Alopecia and silicone breast implants

Hello,

I read several posts about Alopecia related to Breast Implants and I think that my story is relevant on this subject:

When I was 29 I decided to get silicone breast implants and everything went very well with the operation and esthetic results. However, one week after the operation, I noticed a bald patch on the side of my head. I had always had long and nice hair until then and never once experienced alopecia before. I asked the surgeon who performed the operation if it was related to the implants and he said that it was perhaps related to the stress of the operation but not to the silicone. Then I went to a dermatologist who injected cortisone in the bald patch. The first bald patch did regrow within approximately three months and then nothing more happened for a few months. But then another bald patch appeared on the other side of my head. I returned to my dermatologist who injected cortisone again in the patch and did the same again and again about six times every three weeks, but the hair did not grow back this time and I noticed other red zones on my scalp which soon developped into more bald patches... I decided to go to the dermatology department of the hospital near my home and they offered to treat me with oral cortisone. About six months after the beginning of the treatment, all my hair begain to grow back and after about nine months everything was as it was before the operation, but there were difficult side effects: I was 15 kgs heavier, often red in the face, puffy faced, I had a lot more hairs all over my body and face, my belly was perpetually swollen as if I was six months pregnant and I was tired and also sick very often. So I decided to stop the treatment hoping that the side effects would subside, but the hair would remain and... the opposite happened! The hair fell out again, but two years later I have only managed to lose 5 kgs on the 15 kgs I gained. Well, at least the other side effects disappeared. I also tried methotrexate for several months, but there was no big success on my hair, only side effects like red spots all over my face, diarrhoea... so I decided to stop this treatment as well. Of course during these years I have also tried Regaine (no success), cortisone creams and lotions (no success) and shampoos and food supplements (without any success). The last thing I think I could try is to remove the breast implants, but if I'm unlucky with this I'll end up with no boobs and no hair... that would be difficult to accept... Has anyone tried to remove her breast implants and NOT put back other implants? I have tried to find studies about this situation on the internet, but never found one, only women with other autoimmune disorders who felt a lot better after removing their implants...

Views: 1547

Comment by LilyBell*Murphy'sLawLuvsMe on July 11, 2012 at 2:09pm

Well first of all any anesthesia can cause hair loss - SUPPOSE to be temporary. Then the weight gain could be from the steriods but why you could not lose the weight after you stopped is strange. I do know that most women would probably need a lift after the implants are removed but I think that depends on your skin elasticity and the size of the implant. I wonder is those women who got breast implants for cancer reconstrucion could provide you more information on their overall health after the implants. Really nobody really knows at this point what triggers AA so it is all guess work. The gene is there all along but what makes the AA appear is still I think a mystery. Some do link it to diet and gut bacteria but there is no real scientific evidence as to what the triggers are.

Comment by Lisa Grimm Maus on July 22, 2012 at 9:31pm

I had my silicone implants removed because scar tissue formed around them. I would never put silicone in my body again for any reason. Some women have even had liver and kidney failure because of the silicone. I was fortunate to not have those issues But, I did have hair loss. No my hair did not grow back after the removal of the implants. Remember that you have more to offer the world than hair and breasts.

Comment by Florence on July 23, 2012 at 1:59am

Dear Lisa, Thanks a lot for your message. It is the first time I read about someone suffering from alopecia who removed her breast implants and did not put others back in. I'm very sorry that your hair did not grow back. Of course we have more to offer to the world than hair and breast, but it still remains easier to live with a body and face you like and, on a financial and technical point of view, my life was a lot easier with hair (and breast in some ways as it gave me more self confidence). Anyway, I have a question for you: did your alopecia start right after your breast surgery?

Comment by Florence on July 23, 2012 at 7:35am

Hello Rose, thanks a lot for your comment, it is very helpful. I will try to contact Dr. Kappel.

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