Hair fall after Bariatric surgery

There is a lot of concern regarding hair fall after bariatric surgery. Normal hair growth is dependent upon a healthy, balanced diet and hair fall is a sign of micronutrient deficiency. Hair fall usually begins after 2-3 months of undergoing surgery and is a temporary phenomenon which can be corrected by taking a proper diet with the required supplements. Heathy hair growth needs proper intake of Vitamins A, B complex, C, E and biotin and micronutrients like iron, zinc and copper.Besides these, a daily intake of protein of 1 g/kg body weight is essential for the growth and maintenance of all body tissues. Hair fall is a sign of deficiency of one, or usually more, of these essential nutrients. It is precipitated in people having a borderline nutritional status before surgery who fail to maintain the normal RDA of these nutrients postoperatively. It is corrected by a balanced diet containing fresh green vegetables, salads, yellow fruits, milk, eggs, etc and capsules with multivitamin supplements.
Rich sources of the required micronutrients are listed below-

1. Vitamin A - Sweet potatoes, Carrots, mangoes, lettuce, bell peppers, liver

2. Vitamin B complex - Legumes, whole grains, oats, oranges, milk, poultry

3. Vitamin C - Citrus fruits, Amla, Lemon, broccoli, sprouts

4. Biotin - Almonds, Nuts, whole grains, eggs

5. Iron- whole grains, green vegetables, nuts, cereals, red meat

6. Zinc- Whole grains, nuts, beans, red meat, seafood

7. Protein- Milk products, Egg white, poultry, Fish, Soyabean

The normal hair growth cycle takes around 3 months so these supplements are required for a minimum of this time frame. However, the diet modifications need to be continued and maintained life long to avoid having these problems in the future.