Is Hair Loss Normal After Having Cosmetic Surgery? Doctor Answers, Tips
Plastic Surgery: Q&A
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Is Hair Loss Normal After Having Cosmetic Surgery?

I had an upper and lower eyelid lift under deep sedation(not general anesthesia) in June of this year. I love my results!! However, about a month later I noticed my hair felt dry and brittle and when I washed it, it seemed a lot would come out. Things seemed to calm down, but then in late August until now, it has only gotten worse. I have(had) really thick naturally curly hair. I have never been able to see my scalp at all and now it seems I am seeing more and more of it, and I am getting really stressed. I have had blood work and everything is normal.

I am just curious if anyone else has experienced hair loss after cosmetic surgery? My plastic surgeon told me it is more common with general anesthesia, than with deep sedation. My GP thinks it is from stress and that it will grow back once I go through the "cycle". Thanks for any suggestions and comments.

Tags:
hair loss cosmetic surgery side effects
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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by Wanda
+3

Hair loss is not from eyelid surgery

The only possible link I can imagine between your eyelid surgery and hair loss would be stress. People can lose hair for a wide variety of reasons and you should go to a dermatologist to evaluate your personal situation. Also, have your serum iron and zinc levels checked because these can frequently be an undiagnosed cause of hair loss.
+2

Your GP may be right

There are many reasons for hair loss and stress is one of them. Although you did not have a general anesthesia, any type of surgical procedure produces a stress response from the body. At times, this response can lead to hair 'falling out' and becoming dormant, the telogen phase of the hair cycle. With time, hair reenters the growth cycle and will be seen again. Unfortunately there are other causes of hair loss which may be unrelated to your procedure which do not come back. Laboratory... more
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Comments (1)

anonymous99 12 Nov 2012
I had upper and lower bleph surgery and a mini-lift just this April 2012 and had local anesthesia (where I was still awake and could talk) and have noticed a dramatic loss of my hair - I used to have very long and abundant hair (not thick but fine) and it has always grown quickly. It seems since August it has thinned out to the point where I can see my scalp! I even got a few keratin-bond hair extensions to fill it out but this only made it worse after the bonds started slipping out and taking chunks of my own hair with them! Currently I'm trying Nizoral shampoo twice weekly, and Nioxin 3 Shampoo, along with taking lots if Biotin, and Multi B vitamins, Vitamins C,E, Lysine, Vitamin A, in hopes I can restore my beautiful hair. The weird thing is that I noticed my scalp got extra oily (sebum build up) since May until up to now November - I am wondering if there is a connection between this and the surgery back in April.

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