Hair Loss After Bariatric Surgery: Here’s What You Can Expect and How to Cope

Weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is one of several treatments available for obesity. Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve are two popular and effective types of bariatric surgery. People can expect to lose just over half of their excess body weight over 18 months after surgery. 

But bariatric surgery can cause side effects, like hair loss. Hair loss after gastric sleeve and gastric bypass is quite common. In one review of the research, about 57% of people experienced hair loss after the gastric sleeve or bypass surgery. But the good news is that hair loss after bariatric surgery isn’t permanent. And there are steps you can take to minimize your hair loss after surgery. Here’s what to expect. 

Why does hair fall out after weight-loss surgery?

There are many reasons why people may lose their hair. But hair loss from weight-loss surgery is usually due to a process called telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium is a natural phenomenon. 

Hair follicles go through cycles of growth and rest. During growth phases, your hair follicles create new hair and your hair grows. During the rest phases, your hair follicles stop making new hair and old hair sheds. Each hair follicle moves between these two cycles at slightly different times so you always have some hair follicles growing new hair. 

Telogen effluvium develops when many hair follicles go into a rest phase at the same time.  These hair follicles then all shed hair at the same time, leading to noticeable hair loss. It takes a while for the hair follicles to go back into growth phase. As more hair follicles go into the rest phase, hair thinning and hair loss can get worse.

People usually develop telogen effluvium during periods of stress. Rapid weight loss is an example of stress on the body. So weight-loss surgery can trigger telogen effluvium because it causes people to lose weight quickly. 

Telogen effluvium doesn’t develop right away. It usually starts about 3 months after the body goes through a period of stress. This is why you might not notice hair loss until several weeks or months after your surgery. 

The good news is not everyone who experiences rapid weight loss will develop telogen effluvium. But it’s impossible to predict ahead of time who will experience hair loss because of rapid weight loss. 

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Learn more about telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium can be triggered by weight loss and other stressors too. 

• Hear how real people dealt with hair loss after weight loss surgery. Learn the best tips to minimize hair loss from people who’ve been there.

• Get help for hair loss. Learn more about prescription and over-the-counter treatments for hair loss.

How long does hair loss continue after weight-loss surgery?

Telogen effluvium lasts about 3 to 6 months. After that, hair follicles go back into a growth cycle and your hair starts growing again. At first, you may not notice that your hair is growing back since hair growth happens slowly. It can take months for your hair to get to its natural volume and thickness.

Keep in mind that hair loss from telogen effluvium starts leveling off and getting better 6 months after weight-loss surgery. Talk with your bariatric surgeon if you notice that your hair loss is getting worse around this time instead of better. This can be a sign of a nutritional deficiency. Bariatric surgery can lead to certain vitamin and nutritional deficiencies. Some of these deficiencies can also lead to hair loss. Hair loss from nutritional deficiencies usually starts about 6 months after weight-loss surgery. 

Will your hair grow back after bariatric surgery?

Yes, your hair will grow back if you develop telogen effluvium after bariatric surgery. About 6 months after your bariatric surgery you should notice that your hair loss or hair thinning is starting to level out. About 9 months after surgery, you should notice that your hair is thicker and growing. Most people notice that their hair is back to normal around the 1-year mark after surgery. 

Can you prevent or minimize hair loss after weight-loss surgery?

There’s no evidence that you can prevent hair loss after weight-loss surgery. But there are some things that you can do to minimize hair loss after weight-loss surgery. Some steps you can take to support your hair health include:

• Get the right nutrition. You won’t be able to eat the way you used to after weight-loss surgery. Your medical team will ask you to follow a postbariatric diet that includes supplements. It’s important to stick to your meal plans and take your supplements so that you get enough protein. Your body will need protein as it heals from surgery and goes through rapid weight loss. 

• Be gentle with your hair. You’ll want to avoid putting any extra physical stress on your hair for 6 months after weight-loss surgery. Try to avoid hairstyles that can put stress on your scalp and products that can damage hair. 

• Take your vitamins. Your medical team will also ask you to take vitamins after surgery. Make sure to stick with your vitamins since they contain important nutrients for hair health like biotin, zinc, and iron. 

When should you seek medical care for hair loss after weight-loss surgery?

It’s never too early to get medical care for hair loss. Board-certified dermatologists are specially trained to treat hair loss. They can also make sure you’re not losing hair for other reasons besides telogen effluvium, such as:

• Medications: Some medications can cause hair loss. Your dermatologist will review your medications and see if there are alternatives available.

• Vitamin deficiencies: Your dermatologist may ask you to get blood work to look for vitamin deficiencies. If you have one, your dermatologist can help you find the right supplements to correct your vitamin deficiency. 

• Medical conditions: Your dermatologist can also make sure you don’t have a medical condition that could be contributing to hair thinning and hair loss, such as low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism) or a scalp infection.

Your dermatologist can treat other causes of hair loss so they don’t add to the stress of telogen effluvium. Dermatologists can also give you advice on how to best care for your hair during telogen effluvium and how to promote hair growth once your follicles go back into a growth phase.

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Written by:

Tracy Norfleet, MD, FACP

Dr. Tracy Norfleet is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician, health expert, and physician leader with over 20 years of experience practicing adult medicine. Dual-certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Tracy possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both traditional medical practices and innovative lifestyle interventions for chronic disease management and reversal.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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