Shock-loss question

[thinkingaboutit]

I know that it is probably impossible to accurately predict if and to what degree shock loss might occur, but I wonder if there are any theories about it that some might like to share.

 

From digging around a bit, It seems that a lot of guys who experienced numbness in the transplanted area for an extended period of time were more likely to express experiencing notable shock loss.The numbness likely caused by the pain killing injections during surgery.

 

How painful is the procedure if numbing injections in recipient area are kept to a minimum?

 

Those of you who experienced shock, how dilligent were you in icing the area after surgery and did you have excessive swelling?

 

Individuals who begin taking rogaine or propecia shortly before or after the surgery seem to experience loss more than someone who has been on an extended regimen prior to surgery.

 

Diffuse thinners seem to experience it more than

thinners in discrete areas.

 

INdividuals in overall good physical condition don't seem to have it as much as guys who have pre-existing fitness issues.

 

I wonder if smokers and drinkers experience it more/less or the same as non-smokers, non-drinkers.

 

These are only casual observations of mine that may be embarassingly wrong and are by no means scientific.

[HairBeThere]

This is a great question to post. You bring up some good variables.

 

My first procedure, I had major permenant shockloss.

 

My background then, was smoke a pack a day, drank upto the night before surgery. And the night after.

 

I did not ice the area after, though I did have extended numbness in the 2/3rds and crown area.

 

My shockloss was not isolated to one area. It was all over.

 

My physical condition was good health, good blood pressure. Though my eating habits were not. Mainly fast food.

 

All this has changed since. 2 more surgeries later, I have not experianced any of the problems stated. Now that still doesn't disclued the physician preforming the surgery. That may weigh heavily. But that's the purpose of your post. Try to isolate common causes.

 

Nice to see someone is "thinkingaboutit"

[Robert_]

Originally posted by thinkingaboutit:

The numbness likely caused by the pain killing injections during surgery.

 

The injections used during the procedure are very temporary. They only numb the recipient area for a couple of hours or so, hense the need to repeat the numbing process a couple of times during the procedure.

 

The numb feeling that can stick around for a couple of months post-op is caused by the trauma of the surgery itself and its affect on the nerves in the recipient area. Most that speak of numbness in the months post-op are referring to their donor area where the strip was excised. Some are referring to the recipient area. That numbness is due to the trauma caused by placing the grafts, not due to the injections.

 

How painful is the procedure if numbing injections in recipient area are kept to a minimum?

 

Originally posted by thinkingaboutit:

Those of you who experienced shock, how dilligent were you in icing the area after surgery and did you have excessive swelling?

 

I have to say that I didn't ice the area at all post-op. I just used the spray that Dr. Cooley gave me. I had no swelling at all. Swelling of the face post-op is more likely than not a result of saline injected into the recipient area during the operation to swell an area so the physician can place grafts at a closer proximity more easily. The saline dissipates downward into the body in the days following surgery and that results in the face swelling. Since Dr. Cooley uses a very limited amount of saline during the procedure I experienced no noticeable swelling.

 

Originally posted by thinkingaboutit:

Individuals who begin taking rogaine or propecia shortly before or after the surgery seem to experience loss more than someone who has been on an extended regimen prior to surgery.

 

Maybe, but probably not. There has been some question to this lately, but I can't say that I have seen this occur for the majority of patients that I have spoken with.

 

Originally posted by thinkingaboutit:

Diffuse thinners seem to experience it more than

thinners in discrete areas.

 

I think there is a good bit of merit to this statement. With diffuse thinners, the liklihood that the hairs lost to shock are on their way out any way, versus a person with a receded hairline but thick hair behind it. A diffuse thinners' hair is most likly much more susceptible to environmental changes such as trauma to the surrounding area.

 

 

 

Originally posted by thinkingaboutit:

INdividuals in overall good physical condition don't seem to have it as much as guys who have pre-existing fitness issues.

 

This is probably also true.

 

Originally posted by thinkingaboutit:

I wonder if smokers and drinkers experience it more/less or the same as non-smokers, non-drinkers.

 

You also have to add in the factor of how resilient the person's body is. For instance, I may have been cursed with very early MPB, but I was blessed with a very resilient immune system and recovery system. I smoked cigarettes (argh! I know, bad!) a good bit post-op and I don't know that they had any detrimental effect. I can't say that they didn't but I just don't know. I do know that my hair looks and feels better after I quit, though. I was also not smoking all that much, maybe averaging 5 a day if that.

 

 

Great post, thinkingaboutit.

 

-Robert