Did you experience change in your hair after surgery?

[JLove74]

I had surgery (with anesthesia) in March and shortly after I noticed that the condition of my hair changed - dry and shedding. If you experienced any changes in your hair after surgery, what did you do to get it back healthy?

 

[hopeful]

When I was relaxed I let this lady relax my hair with Mizani without realizing it was a lye relaxer which usually don't agree with my scalp or hair. But anyway, initially, for the first few days my hair was silky and gorgeous. Then I had surgery and almost immediately, as I was recuperating in the hospital my hair started shedding and itching like crazy. It was horrible, I thought I was going to lose all of my hair, but it just ended up thinning out a bit. The only thing that helped was time, I think about two or three months passed before the shedding completely stopped. Hopefully somebody else will have a good suggestion for you.

 

[PretteePlease]

did you loose blood? maybe you are/were slightly anemic, a lack of iron will lead to shedding

 

[blackbarbie]

Can't comment exactly how surgery may change it but if you are taking any antibiotics, that sure will do it. It will make the hair dry and very brittle, so be sure to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. A few years ago, I had a bout where my hair started shedding very bad. I used to go to the hair salon every week and had to miss one week and the shedding was getting worse and worse and I was trying not to stress (until I could see her again and show her exactly what i was talking about) cause I know that wouldn't help.

When I got back to see my stylist, she started with a list of questions (trying to troubleshoot) and when I told her I was taking some antibiotics, she told me that was the culprit. I want to say she may have said something to the effect that surgery will do to your hair, but I didn't pay close attention at the time since it didn't apply to me, but I hope someone else will chime in and give their experience. Or you may even ask your doctor when you go for a follow up visit. At least you will know so you can go on and counteract and treat the problem.

Good Luck....

 

[JLove74]

you know what - I did loose a lot of blood and the doctor told me to start taking iron pills. I can feel a slight change in my hair since I've started taking the pills - so maybe that was culprit!!!

 

[GIRLIE]

Surgery definately changed my hair. I lost a lot of blood and was given lots of antibiotics. I had 5 operations in 2 years including hormone treatment and at the end of it almost all my hair broke off. If I didn't find this board I know I wouldn't have made the great progress I have.

 

[filthyfresh]

Yeah. Three years ago I had a ruptured appendix and peritonitis (infection of major organs) and my hair was a broken, dry mess. All I could do was keep it moisturized and try to trim my split ends.

 

[lad]

I'm very interested in this... I had outpatient surgery in January 2006 and shortly after my hair fell out in patches. I had bald patches both in the front and back. I think it has something to do with dead follicles (which somehow relates to having anesthesia - just a theory).

I also had surgery when I was 10 or 11 and it did the same thing -- I informed my anesthesiologist and he looked like he didnt know what I was talking about. So I put conditioner and moisturizer on my hair prior to o/p and it still fell out erplexed

 

[whitedaisez]

I had 2 surgeries last summer and one more this February. I have been experiencing some shedding all throughout last year. My hair hasn't been breaking at all yet I have not gained any length in 18 months!

 

[LadyPaniolo]

I had 2 surgeries last summer and one more this February. I have been experiencing some shedding all throughout last year. My hair hasn't been breaking at all yet I have not gained any length in 18 months!

:scratchch If you haven't retained in 18 months then one of two things is happening... either your growth has totally stalled (unlikely for that long) OR your ends are slowly but surely breaking off. One of those two. I remember before my healthy hair journey I didn't think my hair was breaking, but I never gained any length. My ends were breaking off.

I've had surgery 3x and never seen any change in my hair one way or another.

 

[brittanynic16]

I went under last November and didn't notice a change in my hair.

 

[Coffee]

I had surgery in January and again in March. Because I knew I would be having surgery, I did protein treatments (light) 1 time per week before surgery. After surgery I used Nu Gro moisturizing spray and had very little shedding when I was finally able to relax. From my experience, surgery does cause shedding and possibly a change in hair texture.

 

[Salsarisma]

I had outpatient surgery and lost 4-5 inches of hair afterwards. My hair was dry and brittle and kept breaking no matter what I did. I don't know if the surgery is the culprit or if all the medications I had to take prior and post surgery did it...or a combination, but my hair was definitely affected!

 

[Seraphina]

I've had several surgeries over my lifetime, am also anemic and let a lot of blod, and have been on antibiotics. After my last surgery about a year ago I notced two small bald spots. I panicked. I massaged them with mega-tek and castor oil and stopped pulling my hair back (I figured the tension wouldn't be helpful). It was slow bit I now don't have any bald spots. The trauma of surgery, illness and medications can wreak havoc, but it can b reversed.

 

[swimfan09]

Depending on the type and kind of anesthesia you get, anesthesia will have a negative affect on hair for 6 months after the surgery. I have experienced this personally. I think the stress and the painkillers have an affect as well. Antibiotics having an affect totally makes sense as well because antibiotics deplete the body of many vitamins especially the B vitamins that hair needs.

 

[smitmarv]

I did after a c-section but I thought it was due to hormones and anemia from blood loss. My hair became super dry and shedding quite a bit. It took me about 8 months for my hair to start acting right again. This is interesting! Maybe it was both.

 

[ajoke]

mmm.. interesting, I had an operation in February under full anaestethic.......and my hair is seriously messed up