Hair Loss

Recently I got a comment from a reader concerned about hair loss after surgery (Hi Tammy!). Hair loss can certainly be a side effect of any surgery, it can caused by many different variables i.e.: anesthesia, hormone levels, stress, nutrition and the list goes on. The good news is it most often a temporary side effect. It could be anywhere from a minimal to extreme. Personally I have really thick hair, i was loosing chunks of hair daily (totally clogged my tub drain) nobody could visually tell I was loosing my hair but it took it's toll on me mentally. It is hard when you are use to having long thick hair and it is thinning right before your eyes even if no one else notices.

After talking with my doctor about the issue he reassured me that it was common and the problem will correct itself after I hit my 6 month mark. He was right I am 9 months out from surgery and my hair loss has slowed and it is starting to grow back.

The bad news is there isn't much you can do to prevent it since a lot of it has to do with hormone levels and your body readjusting to your new diet. To keep loss to a minimum I would suggest strictly sticking to your doctors recommended diet and vitamin regimen.

It made me feel better to have my hair cut, I mean I cut it short! It also helped me not notice how much of my hair was falling out (until I swept the floor or cleaned the drain, haha).

So I hate to say it but there isn't much you can do to prevent the loss but it only lasts a couple months then you look forward to new healthy hair. My nails are growing like crazy now too!

I hope this helped answer some questions, I wish I had better advice on how to prevent it but I guess somethings are out of our control but again not everyone experiences hair loss so who knows you might be a lucky one. And if all else fails go buy some wigs and enjoy having a new hairstyle everyday and not having to comb your hair :-)