Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Manny,
Generally I get severe hair loss post op due to the anesthetic, after a long illness, certain meds including some antibiotics and pain meds (no scientfic proof on that one) or when I cannot eat for protracted periods of time (like when my pouch is non-functional)...
According to my dermatologist and a nutritionist all of the above cases are normal...the body uses its energy wisely and concentrates it where it is most needed...the primary organ functions...unfortunately hair, nails, skin & teeth are non-essentials and suffer the consequences of disease (I lost a molar and compromised my other teeth and gums when I was just post pouch) and have pictures of me looking like a plucked chicken after every surgery.
Good nutrition, scalp massage, not washing your hair too often etc can help but it just has to grow back on its own...
Sharon
Yes, after my emergency colectomy, I lost about 1/3 - 1/2 of the hair on my head. My hair is quite thick and the pattern of hair loss was diffuse, not in patches, so luckily it was not immediately noticeable to people who didn't know me. What was worse was when it was growing back in, as I had a fringe of shorter hair sticking straight up on the top of my head, not unlike a porcupine. LOL.

I lost my hair due to a combination of malnourishment (I had very rapid weight loss), anemia, anaesthetic, and other meds. It started falling out about 2-3 months after my surgery and grew back within 6 months of that. I also had a telltale white line across each of my fingernails, sure signs of malnourishment.

Sharon gives a great explanation, but Google "telogen effluvium" and you will find a wealth of information on what is probably happening to you.

One thing to keep in mind, if you lost your hair due to a medical illness, your hair doesn't usually start dropping until a new one pushes out the old hair, so the fact that you are losing it now may be a good sign that new, healthy hair is growing, and that your overall health is improving.

That being said - if the hair loss/thinning is not due to the above reasons, but is rather due to one particular medication you are still taking, you may wish to speak to your doctor about alternatives, or else other treatments that can augment the hair loss if there is no alternative medication.

Add Reply

Post
Copyright © 2019 The J-Pouch Group. All rights reserved.
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×