Hair Loss After Revision Surgery

Well, it’s that time again. I have officially started losing hair again. I am currently 3 months post-op my conversion from gastric sleeve to gastric bypass and this is right on time as hair loss typically happens around the 3–6-month mark. To be honest, I was not sure if I would experience it again. I first experienced it with gastric sleeve, but through time my body adjusted and the hair loss eventually stopped. Since I had my conversion surgery, it has obviously been a shock on my system since I am starting to lose hair again. Honestly, it is a little worse this time since now I am not just dealing with restriction, but also malabsorption. 

I am in a very frustrating stage right now on my journey. I have been stalled for a few weeks and now the hair loss has added additional stress. I cannot even run my hands through my hair without grabbing a chunk of hair. Washing my hair is extremely difficult and I have to be extra careful when brushing it. Luckily, I have very thick hair, but I have started to notice a bald spot. As I am sitting here typing this blog, there is hair all over my shirt and keyboard. I don’t want this to scare you, but I think it is important to be educated on hair loss after weight loss surgery because it is a very common thing.

It can be really frustrating when you start losing hair because you could be doing everything perfectly with taking your vitamins and eating a well-balanced diet and it can still happen. However, I learned from my first surgery how important it is to take biotin. Biotin is not going to stop the hair loss from happening, but it will make your hair stronger when it starts to regrow again. So, if you are not on a regimen that has biotin in it, start it now! 

The good news to remember is that hair loss is temporary. Your body has gone through a lot after bariatric surgery and it is going to take it time to recover from the surgery trauma. You must remember to be patient. Try not to stress because that will just make it worse. One thing that I am considering is getting a haircut to help cover my bald spot and make it a little easier for when my hair does fall out. I have noticed that when my hair is longer, I get more annoyed because they are longer pieces that fall out. Even though my confidence can sometimes suffer, I know that this is temporary and I must be patient. 

Whether you decide to get a cut or not, do not let this hair loss stop you from shining. You are beautiful no matter what your hair looks like! This is a tough journey sometimes. It is not always sunshine and rainbows and unfortunately, hair loss is one of those negative side effects we must deal with. Make sure you are eating a well-balanced diet and taking a strong multivitamin as well as biotin. It is also important that you stay hydrated. By doing these things, hopefully your hair loss will be very minimal. Regardless, hang in there. Take a deep breath and focus on crushing your goals. Your hair loss will subside and as long as you are doing all the steps I mentioned above, you are doing your part to help it get better. Take your vitamins and give it some time. It will get better.