Hair Restoration Blog

Q:

Hello,

My boyfriend just had a hair transplant with you two weeks ago.    It seems that everything is going perfect, but  I have two questions for you:

• When can he start taking vitamins?
• Can he use the sauna (jacuzzi)???

Thanks for everything, we are very satisfied with your surgery.

Best regards,

A:

I am glad to hear that you have had a good experience with us at US Hair Restoration.

Taking vitamins after hair transplant

Vitamins can be started immediately in the first few days after a hair transplant surgery, if for any reason they were discontinued prior to the procedure.  That is also true about most other medications that patients may have had to discontinue or prolong use of before hair restoration before surgery (i.e- blood thinners like aspirin or aspirin like medications).

Using Jacuzzi after a hair transplant

As for using the jacuzzi or immersing newly transplanted hair into water, one week after a hair restoration surgery is generally a good time.  Just be sure to be careful with sun exposure for a period of six months after hair transplantation.  If you have to be exposed to direct sun exposure, you can use a hat or sun block for that period after hair restoration.

Also see: Vitamins and Hair Loss

Q:

Hi Doctor,

My mother is obsessed with my hair loss and gives me a whole bunch of vitamins and mineral tablets everyday to help regrow my hair.
Do you think they work? Or should I stop them.

A:

Although lack of certain vitamins and minerals could cause hair loss in their sever form, living in north America and having a normal and balanced diet; it is unlikely that you are suffering from vitamin or mineral deficiency. On the contrary, if you look at your family pattern of hair loss, you probably can find other male members of the family who has similar male pattern hair loss. As I always say, you need to have the triangle of baldness, which is “Gene, Male gender, and time” to become bald. Vitamins deficiency is not to blame as part of triangle of male patterned hair loss. You can continue taking vitamins to please your mom, but don’t overdo it since vitamins are not going to bring your hair back. Instead you need to see a good hair specialist or dermatologist and undergo a good hair loss evaluation with miniaturization study and start taking one of the effective medications to prevent further hair loss or to use hair transplant to restore your lost hair.

Q:

I underwent a gastric bypass surgery about 2.5 years ago and since a few months after surgery my hair has been thinning. What do I need to do to prevent further loss?

A:

Losing hair or changing the quality and color of hair after gastric bypass surgery is commonly seen within the first few months after the gastric bypass surgery. This condition can mimic shock loss that could be seen after hair restoration surgery. Right after the gastric bypass surgery your body goes through a period of severe starvation and tries to divert nutrients toward more vital organs instead of skin and hair. Although carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins especially the family of vitamin B has been blamed for the hair loss in patients who had gastric bypass, it can happen while all of those elements are within normal range and the exact mechanism of hair loss after gastric bypass surgery is not completely known.

The great news is that the hair loss after a gastric bypass surgery is always temporary. Your hair condition should return to normal within a few months of hair loss occurrence. Patients who had gastric bypass should have serial examinations within the first few months of their gastric bypass. Your surgeon should check many elements because gastric bypass surgery could increase the incidence of iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D deficiency. Most people need to stay on supplementation of these minerals and vitamins. Close monitoring with regular laboratory tests for these deficiencies should be done by your surgeon or primary care physician.