So I had a HT with Dr. Wong of H&W to fix my hairline....it's been 8 days post op and it seems like 80% of the hairs are growing. Is this normal? And will it just grow and then fall out? I was shocked that I had very minor swelling. The first 2 HT I swelled big time....but it was from a really crappy place. I'm wondering if Dr. Wong's great work was so gentle and carefully done that I barely swelled?

As far as I know it's completely normal for most of the grafts to grow a little before they jump ship.

You can look at the difference between my 2 and 10 day post ops to see that I had a similar experience (and now I'm in the slow waiting phase, hoping that they'll return soon).

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My Hair Loss Web Site

Dr. Wong is an extremely good doctor. However, I would prepare yourself for a delayed fall out of the transplanted hairs. That way if it does happen you will not be surprised and if it doesn't you will get a bonus. In my experience 99% of the patients have significant shock of the transplanted hairs. Maybe you will be in that lucky 1%. Good luck.

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Dr. Glenn Charles is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

omagic,

Transplanted hair typically starts growing the day they're implanted into the scalp. However, after 2 to 4 weeks, the majority of the growing transplanted hairs separate from the hair follicle and fall out (shed) while the follicles go dormant for several months. This phenomenon isn't fully understood however, it's believed to be related to the trauma of being surgically moved from one location of the scalp to the other.

Since you are only 7 to 8 days out from your hair transplant procedure, your transplanted hairs simply haven't entered the shedding (telogen) phase yet. If you're lucky, you will keep some of it, but the majority will most likely fall out and begin to regrow between 3 to 5 months again.

Dr. Wong uses minimally invasive techniques which significantly minimize trauma to the scalp. However, swelling is typically the result of the amount of fluid injected into the scalp and the patient's reaction to it. That's why I never really understood by some physicians suggest icing the area. Thankfully, even the worst cases of swelling typically only last a few days. However, it's certainly a bonus when swelling is minimal or nonexistant :-).

All the Best,

Bill

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To learn about how I restored my hair, view my my hair loss website.

Remember, true beauty radiates from within, not from the skin.

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.

Precisely what causes transplanted hairs to fall out shortly after the procedure?

As Bill has said above, the reason is not conclusively known, however, it is generally believed to happen as a result of the trauma caused during the transplant process.

Hey Omagic -

I've had 3 HTs so far. First 2 (800 then 2000 grafts), I had no swelling at all. 3rd one last week (2600 grafts) a lot of swelling but just on my right side.

First HT i had grafts just in crown and right temple. Most - if not all - grafts in crown did not shed but grafts in right temple all fell out within 2-3 weeks. 2nd HT i had grafts put in crown, right AND left temple; grafts in crown again did not shed nor did the grafts in my left temple, but the grafts in my right front/temple did shed.

So i'm not sure if the swelling this time around (lot of grafts to filling my much thinner right side) had a direct effect on just the right side of my face swelling. But I stil think it's odd (not that i'm complaining!) that only that one area of my scalp sheds the grafts.

Hope that helps.

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My Hair Loss Website