Hair Loss Question

m1hocker · 05-10-2007, 12:43 AM

To anyone that has lost hair during this process...at what point did you start losing your hair? I am about 3 months post op and am just starting to lose hair.

After each of my pregnancies, I lost a significant amount of hair around 3 months. Something in my body just stresses with changes around this 3 month mark. I hope it stops soon. I have tons of hair to lose, but really don't care to go through this again, since I just had my last baby 14 months ago and am finally growing some of that loss back.

I am keeping my protein intake up to at least 60 grams a day and am taking my calcium and vitamins on a daily basis. Any suggestions of what else I could do and just curious as to why it just started now.

WASaBubbleButt · 05-10-2007, 01:45 AM

I have been reading EVERYTHING I can find on this topic. My hair is soooo thin now. It started at about 3 months but it didn't get bad until 4 months. That is when it got super bad.

I have read and read on this topic and asked every surgeon and anesthesiologist I know and I'm now of the opinion it is a combo of drugs used during surgery. They use Versed and gas. That combo somehow makes a difference.

It isn't protein, my labs show my protein is fine. I take vitamins all day long. It isn't fast weight loss because non weight loss patients experience the same thing. People who have twilight sleep for simple procedures do not experience this, but they get Versed only. People who get gas only (not typical) don't seem to experience this. People who get gas and Versed seem to have these issues.

There is no proof of anything one way or another but from everything I have heard from various docs and read, this is now my opinion.

**FairyFacade** · 05-10-2007, 10:34 AM

What's versed? the paralytic? (I made up a word? LOL)
I got a shot that made me loopy as I was being reeled somewhere, then I guess I fell asleep as they put the mask on me, I remember him yelling at me to do something but I didn't.. And would I know if I had versed?

Also, when I did Atkins and lost 70lbs within a few months, my hair fell out like CRAZY. It had nothing to do with a surgery, but I do think I was likely malnutritioned because I didn't know anything about vitamins. I doubt it was protein since that's all I ate. But I use to have hair that 1 ponytail holder could barely go around once..and now its about the width of a silver dollar if I hold it all together. When it was falling out I would cry in the shower because I didn't know how to stop it. I just dealt with it, till I started seeing a bald patch and stopped Atkins.. and gained back 110lbs.. ho hum.
If you come up with any good info on how to prevent hair loss, do pass it along. Like you, I keep looking at all the info I can get on it, because I know I'm prone to lose hair during weight loss!

WASaBubbleButt · 05-10-2007, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lauraj23

What's versed? the paralytic? (I made up a word? LOL)
I got a shot that made me loopy as I was being reeled somewhere, then I guess I fell asleep as they put the mask on me, I remember him yelling at me to do something but I didn't.. And would I know if I had versed?

Also, when I did Atkins and lost 70lbs within a few months, my hair fell out like CRAZY. It had nothing to do with a surgery, but I do think I was likely malnutritioned because I didn't know anything about vitamins. I doubt it was protein since that's all I ate. But I use to have hair that 1 ponytail holder could barely go around once..and now its about the width of a silver dollar if I hold it all together. When it was falling out I would cry in the shower because I didn't know how to stop it. I just dealt with it, till I started seeing a bald patch and stopped Atkins.. and gained back 110lbs.. ho hum.
If you come up with any good info on how to prevent hair loss, do pass it along. Like you, I keep looking at all the info I can get on it, because I know I'm prone to lose hair during weight loss!

You didn't make up a word, that's a real word but Versed doesn't do that.

When someone is going to have surgery often times the way drugs are given is Versed is first. That puts you to sleep, it's a benzo or in the Valium family. It works hard and fast, but not long. It zonks you out. Then you are given a paralytic so that you can be intubated (assuming intubation is necessary, many docs are using a special face mask that doesn't require a tube going down to your lungs such as my doc for banding procedures), then gas to keep you asleep.

Lisa99 · 05-10-2007, 12:16 PM

I asked my surgeon about this. I had rotator cuff surgery about 8 weeks after the LAP-BAND^® surgery and about one month after the cuff repair my hair was falling out in handfuls.

She said some people's body reacts to the stress of surgery by making their nails thin and their hair falls out.

Thank goodness it only lasted for about a couple of months...my hair is back to normal now and it's been about five months since my cuff repair.

m1hocker · 05-10-2007, 01:08 PM

Thanks for the info. Not quite sure what was used for my surgery. Will ask my doc come time for my next fill...in 1 1/2 more weeks. Hope it slows down between now and then.

thickchickTEXAS · 05-10-2007, 01:48 PM

I've been banned for 2 months now and I just had my hair cut because of breakage and the fact that is is thinner then every before!
So I'm faithful to my vitamins and protein now!

maudeispam · 05-10-2007, 06:41 PM

I lost hair up until the 4th month post op. Then my once thick hair was normal to thin. I now take biotin daily for hair and nail growth. My hair is ALOT healthier now too. I used to battle dandruff and really oily scalp, now I have to use conditioner to keep moisture in it.

maziemommy · 05-10-2007, 11:36 PM

This disscussion was brought up at one of my pre-op behavioral classes...

The dietician said "most people will tell you that lack of protein or other things, cause hair to become brittle and/or fall out"... she said that after weightloss surgery the most common reason is actually... lack of fats in the diet!!!:faint:

Imagine a dietician saying some people need to eat more fat!!... :hungry: (she actually recommended GOOD FATS;)) ..like nuts and olive oil... without enough fat hair gets quite dry, brittle and falls out- some worse than others.
I can't say if this is related to your situations but worth taking a look at!!!:nervous GOOD LUCK!

**Wheetsin** · 05-10-2007, 11:41 PM

Actually from what I remember (long ago I self studied up on anesthetics, I was pre-med and contemplating anesthesiology -- and then I learned a few new words, "malpractice premiums!!!) any surgery can cause hairloss. Any general anesthesia, that is - doesn't even need to be surgery. I know my mother had some major hairloss after her hysterectomy.

Quote:

A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.

(from familydoctor.org)

WASaBubbleButt · 05-11-2007, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wheetsin

Actually from what I remember (long ago I self studied up on anesthetics, I was pre-med and contemplating anesthesiology -- and then I learned a few new words, "malpractice premiums!!!) any surgery can cause hairloss. Any general anesthesia, that is - doesn't even need to be surgery. I know my mother had some major hairloss after her hysterectomy.

(from familydoctor.org)

You know what is spooky? I've been thinking about another surgical procedure in a few months. I have already lost at least 50% of my hair. Makes me wonder if another surgery would make the other 50% go away.
:paranoid :paranoid :paranoid :paranoid

WASaBubbleButt · 05-11-2007, 03:27 AM

Here is another opinion... kinda interesting:

http://www.vsgfaq.com/hairloss.php

amrdmr · 05-11-2007, 01:41 PM

Hello all,

If you google telogen effluvium you will get the articles talking about stress-related hair loss. It is quite a common thing to happen, and can happen after any major stress, surgery being one of them, pregnancy being another. What happens is that the hairs all go suddenly into the same stage of growth, so, at 3-4 months after the stress, a large part of your hair reaches the end stage, telogen, and you lose of lot of hair all at once. This has happened to me twice and is not pleasant, I can tell you. However, eventually, your hair should grow back if you aren't having ongoing stress or nutritional deficits. Unfortunately, if you are prone to this, once the stress occurs, there is nothing you can do to stop the hair loss down the road. Just try to encourage the new growth to be healthy.

AMRDMR

WASaBubbleButt · 05-11-2007, 01:47 PM

Yep, that's pretty much what the article says.

m1hocker · 05-11-2007, 05:03 PM

Thanks everyone for your posts. I dealt with this after both of my pregnancies (C-Sections) and it's no fun. Like I said before, I have a lot of 4 inch strands around my face growing back in from the birth of my son and here I go again. I wouldn't worry about it because it always grows back healthy, but I have a wedding to be in in 3 months from now. As if getting my weight down is not enough to worry about with a wedding, now I get to worry about my hair too. I guess I could be in a lot worse off situation...I need to look on the brighter side. Thanks again!!!