Hair loss is common after weight loss surgery, including lap band surgery and gastric bypass. Sometimes hair loss is not too severe, but it can be a serious problem. In fact, some people are afraid to have weight loss surgery because they don’t want to lose their hair.
There are several reasons that people lose hair after weight loss surgery. Actually, some hair loss is common after any surgery. It’s simply a side effect of anesthesia. Here’s the way it works. At any given time, about 90% of your hair is in a “growing phase.” The other 10% is in a “resting phase.” After the hair rests for two or three months, it falls out, and new hair grows in its place. Well, the anesthesia causes more hair than normal, about 30%, to go into the resting phase. So two or three months after surgery, an abnormal amount of hair falls out. This is temporary, though, and the hair grows back without your needing to do anything special.
There are additional reasons for hair loss after weight loss surgery, however. Any rapid weight loss, regardless of the cause, can cause hair loss. Careful monitoring of caloric intake after weight loss surgery can help slow loss down, thereby slowing hair loss. There are other benefits to losing weight more slowly, as well. It’s easier on the heart and other organs. However, weight loss following any kind of weight loss surgery will still be fairly rapid, and will cause some hair loss.
Following weight loss surgery, people often have trouble getting the necessary nutrients, at least initially. This is more of a problem for people who’ve had a gastric bypass than for those who’ve had lap band surgery, because gastric bypass surgery creates malabsorption by bypassing part of the small intestine. This means nutrients like protein and B vitamins are not absorbed as well as they normally are. But even people who’ve had lap band surgery or other forms of weight loss surgery that don’t cause malabsorption may have trouble getting enough protein and B vitamins simply because they are on a very limited diet initially after surgery. Lack of protein and B vitamins can cause severe hair loss.
According to Dr. Rodriguez (bariatric surgeon, Cincinnati, Ohio), the best way to minimize hair loss after weight loss surgery is to maximize nutrition. You need a minimum of 60 – 75 grams of protein per day, and you need to take a multivitamin twice a day, and a B complex vitamin once a day, and use a B12 supplement. You should use a multivitamin specifically designed for bariatric patients. There are several types of B12 supplements available, including a sublingual that you take daily, a nasal spray that is used weekly, a patch that is worn once a week for 24 hours, and a monthly injection. Any type of B12 supplement is acceptable, as long as you use it consistently.
Getting enough protein can be tricky right after weight loss surgery because you’ll be on a very restricted diet. At first you’ll be on all liquids, then you’ll be on pureed foods. And you’ll only be able to eat small amounts at a time. Most people use some sort of protein drink to supply additional protein beyond what their food intake can provide. You can also add unflavored protein powder to foods like soups, stews, chili, and all sorts of pureed food.
There are a number of herbal products and special shampoos and conditioners designed to help with hair loss. It’s not been proven that these work, however. Your best bet is to focus on your nutrition.
Hair loss following weight loss surgery seems to peak between three and six months following surgery. Then hair usually starts to grow back after that. After a year or so, hair is usually back to normal, although some people may experience a permanent thinning of the hair following weight loss surgery.
