THIS IS POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK! You need to be prepared for a possible extended awkward period after your procedure.


Things can look normal fast for some people, but there are variables beyond your control that you might want to plan for.

Shock loss can occur in the donor area and recipient areas. This is the temporary loss of other wise good hair.

If they plant into diffuse hair, much of that may be lost, plus most of the best docs require shaving the top. So on top you may go from having diffuse coverage, to a red, bald area with thousands of tiny divots from each graft. These divots make the area appear rough. Most of the redness fades in 1-2 months, but there may be lingering redness that wont be covered until the hair starts to grow somewhere between months 3-5.

Also around the donor scar, native hair can fall out from the trauma, leaving a bald area around the scar. You very likely will not be able to buzz it down, but if you keep it cut short it will hide the scar.

It really depends on your hairstyle and transplant procedure. In my case, I used to buzz the sides down and had some hair on top. After the procedure, the doc had shaved the top and I had shock loss around the scar so I could not cut it shorter than 2" without the red scar showing through. Now I can cut it to 1.5".

On top, diffuse hair was replaced with a bald, red, rough area. I am over 3 months out and I still do not look normal, but I have seen gradaul improvements over time. The donor scar is less red so I can cut the sides a bit shorter. The roughness on top is less noticeable. Some new hair has started to show. The shock loss around the scar is still a concern although I have been reassured it will grow back.

Consider all these factors.

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My Hair Loss Web Site - Hair Transplant with Dr. Wong