Hair loss after surgery can be a very emotionally distressing problem. Whether it’s after wisdom teeth removal or breast surgery, people who undergo surgery often lose their hair as a result. Here we discuss some causes and treatments to prevent or minimize hair loss after surgery.
Causes of Hair loss After Surgery
You might experience hair loss after surgery for a variety of reasons, including stress and scarring. Your hair growth cycle is also likely to be affected due to the trauma your body has experienced.
In most cases, it’s normal to lose some hair after surgery. A significant amount of hair loss can occur around six weeks after surgery and last a few months. This usually occurs when the trauma from the operation causes hairs that are in the resting phase of the growth cycle to enter into shedding. However, a more severe form of hair loss can occur if you have an infection as well as other health conditions such as:
- anemia
- thyroid problems
- hormonal changes
- infections
Top Causes of Hair Loss After Surgery: Stress, Scarring and Chemotherapy
As mentioned above, it is not uncommon for someone to lose hair after surgery. After all, the body goes through a lot of stress when undergoing surgery. This is especially true if you have experienced a major operation like an organ transplant or heart surgery.
The stress of surgery may cause telogen effluvium or scarring alopecia to occur in some individuals. Telogen effluvium is a temporary form of hair loss that occurs when the body undergoes a significant amount of stress and then returns to normal afterward. There are many different causes for telogen effluvium, but it often occurs after someone has suffered trauma such as major injury or illness.
Scarring alopecia happens when there are deep scars on your scalp that prevent hair from growing back properly. It can happen as a result from burns or other injuries, including surgical incisions in the head and neck area.
Another type of surgery-related hair loss is chemotherapy, which may be used during cancer treatment to kill off cancer cells in your body by attacking healthy cells too. A common side effect from chemo treatments includes losing all your natural hair on head – including eyebrows!
Stress-induced Hair Loss After Surgery
Stress-induced hair loss can last for several months or more. This is because hair in the telogen stage has a growth cycle of about 100 days, so it can take some time for the shedding to stop and for new hair to come in. If you’re experiencing signs of stress-related hair loss, you may want to try meditation or other stress management techniques. This could not only help you feel better but also slow down or reverse the effects of stress on your hair.
Telogen Effluvium Treatment
There is no specific treatment for telogen effluvium. But there are steps you can take to help manage the stress that triggered it. These include:
- Seeing your doctor if you’re concerned about hair loss. Your doctor can perform a physical exam and blood tests to diagnose the problem and rule out any other underlying medical conditions.
- Identifying and avoiding potential triggers of stress, including emotional trauma or sudden changes in hormone levels (such as after childbirth). You may want to speak with a counselor about effective ways to cope with these stressors or make lifestyle changes that decrease your chances of experiencing them again.
- Getting plenty of sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly—all of which can help reduce stress.
Are you experiencing hair loss after surgery? Talk to our experienced trichologist to know the proper treatment for your condition. Call us today on +353 (0)1 6793618 or click here to leave us a message on our website.
