I hear it's normal for transplanted hairs to fall out shortly after the procedure. About how long does this take to happen? It seems they continue to grow for at least a short while immediately after surgery. Are they all supposed to fall out before they start to grow again (to "really" grow)? It takes three or four months from when they fall out for that to happen, right?

Thanks.

I hear it's normal for transplanted hairs to fall out shortly after the procedure. About how long does this take to happen? It seems they continue to grow for at least a short while immediately after surgery. Are they all supposed to fall out before they start to grow again (to "really" grow)? It takes three or four months from when they fall out for that to happen, right?

Thanks.

It varies, they can fall out 1 week after or 5-6 weeks later. Alot of peeps say around 10-15% don't shed, but continue to grow. On average, they shed at around week 3 and began to sprout week 12 after surgery. Some say the earlier they shed, the earlier they start to regrow.

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My Hair Loss Website - Dr. Hasson

I use gardening analogies for all of these topics, as those of you who have actually met me know.

Just think of this like moving your mom's or your wife's tulips. You dig up a bulb, either by taking a "strip" of the tulip garden; or doing one bulb at a time in an FUE fashion.

You carefully make a new hole and place the tulip which, if you water it, will continue to grow for a week or so, then its stem falls off, but it regrows next year.

Contrast that to what my son did this week, and that is to take a small branch off of a tree, just getting ready to bud; and stick it into the ground.

He is convinced that because the leaves have started to open, that the stick is now a rooted tree; but its just using the nutrients left in the "pipeline".

So I would guestimate that 90% of hairs shed, and it takes 2 - 6 months for them to START growing.

Lastly, while we doctors have a duty to do high quality work; the patient has a duty to try and take care of the result. 2 examples: First, we did a crown maybe 3-4 months ago on a well educated professional. He came in at a week wearing a wool stocking cap. Said he'd been wearing it most of the week as it made his head feel good. I have no idea how many grafts he may have extruded with that wool hat but we give specific instructions on NOT doing any hat wearing except a loose fitting baseball cap. That is like moving those tulips and then tilling.

Second, I had a fellow complain that one side had slower growth....it eventually came around quite nicely. But I saw a picture in one of the local park authority publications showing him "heading" a soccer ball sometime after his procedure. That is like putting a couple of cinderblocks on the garden and expecting it to grow.

Just some analogies, but both the doctor and patient have to share a common goal and work toward it.

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

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William H. Lindsey, MD, FACS
McLean, VA

Dr. William Lindsey is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians