shock loss

[thinkingaboutit]

Does every patient suffer from shock loss to some degree? If not, approximately what percentage of patients do suffer that adverse affect?

[thinkingaboutit]

Does every patient suffer from shock loss to some degree? If not, approximately what percentage of patients do suffer that adverse affect?

[Mahair]

Shock loss is a very real concern and if you go into an area that has hair there is a good chance you will loose it. Some people say it comes back. Some it doesnt. It can also be in areas not reletive to the proceedure so you risk being much worse off than had you done nothing. The only ones that benifit from taking this risk are the doctors.And most will.

[HairBeThere]

yes.. shockloss is very real. But, you can help determine if you may be suseptable to it by looking at your family history of the extent of baldness.

 

People who suffer permanent shockloss, are people who had work done in the areas were the hair was eventually doomed to DHT anyway.

 

So investigating yourself and not getting work done if you may loss it down the road in these areas, could save you years of hair.

 

hope that helps

[Wallywonka]

Thinkingaboutit, I am new at this, but I have a guess that some people heal faster than others. Some have better general health than others. Some have health issues that weaken the hair and nails. Why do some women have shining shimmering hair that looks youthful and vibrant while others have thin, dull hair? I think it is a matter of general health, diet and genes. So is it right to say, as Mahair indicates in his thread...that shock loss is an absolute? I doubt it. He sounds like he has had a bad time with shock loss. I am now 7 weeks out and I am very grateful to say that I have had none. About 40% of my HT stayed in place and is now 3/4inch long with others longer. At six weeks, I have new hair coming in. All I can say is it must be no smoking, good diet, active life, dietary supplements including essential minerals in a liquid form and generally good health. I do not know for a certainty that this is the answer..but part of my decision to have this done was that I did not expect complications if I coupled these attributes with an excellent doctor [True] Please do not take this as bragging about my condition..but I am really getting to believe that one who seems to be a good healer when cut or injured is probably going to do better in any surgery including HT. Wallywonka

[Mahair]

I beleive Wallwonka is confusing shedding of transplanted hair and shockloss of existing natural hair. Neither of which have anything to do will your general health. You can get up every morning do some deadlifts run five miles eat wheat germ ,crack walnuts with your pecs and have shockloss.A good surgeon can only minimalize it by not doing surgery or having the patient understand that it is very likely and then being careful and conservative, with future planning in mind of course.The only time shockloss will not occur is when there is nothing to shock.

[Wallywonka]

Mahair, Not true in this HT case. Is seven weeks out too short a time to have not experienced shock loss anywhere on my head? About 40 % of the transplanted hair has not fallen out either. I am not bragging about it...I'm trying to figure out why this has not happened to me when this is all I read about on these threads. I mean this is a positive experience that needs to be shared with those who may be contemplating it. If a physician or someone with some knowledge or experience the same as mine is reading..I would like to have it shared here too, not just for the positive potential that some may also have but also to understand why there is such a variance in degree of HT fallout and shockloss. Anyone?

[Robert_]

Wally,

 

I just wanted to jump in and add that I had shockloss that didn't occur until week 9 post-op. Now, that is not detracting from your experience at all. I was a very healthy 25-year-old at the time. I think that on a particular level, good health can play a part somewhere down the line with shockloss, but there are far too many variables for me to try to sort them through in one post (you like my lazy way out? heh heh.) Anyway, I'm not a physician so I won't even try.

 

Oh, and by the way, Mahair's comment:

 

"crack walnuts with your pecs"

 

made me laugh.

 

Here I was thinking that I was the only person that did that!

 

-Robert

[rebel927]

I'm 5 weeks post op. No shock loss up front but lots of shock loss in donor area.

[Guest]

I've had shock loss around my donor scar and in places around where I had my ht. I was under the assumption that shock loss was just temporary. And all hair lost due to shock loss would return in 8 to 12 months. The perecentage of ppl who didn't regrow their shocked hair was very small. Am I wrong in thinking this?

 

danger

[Robert_]

Danger,

 

Most shock loss usually does return. Especially in the donor region. Shock loss to the surrounding hair in the recipient area can be more severe and must be carefully considered by the physician while performing the procedure. Recipient area hair lost to shock loss does *usually* return, but it depends on the trauma inflicted on that hair.

 

When was your hair transplant procedure performed? Is the shock loss in the recipient area severe?

 

-Robert

[Guest]

My procedure was done about 5 months ago. And it was all done in the crown area. The actual recipient area wasn't shocked that bad, I don't believe. But I did get some signifigant shock below the recipient area in the back of the crown. It went about an inch or so below the recipient area. But it does seem to be coming back even at 5 months now. I'm hoping it will be all good.

 

danger

[thinkingaboutit]

I'm curious. You say that you had significant shockloss below the crown in the back.

 

Do you recall,..How long after your procedure did you sleep in a reclined ( typical sleeping ) position?

 

From the location that you pointed out it seems to me that would be a natural area for blood to flow increasing bruising which might impact the liklihood of shock loss to some degree.

 

I wonder if bruising is better controlled if shock loss might be reduced.

[Wallywonka]

To the forum Moderator: Again, I'm at 12 weeks now and still have had no shock loss. I guess what I am reading here, is that it is so prevalent in HT's that you should expect it and be happy if you don't have it. OK, I'm happy. But I think this positive experience deserves to be shared so it equalizes out some of the bad experiences shared here at times. By the way..."cracking walnuts with your pecs" by Mahair was a humerous statement...but that doesn't really address overall health as much as it address strength. I'm 57 years old...I havent been able to do that for a number of years now. But eating them can help since they are high in protien and other essential minerals. Sorry...I'm getting way to serious. WW

[Guest]

You need to understand, shockloss occurs more in people who generally have more hair on their head when they have the HT. Think about it, it is common sense. The trauma to the head will cause very close hairs to fall out. If you are very sparse on top than there is nothing to shock.

[kg007]

Robert / Eric / Thingingabout it / danger / rebel / Mahair / Hair Be there / WW / and everybody else out there:

 

Okay the shockloss is real concern for me as I am planning my second HT soon. I would really appreciate if you share your knowledge and experience with me.

 

I am 24 yrs old male. I had a HT 7 months ago to fill in the crown - 1500 grafts. Now I am planning on adding another 1000 grafts to the front and top scalp. Rightnow I have decent coverage on front and top (maybe around 40-50 grafts/cm2). Now I know what you all are thinking. That sounds like a good coverage already, but my natural hair is very fine thin. So 40-50 grafts/cm2 still gives me very thin (and see thru look in some areas)look. So I want to add 8-10 grafts/cm2 to it to give it fuller look. I don't wanna be too aggresive since I am aware of the shock loss phenomenon, but I do wanna do something to make my head look fuller. I shared my desire with my doc, and she was little concerned since I have a hair loss history in my family. And she thinks that I might suffer shockloss and there's always a possiblity that not all the original hair lost from shockloss may come back (WW I am in perfect health).

 

So what do you guys think about my situation? Anybody here had HT to add more coverage on already good coverage head? I have seen Robert's picturs and I know he had hair on top/front before the HT, but maybe not as much hair as I have. So it raises a question for me. Now I have been told to wait few more years and then add more density on top.. but what differece is that going to make? I mean I am on propecia for 4 years and it seems like it has stopped/slowed hair loss. So even if I wait few years, my head might be looking same as now.

So please give me your feedback. What do you think I should do?

 

I highly appreciate your response.

 

Thanks,

 

KG

[thinkingaboutit]

kg,..I have not had a HT yet so perhaps I am the wrong person to respond, but I sense your anxiety.

You are young and if you have not had hair transplanted yet into the area that you would like more density,..I would be very cautious.We have a limited donor supply and you could end up with less hair AFTER the surgery.

 

I think some of the problems that distingush successful from unsuccessful procedures are:

 

Realistic expectations

Accurate assessment of future hair loss progression

Proper and efficient placement of a finite amount of donor hair

 

If you have a familial pattern of extensive hair loss, imo, it is important to be very conservative in where you want to establish,...a line of defense, and consentrate density in a limited area where it will have the most advantageous cosmetic results.

 

I would wait.

[Wallywonka]

eric123 I'm hearing in this forum that shockloss has occured in many HTs in the donar area. MY scar stretches from ear to ear due to 2600 futs. No shock loss. I am not so sparse on top as you say...I was a Norwood 4A. None there either. It seems like some of you can't let go of the idea that it's just absolute that shock loss occurs in everyone. Evidently,some don't suffer shock loss. WW

[tymman]

kg007-

 

I'm two days post-op. My doc warned about shock loss, he then showed me the hairs he thought would be most likely to suffer shock.We looked at them under 50x magnification,I could see they were the hairs that were thin,unhealthy,and on thier way out. In his experience these were the types that did exist before HT and fell out after HT. He does have 20years experience and has seen it happen, granted one doctors opinion is not the be all-end all answer... I am only two days out but feel very optomistic of the outcome. If you are planning to do a second HT look at my photos, I show the hairs that he felt were going to fall anyway, he shaved them before the HT, and grafted over the same area. I plan to keep my pix updated monthly.

 

ps- I am 31 and in good health, I have quit smoking, I do exercise at least 30min 3times a week, I take a multi vitamin, I take PROPECIA and use Minoxidil. I do have a family history of MPB, most of the males before they hit 30-35, mine started 10 years ago. My HT was 2100-2200 total transplanted to front and crown.

 

-Ty

[kg007]

Hello guys -

 

I really appreciate your responses. After talking to some people I now realize what shockloss can really do to my existing hair. I have been warned by my doc and some of the guys here on forum. Now I am really thinking against putting any grafts on top. I will post my pictures in few days, then you can tell me if I should get a HT on top without suffering possible shockloss.

 

Thanks again,

 

KG

[kg007]

WillyWonka -

 

I am glad to hear that you have not suffered from shockloss even though you are only Norwood 4a. I would say I am Norwood 3 with some thinning pretty much from front to back. Is there any way you can share your pictures with us so I can evaluate if I am in a similar condition as yours.

 

Thanks,

 

KG

[Wallywonka]

KG007, Yes, I'm going to start posting in a couple of more weeks. I was going to start earlier but decided to wait till after 16 weeks. I think four months out is going to be a real good time to post. The last few weeks, my wife and closest friends really began to be believers....even mentioning at times that they felt it was really starting to show. I'm thin in the HT area..but I think it is beginning to thicken up for a picture or two when I figure out how to get my pictures from my digital to my computer, to this forum. WW

[Robert_]

WW,

 

If you have any questions about how to load photos to the site or want me to do it for you, just let me know.

 

-Robert