Hair Loss After Gastric Surgery

I am 65 years old and in Aug 06, I had gastric surgery due to 5 yrs of partial bowel impactions caused by scar tissue & adhesions formed from previous surgeries. Also 10″ of colon removed. Since then, I have had excessive hair loss from scalp whenever I comb or wash my hair. Also, I’m using Roux Rinse Temporary Rinse weekly. What do you think could be causing my problem? Is there a cure or medicine I can take?

A big surgery can trigger telogen effluvium and accelerate hair loss. You can also read the post, Hair Loss and Gastric Bypass. Your surgery could have caused hair loss through two mechanisms:

1. Stress of a big surgery and compensatory mechanisms of your body to divert nutrients toward vital organs.
2. Removing part of the intestine can cause mal-absorption. When there is rapid weight loss, hair loss is not uncommon.

In those people with the switch for genetic hair loss inherited, the switch can be turned on by either stress or weight loss. Both of these conditions can either be temporary or permanent. Make sure you have a balanced diet with adequate amount of proteins, vitamins, and minerals.