|

Author:
Kaye Bailey

Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative patients sit on the fence before deciding to have gastric bypass surgery. Obese people, particularly obese women, often have lush gorgeous hair. Of course they do – it’s well fed and nourished! How many of us have been described as the woman with “beautiful hair and a pretty face”? What person in their right mind would give up one of their beautiful features?

Hair loss usually occurs in the fourth of fifth month following weight loss surgery. During the phase of rapid weight loss, caloric intake is marginal. This puts the body in a state of panic called starvation. Think about the pictures of prisoners of war. Most victims of this atrocity are without hair because they are literally starving to death. A healthy body normally sheds ten percent of hair follicles at any given time. When a body is starving roughly thirty to forty percent of hair follicles are sacrificed as the body channels nutrition to more vital areas. During this phase hair loss is dramatic, often patients find clumps of hair on the shower floor. Remaining hair becomes drab and lifeless.

I knew hair loss was a potential result of weight loss surgery, but because I’m a “cup-half-full” person, I didn’t believe that hair loss would happen to me! That just happens to other people, I told myself! Imagine my surprise when my blonde locks were littering the bathroom floor like hair saloon. I shed some tears over that.

The hair loss is a transient effect of your gastric bypass surgery and will be resolved when nutrition and weight stabilize. When my hair began falling out, my husband, who has been a proponent of vitamin supplements all his life, found a vitamin specifically formulated for building strong healthy hair. The vitamin I take for healthy hair and nails is Silica Complex by Puritan’s PrideÒ. It contains calcium, magnesium, zinc, boron, betaine and horsetail extract. Consumption of this supplement almost immediately retarded my hair loss and renewed my dull lifeless hair. I will continue taking this supplement throughout my life. Three years after surgery my hair is long, full and lustrous – one would never know I had suffered significant hair loss. In hindsight, I would certainly begin taking this supplement prior to my surgery. In the very least I would begin taking it soon after surgery before the signs of hair loss were apparent.

Copyright © 2005 Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved.

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com - Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.

| Article Keywords: Hair Loss

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Hair Loss... Hair loss causes - baldness triggers and treatments Baldness is a problematic condition for a large majority of the male population. Find out how to effectively identify different hair loss causes and how to remove their negative effects by finding the appropriate treatment. Hair loss causes - hormonal imbalance Hormonal problems are often known to cause hair loss issues, especially if the thyroid gland becomes overactive (or even under active). Certain hair loss products are focused on balancing your hormonal levels, and it is important to make sure that you have correctly identified the hair loss trigger before starting treatment. Other hormonal imbalances might trigger hair loss: androgens and estrogens are essential male and female hormones and their imbalance can cause multiple physical changes, including falling hair. Your hair loss product should be specifically designed to work in particular hormonal problems - make sure to consult with your doctor in order to identify the causes precisely. Drug effects on hair loss After different illnesses or surgery procedures, hair loss is a common side effect. This might be due to the chemical composition of the drug treatments used for treating the illness. However, hair loss might also happen because of stress and anxiety related to the illness. In such cases, finding the right hair loss product or treatment should consider the triggering cause. Different drugs, like anticoagulants, chemotherapy or excessive A vitamin intakes may trigger hair loss. In accordance to the trigger, your hair loss product should aim specifically at reducing excessive hair falling while not interfering with the effect of other drugs. Your doctors should help you make a correct decision in this case. Here are the most common hair loss related diseases and conditions: Toxic alopecia ...