Shock loss with previous ht?

[zerro]

Hi everyone. I have scheduled my 2nd procedure in May and was wondering if a past Ht will suffer shock loss. My first ht (1600+) will only be 11 months new! and I have elected to place all or most of the future fu's (1800+)in the same area. Anyone experienced with this?

 

My doctor asked me to shave my head for the next procedure and I looked at him like he was nuts. I told him I was just now getting to the point were I'm happy with it's length and that there would be little chance of me doing that. He said he understood, but thought he would ask because it makes it easier for him to work and that most guys don't mind. Well, news flash, here's one that does! My question is does it make more sense for me to go ahead and do it, optimizing the results, or can he, like he suggests, get the same results -it will just take a little longer. Should I be concerned about the results, or making life easier for him.

[zerro]

Hi everyone. I have scheduled my 2nd procedure in May and was wondering if a past Ht will suffer shock loss. My first ht (1600+) will only be 11 months new! and I have elected to place all or most of the future fu's (1800+)in the same area. Anyone experienced with this?

 

My doctor asked me to shave my head for the next procedure and I looked at him like he was nuts. I told him I was just now getting to the point were I'm happy with it's length and that there would be little chance of me doing that. He said he understood, but thought he would ask because it makes it easier for him to work and that most guys don't mind. Well, news flash, here's one that does! My question is does it make more sense for me to go ahead and do it, optimizing the results, or can he, like he suggests, get the same results -it will just take a little longer. Should I be concerned about the results, or making life easier for him.

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Zerro,

 

Since your transplanted hair is strong it will tend to be much more resistant to shock fall out than thinning hair. In any case, any fall out of the transplanted hair would be temporary.

 

As to cutting your hair short in the recipient area, Dr. Hasson provided an excellent explanation as to why he recommends that patients do this in order to get optimal results. To view this thread and its photos, click here.

 

Best wishes for your second procedure.

 

P.S. Who is your surgeon?

[zerro]

Hey thanks Pat... you the man.

 

Like I was afraid of, you and DR. Hasson answered my question. Again, the same explanation I received from Dr. Haber.

 

He said it was my option, but ideally, I should cut it short. I have to be back in the classroom in the fall so, I was hoping for a different answer, which I pretty much new wasn't going to happen. It's to bad that we have to take two steps back before we can take three steps forward.

 

However, that's great news about a previous Ht. Short hair I can accept, spots where it has fallen out I can't.

 

I've read the second procedure may take a little bit longer to start growing. Had that been your experience?

 

Any way, thanks for the quick reply.

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Zerro,

 

Frankly, I'm surprised by how many people are willing to virtually shave their recipient area to do surgery. But perhaps the long run benefits do justify the short term inconvenience. Maybe I'm of the pre shaved head generation, but I would be reluctant to shave my recipient area. The Doc and staff would just have to work harder on me ;-)

 

Best wishes for a great result.

 

Pat

[Guest]

Zerro, i had a second procedure only 10 months after my first, i was hoping to retain most of my Transplant hair from the first but i didnt, probably lost 70% with large areas, i think its because Dr. Hasson dense packed everything so tight (i hope) that it caused major shockloss, right now im looking very freakish so i wear a hat always, just be prepared for the worst and hope for the best

[zerro]

Pat... I'm of the pre-shaven generation too. That and I just look plain ridiculous. Some heads are just meant not to be shaven. So what would you do? You've provided conflicting arguments.

 

Mudpuppy... ouch! That is not what I wanted to hear. Did Dr. Hasson warn you about that, or was it a surprise to everyone? -And, does the shocked hair go into a long dormant cycle or does it begin to grow within a couple of weeks?

[hairbank]

Zerro,

 

Having been in the chair for my 2nd HT 2 months ago..........I feel your pain. Seeing Pat's earlier post linking to Dr. Hasson's explanation (excellent reading for those of you who haven't seen it) I won't go into the benefits of shaving the head before HT.

 

My first HT was a fill in......1200 grafts in and around the front and top. The surgeon did not shave the recipient site. Though not super densely packed, 30-35 cm2 I'd guess, I did have some shock loss. It was all pre-HT, native MPB susceptible hair and I'd say less than 1/2 returned. Still, I knew this was a possibility and have been pleased with the results.

 

When I started consulting different surgeons for my 2nd HT about 4-5 months ago, I knew I wanted a "real" mega session of as many as I could get. Given their excellent results along with proven harvested graft numbers I chose Hasson & Wong. When I consulted with Mike Ferko and he mentioned shavin' the noggin', I flipped! I think my exact comment was "NO WAY".....I'm a banker.....conservative environment....suit/tie.....meet with people all the time every day......won't work.

 

Now..........I consulted with 4 different surgeons before deciding. If memory serves, H&W was the one that really advised me to shave the head (not blade-shaved mind you, just clipped all the way down without a guard so there's stubble). In the end, I decided that I'm going to have my new hair for the REST OF MY LIFE so what's a few months of a crew cut hairstyle?? The benefits of shaving and protecting againts the disection of follicles far outweighed the costs. Again, I work in a professional environment and was ultra concerned with my appearance. Did I get a few looks and wise cracks.........a few, but, it's all in how you take things. I joked about an early summer haircut.......low flying plane....etc., had some fun with my co-workers. No one EVER had a clue I had a HT and I went back to work 12 days post-op. The joking around about my hair (wasn't much) lasted a day or two..........as has been said before, we're our own worst critic. When it comes down to it, people are much more concern with themselves than they are with you. The hair will grow back and no one will even remember it 6 months to a year later. I'm telling you this while currently at 2 months post-op, experienced shock loss and am just now starting to have the appearance of some hair on my head. Still........no big deal....I'm excited about what I'm going to see 2-3 months down the road.

 

IMO if you have dense packing you will experience some shock loss.......even to HT hair. I sure did and I believe most people do. If native hair gets shocked out, as long as it's not in the final stages of MPB it should come back for you but there's no guarantee.

 

How you appoach the shaved head is a personal choice. This is all just IMO. Good luck with your decision.

[Hair Apparent]

"How you appoach the shaved head is a personal choice."

 

Zerro,

 

Hairbank summed it up with what he said above.

 

Just to offer you my take on it, for what it's worth, when I decided to take the plunge with my first HT, back in September of 2004, I decided "in for a penny, in for a pound". In other words, I wasn't going to waltz around with trying to hide what I was doing or worry about people's reactions to it.

 

When I took the time off--both times--for my first and second HT's, I told my bosses exactly why I was taking it. I got rid of my hairpiece. Both times, I buzzed my natural hair down so I wouldn't have to worry about cutting it for awhile, even though that meant my suture scar would show for several weeks, until it healed.

 

With regard to having the hair from my first HT shaved down for my second HT with Doctor Cooley, I didn't even think about it. For that matter, I wasn't even aware of the information from Doctor Hasson that Pat posted here. I went ahead and had it shaved down. To me, it just stood to reason that, if shaving the hair from my first HT would make Dr. Cooley's efforts on the second HT easier, then he could do a better job of it.

 

In my case, I suffered no shock loss in the hair I received from my first HT. It hasn't been quite three months since my second HT and I'm only now beginning to sprout some of the new hairs, but my first-HT hair grew back in a matter of weeks and, if anything, it looks healthier and more manageable than it did before it was shaved.

 

But, again, that was just my preference. I fully understand that others may be more sensitive about "going public" with their HT's or, perhaps, are in an occupation where it is not as desireable to have the tops of their heads shaved.

 

I do believe that it is better, on the whole, for the recipient area to be shaved down, but at the same time, not shaving it wouldn't have any fatal results.

 

Like Hairbank said, it boils down to what works for you. And best of luck with your HT!