I had a FUT transplant at the end of 2021 that failed after 5 months. I'm devastated, frustrated, depressed and don't know what to do next. I've tried everything and I'm just at a loss at what to do next.
Basically after years of trying to resolve what I was told was 'traction alopecia' on my temples a few years ago, in 2021 I decided to have a FUT hair transplant as my absolute last resort. I did extensive research over 18 months, financially saved up and eventually plucked up the courage before I decided to have it done (London UK) with a transplant Dr. who I had a consultation with in person and was recommended as having done afro FUT transplants before.
On the day I was quite nervous but excited as this was going to be a life changing surgery to give me back my confidence and make me feel good again after years of hiding and masking the problem and hating the fact I couldn't wear hairstyles I used to or even a style that suited my face and made me feel nice.
Anyway, I had approx 2800-3000 grafts.. it took about 4-5 hours, it was painful with the injections, but after that I couldn't feel anything. I gritted my teeth through the procedure holding on to the thought that this surgery was going to be over soon and my new hair journey would begin hereafter and in a few months I would start to see the results to make it all worth the finance, pain, discomfort and stress that comes with having a hair transplant..
A month in, I didn't have any shock loss, I was told this happened for a few rare patients who's grafts grew without failing out.. and within 2 months I was seeing lots of new hairs and I was excited, 3 months.. the hairs got a bit fuller and longer, 4-5 months were the peak of growth....every month I was taking photos and sending it to my surgeon and he was happy with the results as was I... then things plateaued..
Months 5-6 there was no growth and I was like oh maybe this is where I may develop very late shedding or its just normal for hairs to slow down a bit after growing so fast in beginning.. I told the surgeon and he said this is fine.. just be patient.. months 6-7 again no growth.. in fact I could see there was definitely less density and I was concerned.. I told surgeon again and he said 'things looked on course and was about where my hair should be'... as he was the 'expert' I took his word for it and thought ok, going to give things another 2 months.. by months 8-10 months my temples were as if I never had a transplant. The strange thing is that I never saw any shedding, it was as if the hairs just miniaturised over the weeks and I was back to my thinned out temples.. the hairs were barely a few millimetres, i couldn't tell if these were my native short hairs or the transplanted hairs as they were just short, weak and thin.
I was in disbelieve that this could be happening after all things were going fine for 5 months.. I told the surgeon I wasn't happy and what he could do to help. I was surprised how 'defensive' he first was, and al he suggested was to try Minoxidil, PRP and Laser Therapy?! I was quite pissed at his lack of support, advice and overall post care and I wondered if the problem was mine in that I was just a bad candidate for a transplant, if it was the surgeon's fault for poor handling of grafts, or if something else caused my transplanted hairs to reverse and not grow long.
I went for extensive blood tests which showed I was not deficient in anything, if it was stress or telogen effluvium or something temporary the hairs would have grown back by now? I have tried to use hair serums, Minoxidil foam daily for the past 7 months, rosemary oils and massaging, even got a Hairmax comb to see if things would start to make the hairs grow but they haven't and I'm depressed about it all. Its now 1 year and 7 months. I never went for my review with the surgeon - I was too angry and frustrated that at his lack of post support I thought what is the point of going to see him in person if he can't suggest or offer any solutions?? Maybe I should, I don't know.
So, what do I do now? I still want to know if I could have done anything differently, if it was just poor graft handling that made the hairs weak? if my body rejected the grafts months later? Any ideas guys as I'm so fed up with living with this crap and the costs and just felt like I have wasted 17 months of my life to trying to do everything and getting nowhere.
