Hair loss after surgery?

[RocketDog]

I'm going in for an outpatient procedure this Thursday, and this will make the second surgery in as many months. My one vain concern is hair loss - I noticed a lot more shedding after the first surgery, and now with the second I'm fearing even more hair loss. So I wanted to see if any of you have experienced heavier shedding after surgical procedures, and if so, how much heavier was your shedding, and for how long afterwards did you notice an increase?

[Tangles]

I've had 2 fairly minor surgeries, and I had this too; the shedding wasn't traumatic, but enough to decrease my circumference measurably. Unfortunately, anesthetics and procedures shock the body, so it is very difficult to prevent. I'd just make sure you are taking vitamins, for your health and for hair as well.

[RocketDog]

Thanks for the feedback. I do take a Stuart prenatal, plus biotin, zinc and folic acid supps, and will continue to do so. Part of my therapy involves hormonal birth control, so I suppose I'll need to write down a list of the supps I take to make sure none of them will interact poorly with the BC pills. I've never taken them before!

[Rebelkat]

When I had my back surgery, my shedding increased dramatically, and took a while to calm down *then of course other health issues started it again*. However, a lot depends on the surgery you have and your nutrition afterward. Because mine was a very invasive surgery and took a year to fully heal, of course my shedding was worse than for someone who's having, say, wisdom teeth removed. It's also likely that nutrition was an issue in my case, too. When you're convalescing, your body needs a greater amount of nutrients than when you're well. If you aren't getting enough nutrients, your hair will be one of the first places your body takes nutrition from. So, taking supplements or eating healthy could help significantly. You can't completely prevent the shedding, because surgery is traumatic to your body, but you can help your body recover without having to steal nutrients from other places in your body. It seems like you're on the right track with your vitamins, however, so nutrition shouldn't be that big of an issue for you.

However, you should know that BC can cause increased shedding. It's never been a problem with me, though. Just know that going on and then going off of BC will be a shock to your body as well.

[RocketDog]

Well, this second surgery will be more invasive than the first, but the healing time should be about the same. First surgery was an attempt to salvage my ovaries, this time around they're being more aggressive and removing 90% of the tissue from both sides. The BC is supposed to help suppress ovulation so that my remaining ovarian tissue won't try to grow any more grapefruit-sized cysts.

I do try to eat as clean a diet as I can, and I'll continue the vitamins as long as the doc okays them.

[Shiva]

Well, this second surgery will be more invasive than the first, but the healing time should be about the same. First surgery was an attempt to salvage my ovaries, this time around they're being more aggressive and removing 90% of the tissue from both sides. The BC is supposed to help suppress ovulation so that my remaining ovarian tissue won't try to grow any more grapefruit-sized cysts.

I do try to eat as clean a diet as I can, and I'll continue the vitamins as long as the doc okays them.
That happened to me, too. I had my surgery in January 2008. I also had a fibroid the same size and 23 other smaller fibroids removed. It was not a fun event, that was for sure and I would not want to do it again.

I didn't notice any real shedding, but I did have breakage and I am quite sure that was due to my well water. I do not know if my hair broke down when I started having this issue either.

I'd say just take vitamins/supplements and eat well and you should be ok.

[Igor]

Get your protein!

Your body needs to repair and re-grow a lot of tissue which means it needs a lot of protein. Growing hair is very low on the body’s list of priorities, so some of the follicles will simply be shut off until you have recovered
In situations of stress and trauma your body need up to 3 g protein per kg of body weight per hour just to maintain itself

Drink your protein shakes religiously and make sure to take vitamins and be as active as you can

[RocketDog]

Thanks for the protein shake suggestion - I have had no appetite lately and the only foods I've been wanting to eat have been fresh fruits and veggies, which have virtually no protein. I'm going to have my husband stock up on shake mix, plus easy-to-eat stuff like cottage cheese and eggs.

Has anyone else had any experience with post-surgery hair loss?

[Mebo]

Yes, I did too. Following gall bladder surgeries, and I never really got my fullness back.

Special K has a protein drink that helps, and they now have some protein shakes that are really tasty. Try those.