I got a hair transplant 6 1/2 months ago and I am not seeing too much results, is that normal? Is it at 12 months that I will see the full effect or longer? Do grafts sometimes not grow? I also had a lot of shock loss.  By the way, I am a 24 years old female with PCOS. Thanks! – Melissa
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It is normal for hair-bearing grafts to enter a resting phase following surgical hair restoration.  The typical resting phase following a hair transplant lasts 3-4 months.  During this time the follicle does not produce any hair as it is resting and recovering from the stressful events relating to the surgical process.  Although hair begins its regrowth cycle at this 3-4 month mark, it takes several more months for full density to be achieved.  During this period the follicle recovers its ability to produce a thick and fully mature hair shaft.

Although the majority of patients begin their regrowth cycle around the 3-4 month mark, there are some patients who are fortunate to see earlier growth and there are those who see a much latter regrowth.  These variations are simply related to the normal variations of all human characteristics such as height, weight, IQ, etc.  Extremes which deviate from the average are much less common, but they do occur.  Read the Story

I had a hair transplant done October 08. I had stress hair loss on the upper back portion of my head from consistently wearing  bobby pins in the same spot day and night for years. I found a surgeon through a referral from a friend, we decided on 1000 grafts. On the morning of surgery, I asked for some grafts to be put in the front as it was thinner than it had been when I was younger, I am 49 yrs.old. In all, he put 1200 grafts in the problem area and 375 in the frontal area. Each micrograft was to yield 1 – 3 hairs. The large area is coming in and I can see new growth in the front, but the front is so much thinner than it was prior to surgery, I can’t even conceal it! Needless to say I am very distressed. I contacted the doctor’s office and they said it could be shock and it should grow back. Can I expect it to grow back? Should I be using any product to help the growth? Sincerely, Joyce
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Dear Joyce:

Thank you for your letter.  Based on your explanation of the surgery and the number of grafts, I would have to agree with the answer you received from the doctor’s office. The fact that the frontal area is thinner than it was prior to surgery suggests that you have shock loss. Read the Story

I have thinning hair on top of my head, not so bad, but bad enough to make me consider a hair transplant procedure.  If I were to get a hair transplant on top of my head, is it true that the hair (existing hair) surrounding the transplanted hair will fall out?  If so, does it grow back and how long does it take for it to regrow?
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The situation you are referring to is called “shock loss” of hair.  That is a side effect that can occur after a hair transplant, but by no means does it always occur.  When grafting into an area that already has hair, some of the existing hair can shed shortly after the procedure (usually for up to about a month).  The healing process after the surgery causes some degree of inflammation to the scalp.  This inflammatory process, in addition to actual damage directly to the existing follicles (known as transection), can result in the loss of some of the existing hair in the recipient area.

Whether or not someone will experience shock loss after their surgery can be difficult to predict.  In general, the more existing hair in the area to be grafted, the higher the likelihood of experiencing shock loss.  Also, the higher the concentration of miniaturized hairs in the recipient area, the higher the likelihood of shock loss will be.  Miniaturized hairs have miniaturized “roots,” and therefore they are weaker and more prone to shedding. Read the Story