I'm considering having gastric sleeve surgery this summer. Can you tell me how frequently there are cases with hair loss following gastric sleeve? My hair is already thin and this concerns me very much. Thank you!
November 2, 2017
Answer: There will be thinning of your hair Hair loss after bariatric surgery is very common. Most patients notice hair loss starting 2 months after their operation, and lasting about 6 months before a slow return. This is a normal response to the stress of significant weight loss. It's not like clumps of hair falling out and going bald, but for some people it is quite significant. Most surgeons would agree that the rate of weight loss and amount of weight loss effect the degree of hair loss. Hair loss does occur after a sleeve gastrectomy, but probably slightly less than a gastric bypass.There are a couple things you can do to minimize hair loss:1) stay up on your multivitamin recommendations2) stay up on your protein intake recommendations3) you can try adding biotin to your diet. (there is no article in the bariatric surgery literature that supports its use..., but it is a water soluble cofactor, B vitamin, that can be taken safely at relatively high doses. It's cheap and seems benign. My patients generally take 5 mg a day supplement. Some patients swear by it, many do not see any difference)
Helpful 2 people found this helpful
November 2, 2017
Answer: There will be thinning of your hair Hair loss after bariatric surgery is very common. Most patients notice hair loss starting 2 months after their operation, and lasting about 6 months before a slow return. This is a normal response to the stress of significant weight loss. It's not like clumps of hair falling out and going bald, but for some people it is quite significant. Most surgeons would agree that the rate of weight loss and amount of weight loss effect the degree of hair loss. Hair loss does occur after a sleeve gastrectomy, but probably slightly less than a gastric bypass.There are a couple things you can do to minimize hair loss:1) stay up on your multivitamin recommendations2) stay up on your protein intake recommendations3) you can try adding biotin to your diet. (there is no article in the bariatric surgery literature that supports its use..., but it is a water soluble cofactor, B vitamin, that can be taken safely at relatively high doses. It's cheap and seems benign. My patients generally take 5 mg a day supplement. Some patients swear by it, many do not see any difference)
Helpful 2 people found this helpful
