Bariatric Surgery and Hair Loss Prevention in Dallas & Texas

Bariatric Surgery and Hair Loss

Most people that undergo bariatric surgery experience hair loss. You need to understand first and foremost that hair loss can happen after bariatric surgery but it is not permanent. Your hair will grow back after a while.

Why does hair loss occur after bariatric surgery?

People who undergo gastric sleeve or gastric bypass procedures are more likely to experience hair loss than people that undergo Lap Band procedure. The reason for this is because those who undergo gastric bypass or sleeve experience a more rapid weight loss due to drastic nutrient deficiency after the surgery.

People that undergo Lap Band procedure lose weight gradually and don’t experience drastic nutrient deficiency.

The physiological stress resulting from bariatric surgery and from rapid weight loss can cause the body to shift nutrients away from cosmetic functions such as skin appearance and hair growth towards vital organs of the body such as the heart and brain. The body does this to sustain its health and to prevent serious health disorders.

When nutrients are being shifted away from cosmetic functions, hair growth phase could temporarily stop and the dormant state set in, causing some hair loss to occur for some time. Hair loss can occur for 3-5 months after your bariatric surgery. The hair loss will gradually decrease and the hair will start to grow back as your body adjusts to the changes. More hair will begin to grow as you consume adequate protein and other vital nutrients.

Will hair grow back after bariatric surgery?

Yes. Hair will grow back as your body adjusts to the changes over time. Hair loss can occur for 3-5 months after your bariatric surgery and starts to gradually grow back. During this time, your body gradually adjusts to the new situation. As you start to take adequate amounts of protein and as your body receives other vital nutrients, your hair will grow back normally.

How can I prevent hair loss after gastric sleeve?

Below are some ways to help prevent hair loss after gastric sleeve or any other bariatric surgery.

Take adequate amount of protein

Protein is very important to the body. It is the building block of all cells, including the cells that make up your hair. If the amount of protein you are taking is not up to 60g per day, your hair may not grow back. You need to consume above 60g of protein each day.

Ensure that you consume lean protein foods at each meal. Lean protein includes skinless chicken, lean red meat, grilled and baked fish, low-fat string cheese and cottage cheese, yogurt, beans, protein bars, and chia seeds. Eating beans, peas, soy also provides adequate protein to the body.

Take adequate amount of vitamins

Essential vitamins are important to the function of the body including hair growth. Intake of vitamins such as vitamin C and B-vitamins encourages hair growth. Vitamins are available in foods and fruits. Vitamins are also available in supplements as pills.

Iron

If you are still losing hair after 6 months, it could be that the level of iron in your body is low. Loss of iron could cause hair loss. Iron deficiency could lead to fatigue, pale skin, weakness, and inability to regulate body temperature, and hair loss.

To increase your iron levels, eat iron-rich food sources such as red meat, egg yolks, dark leafy greens, beans, peas, legumes, and iron-rich cereals.

Zinc

Zinc is very important for the growth of healthy hair. If you have low levels of zinc, you can eat foods that contain zinc or take zinc supplements. Foods such as oysters, red meat, and poultry provide high levels of zinc.

Ensure you eat a wide variety of healthy-rich foods daily to encourage faster hair growth.

How much biotin should I take after gastric sleeve?

After undergoing gastric sleeve, you may have to supplement your biotin intake. You may need to take 30 mg of biotin daily.

What are the long term side effects of bariatric surgery?

Hair Loss is one of the main side effects of bariatric surgery. Hair loss is due to lack of essential nutrients caused by lack of food and changes in your digestive processes. The body supplies the limited nutrients available to the vital organs in the body. This causes lack of nutrients to the hair, leading to hair loss.

Hair loss is not something to be worried about as your hair will definitely grow back. Hair loss doesn’t mean that you’re being affected by a disease or you’re suffering from any medical condition. It is just a bodily reaction that occurs due to a lack of adequate nutrients as the body gradually adjusts to the new condition.

How long does hair fall out after surgery?

Hair loss after surgery can occur within 3 to 6 months. This means that you may experience hair loss in as short as 3 months or as long as 6 months.

How can I stop my hair from falling out after surgery?

You can stop your hair from falling after surgery by:

Relaxing more

Stress is a huge contributing factor to hair loss. Emotional stress, anxiety, and mental stress can lead to hair loss after undergoing surgery. It is advised that you take time off work and every other thing to relax very well.

Take time off to have a good sleep. Lack of sleep can buildup stress. Create an atmosphere that will make you sleep better. Sleep in a dark cool room and ensure that there is no noise around. Tell the kids to stay away so you can have good hours of sleep. Ensure that you are not distracted when sleeping.

Engaging in simple exercises such as swimming and yoga also makes you sleep and relax better.

Eat balanced diets daily

After surgery, your body loses some amount of nutrients. You can recover these lost nutrients by eating balanced diets daily. Your body also needs adequate amounts of nutrients to heal and recover. Your daily diet should contain proteins, vitamins such as vitamin C, B-vitamins, vitamin D, and other essential vitamins. Your diets should also contain zinc, iron, calcium, and other important minerals. All these nutrients help your body to recover fast after the surgery and help stop your hair from falling.

Taking nutritional supplements

Apart from eating balanced diets, you can also take nutritional supplements to increase the levels of nutrients in your body. Most vitamins are available in supplements as pills. You can take these supplements to make up for lost nutrients. Taking these supplements significantly increase the nutritional levels in your body and help stop your hair from falling.

Can having bariatric surgery make your hair fall out?

Yes. Bariatric surgery can make your hair fall out due to the shifting of nutrients away from cosmetic functions such as skin appearance and hair growth towards vital organs of the body such as the heart and brain. Your hair begins to thin and fall out due to lack of nutrients.

What is the alternative for bariatric surgery?

Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) is the best alternative for bariatric surgery. It is an endoscopic procedure that involves the use of an endoscopic suturing device to shrink and reduce the size of the stomach. When the suturing device are placed inside the stomach, they shrink the stomach and reduce its size drastically. You won’t be able to eat as much food as you were able to eat again because the stomach can only contain little amounts of food.

The significant reduction in the foods you eat leads to reduction in the amounts of calories and nutrients absorbed by your body. This in turn leads to weight loss over time.

After undergoing ESG, you still need to keep a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy low-calorie diets and exercise regularly. Doing these will ensure better weight loss results and also sustain your weight loss.

There are no incisions or cutting of the stomach during ESG procedures and there are no scars on your skin. You may experience only very little pain or no pains at all. There is very short downtime with ESG procedures, unlike bariatric procedures that require a long period of time to recover. ESG will help you lose a significant amount of weight in a relatively short time.

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