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Donor Shock Loss?


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  • Senior Member

I am 5 weeks post op and am missing a lot of hair around my donor scar... I don't remember it being this bad my first surgery... Is donor shedding normal? It doesn't seem like there's much healthy hair around the scar like there used to be..

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  • Senior Member

Bill,

 

Shock loss in the donor area is unpredictable. However, it should not been seen as unusual or alarming. Hopefully this short article from our Hair Loss Q&A Blog will put your mind at ease .

 

Donor Area Hair Loss after Third Hair Transplant Procedure

 

Best of luck!

David - Former Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant

 

I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice.

 

View my Hair Loss Website

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  • Regular Member

Absolutely it happens. Attached are 2 pics of a guy we did March 2009. He didn't take valium and was quite nervous as we did the left half of his strip. He bled, I cauterized, and he got a lot of shock around the scar. When I did the right side, he had calmed down, realizing it wouldn't hurt, and he didn't bleed, I didn't cauterize, and he didn't get shock loss. But by 5 months 1 week, his scar was difficult to see anyway.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

21.jpg.dc3e0bcc41b6035d7224e0e4a8c19915.jpg

55.jpg.f86480e4358f9283120f5001fa1b0c7a.jpg

56.jpg.51486de9caaee8f05198e0d1b06b6bac.jpg

William H. Lindsey, MD, FACS

McLean, VA

 

Dr. William Lindsey is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

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In my experience shock loss in the donor area is not that common, but certainly does happen in some isolated cases. I think it is a little more common in females than in male patients. Thankfully, when it does occur the hair usually returns to its normal pre transplanted density in due time.

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  • Senior Member
I am 5 weeks post op and am missing a lot of hair around my donor scar... I don't remember it being this bad my first surgery... Is donor shedding normal? It doesn't seem like there's much healthy hair around the scar like there used to be..

 

Dear BigBill

Don't worry I am sure you will get positive result and this shock loss is common.

Wish you best of luck

I am patient Advisor to Dr. Humayun Mohmand Hair Transplant Institute, Pakistan. All opinions and views shared are my own. Not a medical professional.

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  • Regular Member

I am one of those females who had shock loss in the donor area (as well as in the recipient area). It is a little disconcerting, especially if you hadn't expected it. It was only following my second surgery that I had donor shock loss, but my doctor gave me the reassurance I needed and sure enough, at 4 months, the shocked hair started to grow back. (I'm almost at five months now). ;)

 

Hang in there! It should grow back!

 

Day 29

day29shocklossindonor.jpg

 

Day 43

day43shocklossindonor.jpg

 

4 Months

4monthshocklossindonor.jpg

Edited by Goldilocks
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  • Senior Member

Question! What is the root cause of donor shock loss? Is it caused by an interruption of bloodflow or is it caused by inflammation? Or maybe something else??

Finasteride 1.25 mg. daily

Avodart 0.5 mg. daily

Spironolactone 50 mg twice daily

5 mg. oral Minoxidil twice daily

Biotin 1000 mcg daily

Multi Vitamin daily

 

Damn, with all the stuff you put in your hair are you like a negative NW1? :D

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I don't think anyone knows for sure. Hair, like nerves--particularly the facial nerve--is fickle. Sometimes you just "look" at that nerve and the face is weak for a few weeks after surgery on the nearby tissue, other times, you can really manipulate that nerve, be expecting a paralyzed face for a few weeks and the thing works perfectly....Same with hair, sometimes it grows early, sometimes late, and sometimes you get alot of shock loss.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

William H. Lindsey, MD, FACS

McLean, VA

 

Dr. William Lindsey is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

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  • Senior Member

I am experiencing donor shock loss as well . I noticed it the first week post op and now at around 2 months I have about a 1 inch gap at the donor . My hair is almost 3" long but you can still see bare skin through it in the back . I am pretty confident it will grow back . I never had it before . Lots of hairs dropping in the sink .

I feel once the redness lessens it wont be as visible .

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  • 2 months later...

Omy,

 

I am hoping to hear back from you with good news about the shock loss... I have the exact same issue. this was my third procedure... and I have about a 1" area of shock loss all along my donor area. the only notable difference this time around was that the DR needed to cauterize the donor area... the prior surgeries did not... although my girlfriend and I both noted how dense the donor area was when we first came home from my procedure... the hair fell out within a week.

 

If I am honest... I am quite worried... and would appriciate any reassurance or statistical information on this issue.

 

thanks,

Edited by gunnar-hawk
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Hi Gunnar, I would say that the right side has gotten a little better not so much on the left side . It is still pretty red and I need to keep the hair long to hide it . I feel the hairs above the scar are a little like stubble . My instincts tell me that the right side will turn out better . I have had some stretchback . The healing takes time so I will wait and see what the next few months bring .

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Omy,

 

thanks for the update... how far along are you post op? I am 2 months post op and mine is not red at all... just a strip of scalp about 3/4" wide with no hair. I have been taking finesteride and topical Rogiane religiously. What is stretchback? What are the percentages of the hair growing back?

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  • Senior Member

I am between months 4 and 5 post op . I feel stubble coming in some of the areas above the scar so it is hard to tell how much will grow . I would guess it is 25 percent grown back . Stretchback is the scar itself getting wider after the stitches come out .

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  • 6 years later...

I had FUE 6 months ago with one of the reputable surgeons in Istanbul.

 

After initial (expected) shock loss my hair began to grow and thicken nicely.

 

A month ago (5 months post-op) it looked very promising in deed.

 

However, since early November it has begun to thin noticeably.

 

When I shaved it last night.... To get a closer look... I can see it has definitely shredded further.

 

Is a second shock loss possible? Or does this mean it is failing?

 

I also read seasonal loss could be a factor?

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Regular Member
I am 5 weeks post op and am missing a lot of hair around my donor scar... I don't remember it being this bad my first surgery... Is donor shedding normal? It doesn't seem like there's much healthy hair around the scar like there used to be..

 

i am understanding how do you feel but you must be patient it will be ok need time...

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