Ok, what's with the hair loss?

Good morning everyone!

I hope you all had a nice weekend (but don't they go by way too fast!) 

I'm writing this post today because of the amount of hair that I keep sending down the drain in my shower each morning...way more than normal.  I think I remember reading on here somewhere that hair loss is normal...but how much is ok?  Is it just something that happens after WLS or does this mean I'm low in vitamins/protein or something else??
Does the hair stop coming out after a while?  I have long, thick hair and so I'm used to losing some anyway...but this is way more than I'm used to!  I still have lots of hair left, but even my husband has noticed a big increase in the amount of hair that ends up around the bathroom!

Thanks for your input!

Hair loss is your body's response to any sort of trauma. Many people report losing more hair during times of stress, after any major surgery, that sort of thing. Your body takes energy from where ever it can spare it, unneccessary things like hair take the brunt of it.

There is NOTHING you can do to prevent the loss of hair. The only thing you CAN do is promote regrowth. Lots of good nutrients will help, some people report that taking biotin helps, and i've just recently heard that supplementing your diet with Zinc also helps. My friend has just started taking a combination of B12, E and Zinc, which is what her pharmacist reccomended.

I'm very surprised when people are surprised by hair loss, i thought it was more common knowledge than it seems to be.

Thanks for your response Monica....I think it's the sheer amount of hair loss that kind of had me wondering.  It's good to hear it's normal, but I will definitely be looking into ways to promote regrowth!  Thanks for the info re: Zinc 
Maybe it just seems like a lot since it's long, but holy Batman!  I'm cloggin my drain with it every time I shower.

mine started about 4 months out and has slowed somewhat but still at times can seem like alot.  I am now 9 months out and am hoping that My fallout stops soon :)

Robin

 Wow, so it lasts a while...I guess I'd better get used to it and start looking into some extra vitamins/minerals! 
Thanks Robin 

Hey there - I am also having what I consider significant hair loss but thankfully I have a lot of hair so it hasn't been noticable.  I discussed this at my last NP visit at the WMC and there are a few things at play for me:  I am hypothyroid, the surgery and I have low iron.  When you have your next check up mention it and they can recommend a course of action for you.  In most cases after your body recovers from the trauma it will subside.  If there are other issues like I have, you may need a little extra intervention.
Best of luck.

Thanks for your reply 

Thanfully I have a lot of hair as well so it's not noticeable to anyone but me so far...but it's good to hear that there are things I can do until it does subside...I will definitely mention it at my next follow up...which is soon.  I'm like you and have thyroid issues...I actually had my thyroid competely removed, so I wonder if that's playing a role.  I will add that to my list of questions for my next follow-up!

I haven't had much of an issue with it this time around, but after a pregnancy and a significant weight loss immediately after that (12 weeks of Optifast!) I lost a LOT of hair....I have a lot to begin with but I mean....A LOT! I lost more hair than most people even have!!

It wasn't even really that noticeable except when it started coming back in!! I had very long curly hair at the time and when it started to grow back, I had this fringe of baby short hairs all over my head! It looked like some crazy extension experiment gone terribly wrong! It was horrible.

I just got a really great short layered cut and the problem was solved. You will see a lot of people cut their hair pixie short after surgery because of this....and also because I think so many of us hide behind our hair when we are big...it just feels so liberating to chop it all off when we start to lose weight!

Go crazy and dye it green or something! It'll fall out anyway! Its only hair! It'll grow back :)

Good luck and just know that its not a permanent condition!

 Thanks for your reply Sirene...and I've actually been considering a nice shoulder-length cut...a bit of a layered bob...you're so right about hiding behind the long hair...I've done that for years and always have felt such relief in cutting it!  I like the idea of dying it...I've always wished I had the guts to dye it blue and be able to pull it off...lol  

Hey, I did dye my hair green this summer ! And Blue, And pink. Currently platinum blond.

Also people recommend BIOTIN supplements for the hair.