HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Going bald

Support Forums
>
Ostomies
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/3/2010 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
It's no exaggeration to say that I've lost about half of the hair on my head following Step 1 of my surgery on April 1. I don't know if it was from the surgery itself or the anasthesia but I'm losing hair everywhere on my head. Every time I run my hands through my hair I grab handfuls that have fallen out. I constantly feel hair fall on my shoulders and arms. I'm scared to cook or bake anything because I'm afraid I'll end up with some extra ingredients. I'm concerned especially because I still have two more surgeries to go and I can't imagine what I'm going to look like at the end of this. Is this common and when will it all end? I've started looking at wigs!
Posted 8/3/2010 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
I think this is normal; it's happened to many others. It's a combination of the effects of being severely ill for a long period of time plus the anesthesia. You hair will return to normal. Eat well, get plenty of rest, and be patient (although I know it's got to be hard being patient with hair loss).

Sue
Posted 8/3/2010 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
hair grows in 3-6 month cycles, and so your hair is falling out know from the stress of the surgery, the sickness and possibly the antesthia. So, it will probably fall out for a little while longer, but it should stop and then start to thicken up eventually. It is common, sadly. I actually bought a wig, because when i had UC one of the flares i was in was really bad and when i got out of the hosptial a few months later i was losing hair like crazy, and i have THICK hair, like crazy thick. And i lost so much that i had bald spots, i actually bought a wig. And shortly after i did that, it stopped falling out, lol.
Then i got pregnant, so it grew back really thick, then fell out again, and all that.
Anyway, it fell out and grew back about 4 or 5 times.
Now three years after surgery i have about 3/4 of my hair back, there arent any spots, its just not quite as thick.
Anyway, it will stop, its just a slow thing. And its awful, im so sorry thats happening to you!
Posted 8/4/2010 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks ladies for the replies. I guess there's really nothing I can do except wait this thing out. Unfortunately, my surgeries won't be completed until at least the end of the year and then I wonder how long after I'll have the hair loss because it's been over four months since my first surgery and it hasn't let up at all. I don't think I'm a vain person but this stinks! Summerstorm, did you wear your wig?
Posted 8/4/2010 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Scrap Girl~You might find that after the next two it won't be so bad :-) It's usually the disease (but surgery doesn't help matters) that causes it to be so bad...the anesthesia might cause a little, but at least for me, it's not like when we are sick!

I'm healthy (knock on wood) right now and I've just gone through a 'little shedding' only lasted about a month and now I've got new growth. I cut my hair when I was really sick and the loss wasn't as noticeable.

Hang in there!!
Posted 8/4/2010 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
scrapgirl

i started having hair loss a couple years ago, maybe due to anemia or malnutrition. i could tell it was falling out more than usual. about 10-20 percent fell out. i did some research and added some supplements - biotin, selenium, and PABA.

my hair gradually stopped falling out so much, and grew back in. i dont know if this would help with more extreme hair loss, but i wanted to share my experience with this.

hang in there, things will get better!

lynn024
crohns 11 yrs, UC 10 yrs previous
rt colon removed 2007
RV fistula found 2009, taking humira
abscesses and another fistula in last month
thinking about ileostomy or fistula surgery
Posted 8/4/2010 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
no i never wore it, i used hats mainly, and i wasnt working.
The way my hair fell out, the places and such, it was still too long and too much to get the wig on the right way. And it was really hot.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply