Gastric Bypass Causes Hair Loss: Can It Be Avoided?

Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative patients sit on the fence before deciding to have gastric bypass surgery. Obese people, particularly obese women, often have lush gorgeous hair. Of course they do - it's well fed and nourished! How many of us have been described as the woman with "beautiful hair and a pretty face"? What person in their right mind would give up one of their beautiful features?

Hair loss usually occurs in the fourth of fifth month following weight loss surgery. During the phase of rapid weight loss, caloric intake is marginal. This puts the body in a state of panic called starvation. Think about the pictures of prisoners of war. Most victims of this atrocity are without hair because they are literally starving to death. A healthy body normally sheds ten percent of hair follicles at any given time. When a body is starving roughly thirty to forty percent of hair follicles are sacrificed as the body channels nutrition to more vital areas. During this phase hair loss is dramatic, often patients find clumps of hair on the shower floor. Remaining hair becomes drab and lifeless.

I knew hair loss was a potential result of weight loss surgery, but because I'm a "cup-half-full" person, I didn't believe that hair loss would happen to me! That just happens to other people, I told myself! Imagine my surprise when my blonde locks were littering the bathroom floor like hair saloon. I shed some tears over that.

The hair loss is a transient effect of your gastric bypass surgery and will be resolved when nutrition and weight stabilize. When my hair began falling out, my husband, who has been a proponent of vitamin supplements all his life, found a vitamin specifically formulated for building strong healthy hair. The vitamin I take for healthy hair and nails is Silica Complex by Puritan's PrideÒ. It contains calcium, magnesium, zinc, boron, betaine and horsetail extract. Consumption of this supplement almost immediately retarded my hair loss and renewed my dull lifeless hair. I will continue taking this supplement throughout my life. Three years after surgery my hair is long, full and lustrous - one would never know I had suffered significant hair loss. In hindsight, I would certainly begin taking this supplement prior to my surgery. In the very least I would begin taking it soon after surgery before the signs of hair loss were apparent.

Kaye Bailey

Hair Regrowth Home Remedies for Men

Men typically are more prone to have hair loss than women. In men, this hair problem is called androgen alopecia and male pattern baldness. It can be caused by several factors, but mainly due to hereditary factors that can run for generations. The other factors are deficiencies of folic acid and vitamins, sudden shock, stress, anxiety and inadequate general nutrition. Prolonged illnesses like anemia, syphilis and typhoid fever can also cause men to lose their hair. Men usually start to lose hair in their forties but some of them start to have the problem in their twenties. Hair loss in men can be categorized as a metabolic disorder. In the end, it results in hair falling, thinning and even disappearing.
This hair problem can be really stressful for some men. While most men try to improve their appearance by means of different hairstyles, men with hair loss have to face the fact that they lose more hairs each day. They can even become bald due to the excessive hair loss. This problem will affect their appearance and confidence. This leads men to seek remedies or treatments to grow their hair back. Some men turn to expensive treatments that promise great and fast results. However, these are often just scams to take money and can even make the problem worsen.
Preventing and treating hair loss can be very easy and affordable. You should keep in mind that there are numerous home remedies to grow your hair back. These remedies are very easy to obtain; you can even find them in your kitchen. Below are some home remedies you can use to treat your hair problem:
1. Prepare 4 tablespoons of henna (mehendi) leaves and a cup of mustard. Mix the two ingredients together and boil them. Once it has been boiled, filter it and keep it in a bottle. You can use this mixture to massage your bald patches.
2. Grind fenugreek seeds and mix this with water for the best result. Then, apply the ingredients on your head and massage your scalp. You should do this treatment at least 40 minutes before a shower. For best results, do this treatment every day for at least a month.
3. Prepare onion paste and use it to rub the bald areas. When these areas become red, apply honey.
4. Use a mixture of egg yolk and honey to massage your hair and scalp. Leave it on for an hour and then wash your hair thoroughly.
5. You can make a homemade shampoo to support your hair's growth. It is a mixture of 2 tablespoons of raw gram powder (which is chickpea or garbanzo bean flour), 5 tablespoons of milk curd and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply the mixture to your head and leave it for an hour. Then, wash your hair thoroughly.

Christian Chandra