvium and if it's going to happen it will.

 

[MyNewLife]

The summer before my November surgery, I sat at my mothers CCU bedside for two weeks to say goodbye to her (she had hidden a breast lump and chosen not to receive treatment for over two years, it was a total shock when she called me four weeks before she died). Three hours after her death, my father (divorced from my mother for over 20 years) asked me to keep an eye on my brother for a bit over a month so he could go on vacation. He also asked where mom's jewelry was as he felt since he had promised her to watch after my disabled brother was his (he didn't get it). I immediately went to my brothers bedside and spent over a month with him in the hospital with him not knowing the difference between the bed control and a phone. I had to return to my state when my daughter returned from her fathers house in another state. A few weeks later, I found out my father had dumped him in a board and care home. My brother would not come to live with me because he didn't want to leave the state he called home. He died a couple of months later in a hospital bed where no one had visited him in weeks, I could not go to him due to finances and because I am a single mom and have to work. I lost half my hair from that experience, the surgery had very little effect on my hair but of what I lost over that summer, I've regrown probably half back. What falls out will probably mostly grow back, don't worry. Regardless of the reason for the hair loss, we naturally grow.

 

[Terri]

The summer before my November surgery, I sat at my mothers CCU bedside for two weeks to say goodbye to her (she had hidden a breast lump and chosen not to receive treatment for over two years, it was a total shock when she called me four weeks before she died). Three hours after her death, my father (divorced from my mother for over 20 years) asked me to keep an eye on my brother for a bit over a month so he could go on vacation. He also asked where mom's jewelry was as he felt since he had promised her to watch after my disabled brother was his (he didn't get it). I immediately went to my brothers bedside and spent over a month with him in the hospital with him not knowing the difference between the bed control and a phone. I had to return to my state when my daughter returned from her fathers house in another state. A few weeks later, I found out my father had dumped him in a board and care home. My brother would not come to live with me because he didn't want to leave the state he called home. He died a couple of months later in a hospital bed where no one had visited him in weeks, I could not go to him due to finances and because I am a single mom and have to work. I lost half my hair from that experience, the surgery had very little effect on my hair but of what I lost over that summer, I've regrown probably half back. What falls out will probably mostly grow back, don't worry. Regardless of the reason for the hair loss, we naturally grow.

What a rough summer that was for you, losses are never easy and with them that close together had to make them harder. ((Hugs)) to you.

Thank you for sharing your story. Makes me step back and realize that losing hair is far less important than many other things. Even if I go completely bald and don't regrow it all I still know it will all be so worth it to get rid of my comorbidities and be able in better overall health.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

.

Makes me step back and realize that losing hair is far less important than many other things. Even if I go completely bald and don't regrow it all I still know it will all be so worth it to get rid of my comorbidities and be able in better overall health.

Bingo. This. Hair is totally and easily replaceable. I promise. Nobody will ever care if you wear wigs or weaves for the rest of your life.

Y'know, we take for granted that we'll "need"--and should or deserve to get--reconstructive surgery after we lose the weight. We get dental appliances and implants. We are happy to get boob lifts, augmentations, etc. Yet we have this mental THING about "faking" our hair. How goofy is that?