July 31 2007, 1:32 pm PT | Posted in: Female Hair Loss + Hair Loss Causes
I’ve recently had a total hysterectomy at age 24. I’ve noticed that my hair has stopped growing. Is this something permanent or can something be done about it?
Stress and shock loss is something that we have discussed before in many posts in this blog. Almost any kind of stress can precipitate hair loss in some people. Women seem to be more impacted by stressful surgeries like hysterectomies, while men are more stressed by business, financial, or family problems rather than by surgeries. Any major surgery can cause shock loss and it is not limited to the scalp surgery. This is called telogen effluvium and is similar to what women experience after delivery of a baby.
Hair loss is common after hysterectomy. If you go to the HERS Foundation’s web site and click on the Adverse Effects button you will see what percentage of women experience hair loss and diminished hair growth after hysterectomy. if you click on the button “Female Anatomy” you can view and download free a video of the “Female Anatomy: the Functions of the Female Organs”. This new 12-minute educational video should be seen by every woman before she is told to sign a Hysterectomy Consent Form.