Are these follicles? Concerned

[californiaross]

Hello, i had a hair transplant 3 and a half weeks ago and have been removing the scabs this week. I am a little concerned if i have lost any grafts.

 

pic1

pic2

pic3

 

The area is a light pink now but the areas of some of the heavier scabs a little red and look slightly raw. I have basicly no hairs now where the hair was transplanted!

 

Do you think i have lost follicles, what are the little black things at the bottom of the hair shaft? (pic 3 seems to be the best quality)

[flyby]

When removing the scabs were you pulling on them or gently rubbing them in a circular motion. From the looks of the pictures it does kind of look like the whole graft, but from what I've read after 7-10 days the grafts are pretty much set. Here's a link to one study Graft Anchoring Study

[californiaross]

i didnt touch them for the first 2 or 3 weeks then since then I have been keeping my head wet all of the time soaking my head in the bath and showering frequently during the day to keep the scabs soft. Then in the past few days i have been gently rubbing them off. I havnt picked at them. If anything ive been conservative.

[flyby]

Sounds like your safe then and you're just shedding the new grafted hairs. Now time for the waiting game.

[californiaross]

would i be right in saying that the hair follicle is made up from DNA though and is part of the skin? so if the graft has taken then it shouldn't matter if the bulb has fallen out? and it should regrow another hair bulb? Does that make any sense or am i just picking things up wrong from sites and only hearing what i want to hear?

[hoose]

I think you are fine; imo it looks like the scabs with the hairs that are shedding; grafts do not come out as easy as people think; I mean you can loose a graft in the first few days but after that it becomes more difficult; after 7-10 days you have to practically surgically remove them to get them out of your scalp;

[richie48]

Hi californiaross

 

They look like shed hairs with the scabs stuck to them ,so your absolutally fine ,after ,as early as 4 days the grafts need to be surgically removed .

 

After this time if you had lost a graft your scalp would have bled ,so please don't worry .

 

It sounds like you were a little to gently when washing your hair and scalp over the last 3 weeks ,as you need to keep the graft site in good condition by washing regularly and massaging the scalp area to remove any scabs

 

don't worry bud

richie

[hairthere]

Grafts start falling off at 2 weeks post op. They're secure after 8 days. You should have been washing your hair normally after a few days post-op to loosen the scabs and cleanse the area of oil and dirt. Didn't your doc outline the post-op routine for you?

[Bill - Seemiller]

california,

 

Welcome to our forum community.

 

I agree with our members. At 3.5 weeks, the hair grafts are well rooted and would have to be surgically removed. It's difficult to tell from the pictures as they are a bit blurry, but I imagine that the hair is just attached to the scab and that the follicle and hair bulb are deeply rooted and have not been removed.

 

If the hair follicle and bulb were removed at this point, you would not only experience pain but bleeding in the area as a result. When in doubt however, consult your hair transplant surgeon.

 

Hairs typically start to shed between 2-4 weeks anyway so as you are in between those times - expect more shedding to occur.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[californiaross]

thanks for all the info. i wouldnt say ive had any bleeding in the area, only the bits with more heavier areas of scabbing went a bit more red than other parts.

 

All i can do is wait! how horrible. Nevermind though, ill start applying my rogaine foam that has just arrived to try and speed up the process.

[fixing-it]

Hey cali,Although 2 of the shed grafts look like they still have the hair ball attached"the rest do not"if you pulled out a graft it would bleed like a stuck pig.I lost 1 graft 3 days after my 1st ht and I woke up from my sleep and felt blood running down my head onto my pillow,your ok man.

[californiaross]

would losing the hair bulb or ball mean that i could no longer generate that particular hair? i don't quite understand how it all works. Is a follicle just the hair shaft and the bulb or is it more that that? Does it matter that these hairs have the balls on the end and does that mean that i have lost the follicle?

[hoose]

losing the bulb does not effect the ability to regenerate the hair; the follicle is well below the skin; if you lost a graft it would trickle blood; when transplanted the follicle takes root in a few days and after that it is well anchored.

[MrJobi]

They say by about 8 -10 days the grafts are set so if yo are telling me it is 3 weeks it is pretty certain you are OK