Problems with hair?

Well, first of all, your hair condition is a reflection of your past health, not your current health, so all the hair that grew out while you were under the stress of being sick and having surgery is going to be affected. I had bunches of hair completely fall out and I looked like an old lady. Once my health was restored, I had this long, scraggly stuff, and a bunch of "new" hair growing in between. I had like a crew cut going on for a while with the longer hair. It took a long time and many hair cuts before it all evened out. The color was even different with the new growth for me, from a dull, mousy brown, to a more shiny, golden brown.

So, rather than focusing on specific vitamins or nutrients, just eat a varied, and balanced diet. Use conditioners on your hair to try to keep it from breaking prematurely. What you eat now will not affect the hair that is already out there, only new growth.

Hope that makes sense...

Jan

Thanks Jan, it does make complete sense I guess part of me was just hoping for a quick fix. Ever thought about writing a book? I feel like every time I see my GI doc he tells me something I should or shouldn't be taking and other little tidbits. I wish I had a book so I could get a lot of info at once. This site definitely helps though

Unfortunately, this is a common problem after illness and surgery, with shedding starting about 2-6 months after the trauma/illness passes, once the body starts to rebound. Unnecessary functions, like hair and fingernail growth, are shut down as the body tries to conserve resources. The good news is, the hair only falls out once new growth pushes out the dead shaft, so your hair falling out actually means that new, healthier hair will be taking its place.

My hair was coming out in clumps after surgery (I estimated I lost about 1/2 the hair on my head), and then I had to endure an annoying regrowth period, where I had little porcupine hairs sticking out on top of my head. But at least it was growing. You may also notice a white line across your fingernails; I had this too.

If you want more information and tips, google "Telogen Effluvium." This is the name given to the condition of hair loss due to illness/stress.

My derm told me that once the telogen effluvium phase is over, you should go back to normal IF you have normal levels of Vitamin D, iron, folate, and B12. Those are notorious deficiencies for j-pouchers and IBDers so you might want to have them checked at your next physical (and they influence a lot more than hair, so worth investigating either way!)

Megals,
Yup, your hair is a reminder of where you have been, not where you are...So it is kind of a souvenir of horrors past (and horrors present when looking in the mirror!) I had a 5yrs period where I kept having surgery after surgery with barely the time for convalecence in between...I couldn't eat a lot of the time and was undernourished most of the time...
I looked like I had come out of 6 months of radiation the first time that I really took a look at myself...and I cried. A lot.
I had a few very radical haircuts and spent a lot of time with my head down, hanging over the tub, massaging my scalp with hot oils, conditioners and anything that I could find...it worked well (that and H&S shampoo, suggested by my dermatologist)...now a few years later I have a head full of thick hair but my curls are almost all gone, I have huge patches of grey (where it had fallen out it grew back white) and the texture is less smooth...
It does come back, and that is what you have to hang on to...
Sharon

My hair fell out 4 months after surgery, but it could be blamed for any number of reasons.
1. Stress
2. Anesthesia
3. Antidepressant (Lexapro)
4. Menopause

I threw out all of my medications (I was doing fine without them) and I wore a wig when I went out of the home for 3 months. I used to have auburn colored baby fine hair, but now it is black, thick and CURLY.

Nice trade off! It must be lovely...I have the menopause, stress and anesthesia (although lately I have all my surgeries done under local...less hard on my system but a bit tough on the nerves)...but it can also be caused by thyroid problems, anemia and anything else that shakes you system up...
If any of you get persistant hair loss or no regrowth it is worth consulting a specialist.
Sharon