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Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery
enquiries@thedietologist.co.uk
Are You Losing Hair After Weight Loss Surgery?
Yes I know, the dreaded hair loss......
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Hair loss after bariatric surgery is very common and stressful. We all want to achieve great weight loss results and still have great hair. While patients know they run the risk of going through this post-op phase, let’s be real…it’s still not fun.
Most patients start to notice hair loss around 3-6 months after surgery and while it’s usually normal and inevitable, there are some things that you can do to slow the length of time you’re dealing with it. Let's learn a little bit about hair growth...
Human hair follicles have three stages:
1. Anagen: a growth phase
2. Catagen: a transition stage
3. Telogen: a dormant stage
All hairs begin their life in the anagen phase which is the growth phase, and 90% of our hair follicles are in this phase at any given time.
Hair follicles then transition into the telogen phase, which can last about 3-4 months. Following this, the hair will fall out (ughhh). The good news; the average adult head has about 100,000-150,000 hairs and only loses about 100 of them a day!
Now there are many things that can cause hair loss or thinning. These include:
• Recent surgery
• Stress
• Rapid weight loss due to starvation
• Hormonal changes or disorders
• Vitamin/mineral deficiency- iron, zinc, folate, vitamin c & d, omega 3
• Recent trauma
• Pregnancy
• Lack of protein
• Genetics
• Ageing
Post-op patients deal with a combination of these stressors including surgery itself, rapid weight loss, hormonal changes, low protein or nutrient intake, etc. Therefore, the likelihood of hair loss or thinning is much higher for bariatric patients during the first year of their surgery. Any hair loss after one year post-op is usually much more unexpected and has a higher likelihood of being due to deficiencies or hormonal disorders (e.g. thyroid disease or PCOS).
So what can you do about it?
First, don’t panic!
Remind yourself that this is normal, and you can count on the hair returning (unless you have a chronic illness or genetic reason for hair thinning).
Secondly, make sure that you are reaching the recommended nutritional targets for bariatric patients. The following suggestions are for anyone going through this hair loss stage (aka- telogen effluvium).
1. Make sure you have protein at each mealtime and snacks are based around protein. Please speak to your Bariatric dietitian about how much protein you should be aiming to have in your diet.
2. Take a Compete A-Z vitamin and mineral supplements daily.
3. Low iron and zinc levels can lead to hair loss so ensure your supplements contain these minerals.
4. Make sure you are including oily fish, walnuts, chia or flax seeds in your diet for omega 3.
5. Biotin- there is no clear evidence to confirm biotin improves hair regrowth. Hair loss needs to be assessed holistically.
6. Ensure your blood tests are checked within the bariatric guidelines to avoid micronutrient deficiency.
7. Avoid hairstyles that pull your hair tightly as this might exacerbate hair loss.
If you are concerned about ongoing hair loss, it's best to reach out to your Bariatric Dietitian
for extra guidance. They can assess your diet, blood results, supplements, stress levels and provide a holistic approach to assessing hair loss and regrowth.
If you're losing hair and worried, why don't you contact The Dietologist.
