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Frequent Contributor
Posts: 141
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

On 2/16/2014 ibb38 said:

Andrew Lessman over at hsn has a hair and skin product that's supposed to be excellent. A close female relative also used rogaine for women when her hair was thinning- and it's helped a lot.

Feeling good on the outside is very important as part of your healing process- pay no attention to the naysayers! I've been exactly where you are- a routine surgery (partial hysterectomy as well) gone very wrong.


Wow, didn't think about Rogaine. That's over the counter now, isn't it? I'm a very confident person in who I am and my beliefs and so forth. But this has shaken me and put a little damper on that. I believe feeling good on the outside is important as well. It affects you in a lot of ways. I'll be okay, thankfully.

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 141
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

On 2/16/2014 BeckiWV said:

I don't have any practical solutions, per se, but I did want to tell you about my sister. She got very sick last year with previously undiagnosed liver and kidney disease. At one point, we were told she would not make it. Then we were told she would need a liver transplant. We were also told that one of her kidneys had actually died and needed to be removed. It was very stressful for her to continually be given bad news in addition to suffering through it all.

Fortunately, she survived and made a full recovery, and did not need a liver transplant and the "dead" kidney came back to life. However, a couple of months after she left the hospital, a good bit of her hair fell out and she was, of course, very upset about it. She was also told it was probably related to all the medical trauma.

She came to a family wedding in August and it was pretty obvious that she had a lot of missing hair. I am happy to say that by Christmas, the balding spots were starting to grow back nicely and it looked much, much better. She didn't really do anything but wait it out. She did talk about getting some Rogaine but I don't think she did. I did buy her some Joan Rivers powder and she used it some when her hair started growing back.

Hopefully, your hair will grow back too. Your body has been through a lot and I think this is something that is a fairly common occurrence after surgery. It is not easy to deal with but maybe it will be helpful to know that it may be only temporary.

I am so sorry that you are going through this, and I really hope that you will begin to see some improvement in the near future.

Also, my youngest daughter suffered a bad bout of alopecia when she was about three. She had not been through any surgery or other trauma. We don't know why her hair started coming out. She lost a good bit over a couple of weeks. Then it stopped. My dermatologist gave me a prescription for Rogaine and I applied it to her bald patches every night. Her hair grew back beautifully and that never happened again. She is 31 now.

Maybe if you talk to a dermatologist or scalp doctor about it, he or she could ease your mind about it and maybe give you some ideas or solutions that you can use. I found this quote on the internet:

Categorized as a temporary type of hair loss, telogen effluvium (also known as shedding) occurs when the body experiences a major stress or trauma like childbirth, malnutrition or surgery. The trauma sends the hair from the growing phase to the resting phase and then into the shedding phase, which can occur in diffuse clumps.

Once the stress has lessened, the hair loss typically goes away on its own, and the hair resumes its normal growing and shedding process.


I'm so glad your sister recovered! It's quite amazing what happens to the body after a surgery. I have to see a dermatologist soon about a few moles. I'll ask him about this when I go. It is good to know this is temporary.

Super Contributor
Posts: 309
Registered: ‎04-03-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

I suggest everyone report that nasty poster for abuse. That's the only way she will stop if her horrid replies are poofed.

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 141
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

On 2/16/2014 shoekitty said:

I always loose lots of hair from surgery. The anesthesia and I just don't get along. I am so sorry for your surgery gone wrong. Sounds like a horror story, you poor thing. I am glad you are here to write this post!!

Our hair has 3 stages. It is hard to see but there are 3 hairs coming out of that one follicle. The follicle is nourished by a blood flow that produces food for the hair (a keratin type stuff). That is the whitish pulp on the end of the strand of hair that we see if hair is pulled out by root. This what they use for DNA results. When we undergo surgery with anesthesia the dying hair, and the hair that is coming up, is severly cut off from any supply of nourishment, and is shocked and stunned. In reality the roots are "put to sleep". Chemo does this to hair as well! In about 6 weeks after surgery, sometimes sooner, that hair falls out. Because you are dealing with 2 stages of hair, and them being stunned at the same time, the hair seems to fall out all at once. Which is even MORE dramatic and scary. Usually we loose a little every day (80 to 150 hairs). You had an especially long anesthesia, and because of extreme blood loss and trauma, the hair is going to almost all fall out. It will stop, and it WILL repair itself. ! There should be new hair growing in right now. If you get a 10X mirror or magnifying glass you might see it.

You might try 5,000 units of Biotin a day. Andrew Lessman makes a great Biotin suppliment called HAIR SKIN NAILS. Ask a derm if it is okay to use topicals for hair growth. Pantene and Aveda make a great shampoo for hair growth that has had wonderful results and excellent reviews. Pantene you can get at the drug store, but Aveda you need to go online or find an Aveda dealer.. It can work, but I am a not a Doctor.

I had quite a bit of hair loss from radiation 10 years ago. They said It couldn't be radiation because it was so rare. Well, I was that rare person. My hair seemed to grow and fill back in within 3 months or so, but I went on to thin out what I gained back later, with aging and menopause.

Use gentle non sulphite shampoo.

try JOICO KPAK reconstructor conditioner. It is high in protien, and really helps repair the scalp and condition the hair you have now from extreme dryness that can occur.

make sure you are getting enough protien

try to eat organic (no pesticides)

eat lots of chard, and some kale as I have been told chard is good for growing hair. Try eating some everyday for a while

Also, try not to color, perm or use a flat iron while your hair is under stress.

HTH


Chemo is exactly what the doctors compared this to. It was scary to hear that. Thank you so much for your suggestions. I did start taking Biotin a month ago. And I figured diet was going to be important, too, but I just haven't researched what it is I need to be eating more of or less of. Thanks again!

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 141
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

Thanks everyone for your replies, even the ugly ones. That's just a reminder to myself to keep praying for EVERYONE. ;-)

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm taking this seriously and will see a derm, and will have my doc check ferritin levels. I'm going to research diet changes and eat whatever is suggested (I'll even eat my greens, mom!).

I really am thankful to be alive and I know this may seem petty to some. But I do what I'm supposed to do as a Christian, as a human having compassion and love for others, for everyone. I mentor and try to be a good steward, and I try to give more than I receive. But I'm going to keep praying that I receive more hair soon!

Your support means so much.

Super Contributor
Posts: 1,999
Registered: ‎04-03-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

I have never hear of this before, but it makes sense. I lost a lot of hair after delivering my daughter, and they said it was a combination of hormones and stress. I am so sorry you had to go through this---it is frightening for sure. Hoping you are feeling better now...

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,601
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

Biotin is great,I have been on it for years.Not the expensive one but from Walmart,Natures Valley I think,5000mcg's daily and my hair grows like a weed.I have had many surgeries and had plenty of hair fallout.Its best to not mess with color till time goes by.I would cut it short,start Biotin and it will improve.MY DIL who had significant hairloss had great results with a supplement called Viviscol(sp).I think that's the name,Any way she had very good results.

BTW that was a very rude comment made to you and so uncalled for.We as women care about our hair,sick or not,we want to look our best.

We do not remember days,we remember moments.
The Rainbow Bridge!!!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,570
Registered: ‎06-13-2012

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

Ignore ennui1, OP. She is a bitter, miserable person.

Anyway, you have been through a terrible, traumatic experience. I am happy you got through it and are on the mend. I do not have any hair advice for you but I wanted to wish you well.

Take care of you, relax and try to focus on all your blessings and not worry so much about your hair, which will grow back in time. Sometimes if you stress out too much about it, the stress will also cause your hair to fall out.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,903
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

OP, please ignore ennui. She is often like this and should just be ignored.

Your story was chilling. I'm so happy you're okay now, and the hair will certainly come back. I'm not making light of the hair issue at all. Our hair is very important to us and it's shocking when we see it falling out. I have taken Andrew Lessman's hair and nails supplement for years and won't ever stop taking it. My hair grows very fast. Hugs to you.

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 104
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Hair falling out from anesthesia after surgery. Need some help please.

Country Life makes a supplement called Maxi Hair. Read the reviews at iherb where it costs $15. This with generic Rogaine should really help. Tragic events which you seem to handling very well. God bless you.