Hair Loss After Surgery: Practical Treatments and Preventive Strategies

Post-operative alopecia occurs most commonly from telogen effluvium (TE), which disrupts the typical hair follicle cycling process following a traumatic event like major surgery. Post-surgical hair loss may result from several causes, which include stress, interference with scalp blood supply, post-operative medication, and anesthetic administration.

Hair loss that occurs after surgery is typically temporary hair loss, but in cases of an underlying condition of hair loss, it will exacerbate the condition. 

There are some types of support for hair growth that can be used, and although preventing hair loss is not always possible, taking special care to stay as healthy as possible with good nutrition and stress management can minimise the effects of shedding.

In this article, we’ll look at what causes post-surgery hair loss, how it can be treated and prevented, and what Hairy Hair can do if you’re struggling with thinning.

What Causes Hair Loss After Surgery?

Following surgery, hair follicles can be pushed into the resting phase of the hair growth cycle for longer than they should, as the body diverts nutrients and blood flow away from the scalp. When your body perceives you’re in danger after a physical stressor like surgery, it prioritises sending vitamins and minerals to your vital organs, which leaves your hair follicles starved of nutrients.

In the normal hair cycle, your follicles mainly produce hair in the growth stage that lasts for years. Of course, not all of your hair is in the growth phase at any one time, but research from The National Library of Medicine estimates that 10 to 15% of your hair follicles are in the telogen stage at any time.

If that ratio increases to 30% or higher, then it can create more noticeable shedding. You typically lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day as part of the healthy hair growth cycle, but when you notice more than this, it should be a cause for concern.

Several factors can contribute to hair shedding and telogen effluvium post-surgery, including:

• Stress: Stress is the most common cause of telogen effluvium after surgery. Invasive procedures can be physically and emotionally stressful, which can lead to hair thinning. This will most likely occur between 3 and 6 months after the surgery.
• Anaesthesia: A study in The Journal of Dermatology found a link between the occurrence of an autoimmune type of hair loss (alopecia areata) and the use of general anaesthesia (GA). The risk of alopecia areata increased the longer the anaesthetic lasted, too. This patchy hair loss is different from the progressive thinning of telogen effluvium.
• Post-Operative Medications: Some medications that are prescribed to you after surgery can cause hair loss. These include drugs like beta-blockers, anti-seizures, and anti-thyroid medications. Talk to your doctor if you are being prescribed any of these medications following your procedure.
• Surgery Method: Invasive surgeries are more likely to cause increased thinning than non-invasive procedures. A study from Obesity Surgery found that 57% of patients who underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery experienced hair loss.
• Positional Alopecia: Though less common, keeping your head stationary for a few hours after surgery can stop the flow of blood to your hair follicles. Keeping your head positioned in one place during long procedures might increase the chances of increased thinning during recovery.

Can You Treat Hair Loss After Surgery?

You can take steps to minimise the amount of shedding following a medical procedure. Your doctor can offer some advice on how to cope with thinning following surgery, but if you are concerned about how much hair loss occurs following your recovery, then you can see a dermatologist or trichologist to get professional advice.  

At-Home Therapies

There are certain types of at-home treatments that you can use to help your follicles following surgery. One of them is minoxidil spray, a vasodilator. This widens the blood vessels in your scalp so that they may supply more oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles.

Other home treatments include microneedling devices, which allow your body to receive its own natural healing factors by producing tiny holes on the surface of your skin. Low-level laser therapy is another home treatment that triggers cell activity using low frequencies of red light. 

Medical Treatments

Even though the above can be purchased over the counter, you may have to go for expert treatment at the doctor’s recommendation. Some of them are platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and prescription medication. 

PRP treatment is achieved by drawing blood from the patient and isolating the healthy plasma. This is done by high-speed spinning in a centrifuge. The plasma is injected into the scalp, where hair thinning occurs, to stimulate dormant hair follicles and encourage hair growth. Because it involves using special equipment and medical waste, it must be performed in a sterilised environment by experienced personnel.

Prescription medications also exist to help with shedding and promote hair regrowth. For men, there’s finasteride, and for women, spironolactone. They both work as DHT blockers. This hormone causes hair follicles to get smaller and eventually leads to baldness. 

Even though it’s not the primary cause of shedding after surgery, high DHT levels are a leading cause of hair loss in men and women, so they can effectively treat any underlying shedding you may be experiencing.

Can You Prevent Hair Loss After Surgery?

It’s not always possible to control your body’s response to a stressful event like surgery. However, there are steps you can take to minimise the amount of shedding that occurs, which can make it more manageable during your recovery. This includes having a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and getting regular exercise. Let’s take a look at some of these factors more closely:

1. Nutritional Deficiencies: If you’re low on certain nutrients, like zinc, antioxidants, or B vitamins, you could lose more hair, particularly after surgery.

2. Avoid Harsh Hair Care: Your hair should be handled gently after surgery, and hence you should avoid the use of hot styling tools or tight hairstyles. You should try not to use chemical treatments like perming or bleaching, too.

3. Use Mild Products: If you have harsh chemicals in your shampoo, they can make you lose more hair after your surgery. You should also monitor the frequency with which you shampoo because clogging pores on your head can lead to inflammation. 

How Can Hairy Hair Help with my Hair Loss?

The frequency of shedding after hair loss isn’t fully understood. But even a healthy scalp can be affected by a significant event such as a medical procedure. Some risk factors, such as the type of procedure, your lifestyle, and your overall health, can increase your likelihood of getting telogen effluvium due to surgery.

Most individuals’ hair loss after surgery will resolve in a few months. However, losing hair after surgery may be challenging to avoid, and if you already have a hair loss condition, an additional physical and mental stressor like surgery can only worsen your thinning. If you’re not treating the root cause of the problem, your hair loss will only become exacerbated and continue even after you’ve completely recovered from your surgery.

If you want to fight your hair loss today, contact Hairy Hair. Our targeted treatment contains a powerful combination of ingredients to deal with shedding comprehensively and help stimulate hair regrowth. It acts as a vasodilator and a DHT blocker to provide a well-rounded approach to hair loss that may give you a better chance to promote regrowth than a single treatment in isolation.

When ready to start, simply fill in our short online questionnaire. One of our qualified Australian GPs who is an expert in hair loss will review your information and create a personalised treatment plan based on your needs. They’ll give you a call to outline the details and answer any questions you have before your prescription is ready to ship right to your door.