I’ve been having serious problems with hair loss. This may be even more of an issue for me because of my post-surgery 
disaster but I believe a lot of people do experience some hair loss with surgery or malnutrition. My hair is finally starting to grow back after 5 months, but I was pretty close to having a wig. I’m currently down to basically a pixie cut (so not me) but at least it’s all new hair, though still thin. Anyway, people have been pushing products on me to make my hair grow back but I didn’t want to buy/use things that wouldn’t work. I wrote an email to a group of people who produce a science podcast that I listen to and a physician answered it for me! Here are links to where the response was posted, along with some nice comments:
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/sgublog/?p=359
http://skepchick.org/blog/?p=3794
I recommend these sites/podcasts for quality science information (and entertainment, too!).
In addition, I can share the information I received from a clinical dietician at the hospital where I had my surgery. I’ll share the information she provided me but remember it is important to get health information that is specific to your particular health situation.
One important issue can be iron deficiency (not my issue but it’s common) so high iron foods and an iron supplement are a good idea (note: if you don’t have an iron deficiency, you shouldn’t take an iron supplement - talk to you doctor!). In addition, hair is made of protein, so the best thing to do is eat lots and lots of protein. I’m supposed to have at 60-65 grams of protein a day at minimum and I weigh 120lbs (so about .5 grams of protein per pound). Animal proteins are more easily absorbed by the body than plant proteins (and a lot of plant proteins can be high in fibre and not ideal for some people with UC or a j-pouch) so meat, cheese, milk and yogurt are good options, although I do eat some nuts and beans. I was so desperate I even started eating beef which I hadn’t eaten in 12 years! Finally, it’s a good idea to take a multivitamin. In particular, she recommended a prenatal multivitamin because they are more potent than the regular version.
Image via: JessyParr
Posted in UC
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I’ve been having serious problems with hair loss. This may be even more of an issue for me because of my post-surgery
disaster but I believe a lot of people do experience some hair loss with surgery or malnutrition. My hair is finally starting to grow back after 5 months, but I was pretty close to having a wig. I’m currently down to basically a pixie cut (so not me) but at least it’s all new hair, though still thin. Anyway, people have been pushing products on me to make my hair grow back but I didn’t want to buy/use things that wouldn’t work. I wrote an email to a group of people who produce a science podcast that I listen to and a physician answered it for me! Here are links to where the response was posted, along with some nice comments:
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/sgublog/?p=359
http://skepchick.org/blog/?p=3794
I recommend these sites/podcasts for quality science information (and entertainment, too!).
In addition, I can share the information I received from a clinical dietician at the hospital where I had my surgery. I’ll share the information she provided me but remember it is important to get health information that is specific to your particular health situation.
One important issue can be iron deficiency (not my issue but it’s common) so high iron foods and an iron supplement are a good idea (note: if you don’t have an iron deficiency, you shouldn’t take an iron supplement - talk to you doctor!). In addition, hair is made of protein, so the best thing to do is eat lots and lots of protein. I’m supposed to have at 60-65 grams of protein a day at minimum and I weigh 120lbs (so about .5 grams of protein per pound). Animal proteins are more easily absorbed by the body than plant proteins (and a lot of plant proteins can be high in fibre and not ideal for some people with UC or a j-pouch) so meat, cheese, milk and yogurt are good options, although I do eat some nuts and beans. I was so desperate I even started eating beef which I hadn’t eaten in 12 years! Finally, it’s a good idea to take a multivitamin. In particular, she recommended a prenatal multivitamin because they are more potent than the regular version.
Image via: JessyParr
Posted in UC