Gastric Sleeve Hair Loss and Why You Should Try Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty Dallas, TX

Gastric Sleeve Hair Loss and Why You Should Try Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty Dallas, TX; Hair loss after bariatric surgery is common. The hair loss that occurs after bariatric weight loss surgery is called telogen effluvium and has to do with the normal hair growth cycle. Hair loss usually starts abruptly and don’t typically last longer than 6 months.

The growth of the human hair is in a two-stage growth cycle. The first stage is the growth phase known as anagen. 90% of the human hair follicles are in this growth phase at any given time. The second phase is the resting phase known as telogen. This phase lasts for about 1 to 6 months. About 5-15% of the human hairs are in the resting phase at any given time.

Hormonal changes, lack of certain nutrients, weight loss, and stress that occurs after bariatric surgery causes more hair follicles to enter into the resting phase. The hair in the resting phase at the time of surgery is most likely the hair that will be shed. This is why you lose hair between 1 to 6 months after undergoing bariatric surgery.

What helps hair loss after gastric sleeve?

After undergoing bariatric surgery, there are certain things that you can do to help reduce or prevent hair loss.

• Visit your primary health provider to check and evaluate you for any illness or non-nutritional reason for hair loss.
• Follow your dietary prescription and post-operative guidelines. Increase your intake of proteins daily. Do not take too many proteins and calories that it affects your weight loss. It is best to take protein supplements that are low in sugar.
• Take adequate amounts of bariatric-specific multi-vitamin with adequate B vitamins, folate, zinc and biotin recommended by your surgeon. Take calcium citrate with vitamin D supplements.
• Avoid excessive intake of vitamin A and high dose zinc supplements because they are potentially harmful to the body.
• Take more iron if you are iron deficient. Iron is very vital for hair growth. Iron deficiency is a major cause of hair loss.
• Lack of fatty acids is also a cause of hair loss. Fatty acids are contained in fish, green vegetables, and flaxseeds. Eat more of these foods to have more fatty acids in your body. Eat varieties of healthy, nutrient-rich foods daily as recommended by your surgeon.
• Always stay hydrated. Drink at least 2 liters of healthy fluids and water daily.
• Do not worry too much about losing your hair after bariatric surgery. It is natural hair loss of only 5-15% of your hair that occurs as a result of hormonal changes and the stress of surgery. Hair loss is not permanent, it lasts for 1-6 months, and then the hair begins to grow back.

How common is hair loss after gastric sleeve surgery?

Hair loss after bariatric surgery is very common and lasts not longer than 6 months. Most people that undergo bariatric surgery experience hair loss for the first 1-6 months, after which the hair begins to grow back.

What causes hair loss after bariatric surgery?

Lack of certain nutrients and vitamins, losing weight rapidly, lack of adequate amount of protein, and the physiological stress that occurs in the body from the surgery are reasons why patients lose hair after bariatric surgery.

After bariatric surgery, patients don’t usually eat as they normally do before the surgery. They begin to lack important dietary nutrients such as zinc, biotin, iron, potassium, vitamin B6 or phosphorus.

The lack of these important dietary nutrients negatively affects the health of the hair. The body will then shift nutritional stores away from the hair and to vital organs like the brain and heart to function properly. The hairs then lack the essential nutrients and vitamins to grow.

These changes occur in 1-6 months after the surgery. As the body begins to adjust gradually, the hair loss will reduce and finally stop. The hair will begin to grow back again.

Will hair loss from weight loss surgery grow back?

Yes. As the body begins to adjust to the changes, the hair loss will gradually reduce and finally stop. The hair will begin to grow back after 6 months.

Will I look old after gastric sleeve?

After gastric sleeve surgery, most patients experience massive weight loss that makes their bodies look thinner and their faces look older. Patients that undergo bariatric surgery typically look older than they were before the surgery.

Can you go bald from telogen effluvium?

The second phase of the human hair two-stage cycle is known as the telogen effluvium. This is the resting phase. This phase lasts for about 1 to 6 months after a stressful experience such as bariatric surgery.

Telogen effluvium is a reversible condition in which hair falls out after a stressful experience or after undergoing bariatric surgery. Hormonal changes, lack of certain nutrients and stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase. The hair begins to fall out within 1-6 months and then grows back.

Only about 30% of the hair enters the telogen effluvium phase. The head does not completely go bald in telogen effluvium. Only thinning patches in one or more spots on the scalp typically occurs. You don’t completely go bald from telogen effluvium.

Why you need to try endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is a better alternative to bariatric surgery. It is a non-surgical weight-loss procedure that involves the use of sutures. Sutures are placed inside the stomach to shrink and reduce the size of the stomach by up to 75%.

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty doesn’t involve incisions like in the case of bariatric surgery. It provides better benefits than bariatric surgery but with minor complications.

If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above, and you have not experienced any weight loss from exercising and dieting, you may be an ideal candidate for endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.

5 benefits of endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty over gastric sleeve

There are good reasons why ESG is better preferred to gastric sleeve. These benefits include:

Reduced risk and complications

In ESG, there are no serious complications. There are only minor complications that may occur. However, there are serious complications that could occur with gastric sleeve.

No incisions and scars

During ESG, there is no incision made on the abdomen. The sutures are placed in the stomach through the throat. There are no incisions and there are no scars from an ESG procedure.

No surgical pains

With ESG, patients do not experience serious pain, unlike gastric sleeve that patients experience increased pain.

Quick recovery

After an ESG, patients recover very fast. Patients can go about their normal daily activities after a day or two of the procedure.

Lower cost

The cost of ESG is relatively lower compared to the gastric sleeve. While the cost of ESG ranges from $9,000 – $12,000, the cost of gastric sleeve costs up to $20,000 or more.

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