zerocool

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I have hair from my first transplant (6 years ago) which has shed unexpectedly 4 weeks after my 2nd procedure and doesn't seem to be growing. This is shock loss... (not referring to the expected shed of the hair from the 2nd transplant). Now, I'm well aware that minoxi can help in these situations, but also know that stopping minoxi will result in losing the minoxi gains. The question is - can I use it temporarily given that the area only has transplanted hair that's less prone to miniaturisation.

Yes. I had my 2nd HT 5 weeks ago. There's a significant area where the previously transplanted hair is not growing, possibly due to shock loss. Not sure if this is temporary for me, but definitely not feeling happy about it.

Yes, I'm aware. My question is - is it ok to use min temporarily in my case? given that I only have transplanted hair in the shock loss area (from 1st and 2nd transplant), what are the consequences of stopping min after 3-4 months.

I'm 5 weeks post my 2nd HT and seem to be suffering from shock loss to previously transplanted hair in my mid-scalp. This may be related to an infection I posted on in this forum. Given that I only have transplanted hair in the affected area, I was wondering if it's possible to use topical min temporarily in order to minimize the impact of the shock loss and accelerate growth.

Thanks everyone. I'll check-in at the three months mark to report on progress (or earlier if anything goes bad).

Thanks @BeHappy How can I tell from the photo which grafts were infected? (fire vs. smoke)

Update 25 days post op: Scabs/wounds have cleared 95%. In hindsight I doubt it was ever necrosis given how quickly and easily this resolved. Seems like pus, blood, hair, skin cells, and antibiotic cream have bonded together to form a sticky layer above the wound. This gave the appearance of necrosis as it was dark shaded and not improving. Once pealed, skin underneath seemed relatively healthy: My main remaining question is: was the infection severe enough to have a significant impact on growth potential? Would appreciate the insight of the doctors or experienced patients on this forum. It would be good to set expectations or have reassurance as I enter my long waiting period. See earlier photo when this all started, 6 days post op:

Derma said it’s not necrosis. The black shade you see in the photos is likely a combination of hair and dried blood. I will submit another update in a few days, hopefully it will peal off at some point.

Went to another derma who pealed it slightly to assess if it's still infected; she confirmed that the skin underneath is healthy. It seems that the puss and blood have bonded together, along with the antibiotic cream, into a thick crust that got stuck to the scalp. I've been instructed to stop applying fucidin so that it will get drier and eventually peal off by itself.

Yes, this is totally my mental model. Just not sure what to do given the conflicting advice (leave the wound be or have it cleaned). Here are two more zoomed-in photos that will hopefully show a better view:

A local derma cleaned it ever so slightly, but right now the consensus (based on feedback from the clinic) is that I should continue applying topical antibiotics and monitor the progress. It seems that the necrosis is almost isolated to the skin surrounding the grafts themselves, a result of the infection. Is it true that something like this can just clear by itself?

Hi Yan, I also had my procedure done with Maras (just saw you posted about it). From what I see, our cases are (unfortunately) not the same. You had dried blood that eventually cleared. I did my procedure 6 days after yours and my wound is showing no signs of clearing in the near future.

I'm continuing to update as I believe this will help future patients with a similar issue. If anyone has been in a similar situation I'd really appreciate if you could provide your insight (feel free to reach out in a private message if you prefer). 20 day post op: Went to a local derma/hair transplant surgeon who confirmed that this is necrosis (😪). He disinfected and cleaned some of the dead tissue to promote healing. I've accepted that the dead tissue is unlikely to result in any growth, but still very concerned that surrounding tissue may have also been affected. As you can see, some grafts are not growing around the dark spot. I assume it means that they are dead. Question: if I see pre-shed hair growth (the initial growth after the transplant and before the shed), is that a sign that the grafts have proper blood supply and are expected to grow again after they shed? this will help me understand the blast radius of this wound.

Update 16 days post op: I'm pretty certain that this is necrosis. Kind of perplexed as I went to a forum recommended clinic, followed all pre/post op guidelines to the letter, never smoked a cigarette in my life, and I have no pre-existing conditions (apart from this being my second transplant). If anyone has any advice on how to make the most out of the situation, I'd really appreciate it. At this point I'm praying that the damaged area will not be visible after my hair grows out.

15 day post op. Here's how it looks like now. @DrTBarghouthi does this look like necrosis to you or is it just a scab?

Update: 12 day post op. I've been applying Fucicort (3xday) and washing (2xday). Was initially using the post op shampoo but have now switched over to the subsequent shampoo provided by the clinic to address the dandruff and dryness that has formed. Shedding has started yesterday (some hair on palm of hand during wash). The majority of the area has healed nicely but a large scab formed on the left part of the scalp and another smaller one closer to the center. I'm worried that there will be growth issues in these areas in the future. I'm also concerned that shedding has started fairly early (11 days post op). Not sure if this will have any impact on future growth overall. Looking for reassurance / advice to make sure I make the most out of the situation (apart from being patient).

Thank you! Updating that the clinic corrected and asked that I apply Fucicort and not Fucidin. The former has curtizone which should help with the healing.

Thank you @DrTBarghouthi! Do you agree it’s better to keep the area moist by spraying tap water regularly? Or is it better to let it dry off?

@DrTBarghouthi - what are the odds that long term growth will be affected in the red area? Do you know what caused this type of bruising? 9 days post op, after morning wash:

Here’s another one taken just after a shower (8 days post op). It highlights that the main issue is the redness in various areas of the scalp. I’m going to let it dry and apply fucidin on all red areas.

Here’s another photo taken just now. The bright white is traces of fucidin. I applied it, waited 3 hours, and then started spraying with water continuously.

I had my FUE 3800 8 days ago (this was my second procedure, first procedure was 6 years ago 2000 FUE). After a wash I did on day 6 I noticed 3 places with drops of blood mixed with white substance. Clinic advised to resume spraying water regularly, apply antibiotic ointment (fucidin), and take oral antibiotics (latter as precautionary only). While I'm in regular contact with the clinic I would appreciate some inputs from the community and hear if others had a similar experience. What does this look like to you? Do you think there's a risk of growth beyond the few grafts I probably pulled during my wash? +6 days post op, before the wash: 6+ day post-op, immediately after the wash: 8+ day post-op, after 1.5 days of applying fucidin cream:

Thanks! Can you name other brands for hair specific multivitamins?

Searched the forum and couldn't find a consensus. Would I appreciate a recommendation.

Thanks for all the help. I can share that any doctor I've seen in person has expressed no concern about my donor, which is difficult for me to reconcile with the feedback I've received from doctors and community members looking at my photos. I reached out to the clinic that did the procedure asking for explanations but have not heard back yet. Can this forum recommend which doctor would be best-suited for my next procedure to increase density at the top?