Talk With Your Doctor About Hair Loss Concerns Before Surgery
Its also important to discuss the possibility of surgery-related hair loss with your doctor before your operation.
If you expect a long surgery or an intensive care treatment, you may ask about the medical teams plan for head turning schedules to help prevent positional alopecia.
Your doctor can help assess other risk factors for hair loss, and potentially offer an action plan to help minimize it. This may involve the preventive strategies listed above, as well as potential post-surgery treatments.
Ensure Youre Getting Enough Protein And Iron
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, adequate protein and iron intake has also been linked to healthy hair growth.
You may be able to help minimize hair loss by eating foods rich in these nutrients, but its unclear whether you can prevent surgery-related hair loss with any particular diet.
A blood test can determine whether youre deficient in any of the above nutrients, and your doctor may recommend certain foods or supplements based on the results.
However, you shouldnt take supplements on your own without any established nutritional deficiency. According to a , doing so may increase your risk for worsening hair loss from toxicity.
Can Hair Grow Back After Thinning
Once your surgery is complete, it’s time to take the pressure off any stress and shock-inducing activities. Prioritize self-care and indulge in some dedicated relaxation time. Unfortunately, once the hair has been pushed to the telogen phase, it’s time to kiss it goodbye and accept that the shedding phase will last for at least three months.
“The hair can definitely grow back after thinning, but the underlying cause must be addressed and resolved. After addressing the cause, it can take three to six months for things to normalize,” Chacon said.
See: How to Grow Your Hair Faster
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How Is Hair Loss In Women Treated What Medicines Or Supplements May Help
Treatment depends on the cause of your hair loss.
- In cases where the loss is due to stress or hormone changes like pregnancy, there might be no treatment needed. The hair loss will stop after a period of time.
- In cases of hair loss being due to hair styling practices, like tight braids or ponytails or certain chemicals, treatment means not doing the things that caused the damage.
- In cases due to nutritional deficiencies, you might be told to take supplements. For instance, you might be told to take a multivitamin and three to five milligrams of biotin daily.
- Minoxidil is approved for treating FPHL. The 2% or 5% solution can be purchased in stores. However, you have to follow directions exactly and use the product indefinitely. Dont use this product if youre pregnant, if you plan to get pregnant, or if youre breastfeeding.
- The HairMax Lasercomb® low light laser is approved by the US FDA to treat FPHL. Another FDA-approved laser product is the Theradome LH80 PRO® helmet and low light laser helmets and caps.
Other medications that have been studied, but not approved, for hair loss in women include:
- Spironolactone and other anti-androgens.
- Steroids.
- Other light treatments.
It is important to note that premenopausal women should not take medications for hair loss treatment without using contraception. Many drugs, including minoxidil and finasteride, are not safe for pregnant women or women who want to get pregnant.
Prevent And Reduce Hair Loss After Weight Loss Surgery
There seems to be a lot of concern with losing your hair after having weight loss surgery. Although hair loss can be a side effect of rapid weight loss, you are more likely to experience hair loss if you have had gastric bypass or duodenal switch due to the malabsorption.
There is a big misconception that losing your hair is absolute, and there is nothing you can do about it. This is incorrect. The truth is we all lose hair every day, but it is steadily growing back, so we do not notice it.
Post-surgery hair loss, also known as Telogen Effluvium, may occur first six months due to the stress from the operation. This hair loss is generally not permanent, as the number of hair follicles shedding in the telogen phase or non-growth phase is increased naturally. Lean protein as well as bariatric vitamins in the post-op diet are essential to successful weight loss and side effects like hair loss.
Hair growth is not essential for survival, so if you are not taking in the proper amount of nutrients, your body temporarily shuts down functions that are not necessary for living. There are certain steps you can incorporate to minimize and even stop excess hair loss.
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Continue Taking A Multivitamin Exactly As Prescribed After Surgery
Taking a multivitamin will continue to be a daily, lifelong habit after surgery. For the first few months, its best to take a chewable or liquid multivitamin, after which you can switch to a capsule form if desired.
Follow the guidance of your surgical team regarding what kind of multivitamin to use, to make sure its well tolerated and adequately meets your nutrient needs. Ideally, look for multivitamins that have been verified to contain what is indicated on the ingredient label, and in the amounts claimed.
Whats The Best Way To Treat Hair Loss After Surgery
While it may be concerning to see thinning hair or increased hair loss after your surgery, there are steps you can discuss with your doctor to help treat it.
A dermatologist can determine whether a home or professional treatment is best, but either option can take several months to take full effect.
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What Are The Cycles Of Hair Growth
Hair goes through three cycles:
- The anagen phase can last from two years to eight years. This phase generally refers to about 85% to 90% of the hair on your head.
- The catagen phase is the time that hair follicles shrink and takes about two to three weeks.
- The telogen phase takes about two to four months. At the end of this phase, the hair falls out.
Your shorter hairs like eyelashes, arm and leg hair and eyebrows have a short anagen phase about one month. Your scalp hair can last up to six years or even longer.
The Emotions Around Hair Loss
We talked about hair loss over on so you can head over to read other peoples experiences.
I know that for some, hair loss can be absolutely devastating. Just another kick in the teeth after a long journey of illness. For many women, hair feels like a big part of their personality and femininity.
Despite having shaved my head several times, the hair loss does really bother me. It is the lack of control of it all. It is scary to wash your hair and pull your hand away and see a big handful of hair there. As my hair is thick, others say they dont notice and so it can feel a little like I am being dramatic when I say I feel upset by it. But whether anyone else sees it or not, it still is very real to me.
Have you been through hair loss, either through Telogen Effluvium or for another reason? How did you feel? What did you do to manage the situation? Id love to hear your experience.
Sam xx
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Facts About Hair Growth
Human hair has a natural three-stage growth cycle the anagen phase , the catagen phase, and the telogen phase . During the telogen phase, youll likely experience hair loss in the form of shedding. This phase typically lasts around 3 months.
Factors such as trauma, extreme dieting, chronic disease, nutritional deficiencies, and severe illness can all affect anagen and telogen cycles. Because nutritional deficiencies are common amongst those who struggle with obesity, weight loss surgery patients are often at a higher risk of experiencing hair loss post-surgery.
The first 3 to 6 months after weight loss surgery is often the most challenging, as the body is healing and adjusting. During this time, calorie intake is restricted and can cause a decrease in macronutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins. Patients may also be experiencing increased stress levels and hormonal changes.
All of this can culminate into a condition known as telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss patients often experience after undergoing weight loss surgery.
Olde Del Mar Surgical Is Here To Help
Its natural to freak out about the potential of hair loss after bariatric surgery, but you really have nothing to fear. In the absence of an underlying condition such a chronic illness, your hair will eventually grow back. Educating yourself about the potential for hair loss and its underlying causes can help you to prepare yourself and make proper choices regarding supplementation and your diet. Olde Del Mar Surgical offers fantastic supplements to help manage this problem.
Are you considering bariatric surgery, but worried about how it will affect your quality of life? Its a natural reaction, but theres nothing to fear. Olde Del Mar Surgical will provide the guidance you need during your weight loss journey.
Also Check: How To Stop Hair Loss And Regrow Hair Naturally
How Can Shock Hair Loss Be Prevented
The mechanism of shock hair loss is not well understood and therefore it is difficult to predict and prevent. There is some data that both Rogaine and Finasteride started one month before surgery and continued for a year afterward can decrease shedding from shock loss as well as speed recovery and hair regrowth. Low-Level Laser Therapy , also known as , has benefits for healing and regrowth as well.
Patients should ensure that your surgeon has plenty of skill and experience with scalp surgery to reduce the other factors that may contribute to shock hair loss. Before your surgery, ask your surgeon to show you case studies of surgeries they have performed. Be sure that the results obtained include data from within the 2 to 6-week postoperative window.
And most importantly, make sure that all candidate surgeons are board-certified.
Background On Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium is a form of hair loss characterized by an increase in telogen hairs. There is excess hair shedding and diffuse thinning. Patients start seeing an alarming number of hair strands on their brush, pillow, or down the shower drain.
Psychologically, this can have a deeply upsetting, even alarming effect. To document the extent of their hair loss, patients often present to their doctors with a bag full of shed hair which they have collected. Doctors sometimes call this the bag sign.
Unlike pattern hair loss, hair loss has an abrupt onset and takes place all over the scalp .
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Eat More Foods That Supply Healthy Hair Growth
How to stop hair loss after bariatric surgery? Follow this simplest method. You should pay attention to your zinc and iron intake. Iron is the nutrient that is very necessary for hair growth. Some studies show that iron deficiency is the main reason for hair loss. Besides, zinc deficiency is tied to hair loss in humans. It is a well-recognized problem after gastric bypass surgery.
Best foods that are high in iron and zinc: meat, shellfish, nuts , eggs, grains, vegetables, and so on.
consume more hair growth-stimulating foods
Hair Loss After Surgery: Why Does It Happen And What Can You Do
Most invasive surgeries, as necessary as they may be, arent easy on the body. The trauma of surgery is why we need sedation and anesthesia during procedures and why it takes days or weeks to recover. After surgery, the disruption to the bodys normal functioning can linger and manifest itself in many ways, including temporary hair loss.
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Consider The Stress Of Surgery
There are a variety of factors that impact your hair. Stress is one of them. During surgery, a person may experience significant changes not just during the procedure and in healing, but also as a result of the changes in hormones. Every situation is different, and not everyone will have the same types of changes. However, most surgeries, especially those involving anesthesia, will result in some changes to your hair.
Many who have had surgery will initially see a significant amount of hair shedding. This occurs from the rapid increase in stress levels within the body. It is not uncommon for this to be the catalyst to additional changes with hair in the coming months either. The hair shed may begin about 2 to 4 months after surgery and lasts about three months. If you are healing normally, you should see your hair start to grow back soon after. Yet, what you may also notice is that your hair does not feel the same. The texture may be significantly different. Why does this happen? There could be a few reasons for it.
Hair Loss And Bariatric Surgery
Whilst its possible to lose hair after any type of surgery, its particularly common after bariatric surgery.
This is the type of surgery that is performed on the stomach or intestines to assist with weight loss.
Some sources suggest that up to 41% of bariatric surgery patients will experience hair loss following the procedure.
If you have undergone this type of surgery, not only will your hair be affected by the stress described above, but it may be further starved of nutrients due to your drastically reduced food intake after the surgery.
Taking this into account, along with the fact that your body may not be absorbing nutrients as well as it should, your doctor may recommend protein shakes and dietary supplements.
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Learn What To Do When Experiencing Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery
Hair loss after bariatric surgery can be quite scary and may defer people away from choosing bariatric surgery. But, hair loss is not permanent, and the hair grows back with proper nutrition. Those who undergo bariatric surgery are more likely to experience hair loss than those who have undergone a Lap-Band procedure. It is because in bariatric surgery, the weight loss is quick, and there is a higher chance of nutrient deficiency in the body once the surgery is completed. But, in the Lap-Band procedure, the weight loss is gradual, so people experience less amount of hair fall.
But, it might be interesting to understand why Bariatric surgery hair loss happens and what you can do to prevent it. Researchers have found out that because the body starts to shift its nutrient usage to the vital organs after major surgery, other cosmetic functions like hair growth take a back seat. Even though the hair is indispensable for us, it is not something that is needed for survival. Thus, it causes hair growth to stop temporarily, causing hair loss. It is usually common during the first few months post-op, but as the body starts to adjust to the new changes, hair loss automatically decreases and eventually stops.
There is a misconception that hair loss after bariatric surgery is inevitable, and there is nothing that you can do to prevent it. Here are some of the simplest yet effective tips that will allow you to enjoy your new body without worrying about losing hair