A common fear for patient’s who have undergone bariatric surgery is hair loss. For most of us, our hair is important as part of our self-image but is not very important to our bodies. After surgery, the body is forced to make a choice on where to send the nutrition that is going into the body. After surgery, the body will shift nutritional stores to vital organs like the brain and heart and away from hair thus resulting in hair loss.
Hair loss has many causes. The most common type of hair loss after weight loss surgery is a loss known medically as telogen effluvium, which can have both nutritional and non-nutritional causes.
For most of our life, we are always in the process of growing and losing hair. Human hair follicles have two states: a growth state and a dormant state. All hairs begin in the growth state and then shift to the dormant state, which lasts 100-120 days. After this many days, the hair will fall out. At any given time, about 90 percent of hairs are in growth state and 10 percent are in a dormant state.
Specific types of stress can result in a shift of a higher percentage to the dormant state. These stresses include: high fever, severe infection, major surgery, acute physical trauma, chronic debilitating illness (such as cancer or end stage liver disease), acute weight loss, crash dieting, hormonal disruption, anorexia, low protein intake, iron or zinc deficiency, heavy metal toxicity and some medications.
Bariatric surgery patients have two major risks for hair loss: major surgery and rapid weight loss. These two are likely to account for much of the hair loss after surgery. In the absence of a nutritional issue, hair loss will continue until all hairs that shifted into the dormant phase have fallen out. Hair loss will rarely last for more than 6 months in the absence of a dietary cause. Patients can be reassured that with time, patience and keeping up good nutritional intake, hair will grow back.
Hair loss has many causes. The most common type of hair loss after weight loss surgery is a loss known medically as telogen effluvium, which can have both nutritional and non-nutritional causes.
For most of our life, we are always in the process of growing and losing hair. Human hair follicles have two states: a growth state and a dormant state. All hairs begin in the growth state and then shift to the dormant state, which lasts 100-120 days. After this many days, the hair will fall out. At any given time, about 90 percent of hairs are in growth state and 10 percent are in a dormant state.
Specific types of stress can result in a shift of a higher percentage to the dormant state. These stresses include: high fever, severe infection, major surgery, acute physical trauma, chronic debilitating illness (such as cancer or end stage liver disease), acute weight loss, crash dieting, hormonal disruption, anorexia, low protein intake, iron or zinc deficiency, heavy metal toxicity and some medications.
Bariatric surgery patients have two major risks for hair loss: major surgery and rapid weight loss. These two are likely to account for much of the hair loss after surgery. In the absence of a nutritional issue, hair loss will continue until all hairs that shifted into the dormant phase have fallen out. Hair loss will rarely last for more than 6 months in the absence of a dietary cause. Patients can be reassured that with time, patience and keeping up good nutritional intake, hair will grow back.
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