Is Transplanted Hair permanent or not?

[TonyStark83]

This is a question which has been bugging me a bit sometimes.

 

Sometimes I read that transplanted hair can fall in the future.

 

Just check this out:

 

"

Misconceptions

 

One common misconception regarding hair transplants is also something that potential patients ought to know. Hair that is transplanted via grafts is not, as many people believe, necessarily permanent. Transplanted hair can, and often does, thin after the procedure. The transplanted hair, however, is generally more resistant to falling out and almost always remains much thicker than the individual's natural hair.

"

 

So is this true at all or just a myth?

 

:confused::confused::confused:

Edited July 28, 2013 by Future_HT_Doc

[Spanker]

Transplanted hair that grows back is as good as the hair on the side of your head. If hair on the sides of you hair thins 15 percent at an elderly age (over 60), than expect your transplanted hair to thin that much as well. This is a non-issue for most people though.

[TonyStark83]

Transplanted hair that grows back is as good as the hair on the side of your head. If hair on the sides of you hair thins 15 percent at an elderly age (over 60), than expect your transplanted hair to thin that much as well. This is a non-issue for most people though.

 

I thought that transplanted hair would never thin at all... I thought it was permanent.

 

But what you're saying is the rule or is just for a very small amount of cases?

 

Most people I know have their back hair as thick as ever.

Edited July 28, 2013 by TonyStark83

[Spanker]

I thought that transplanted hair would never thin at all... I thought it was permanet.

 

But what you're saying is the rule or is just for a very small amount of cases?

 

Most people I know have their back hair as thick as ever.

 

Most of the people that you know are not in their 70's.

 

I think that it is a general rule that if you live long enough, all of your hair will thin, but not necessarily noticeably.

[TonyStark83]

Most of the people that you know are not in their 70's.

 

I think that it is a general rule that if you live long enough, all of your hair will thin, but not necessarily noticeably.

 

When I said most people I know I was precisely talking about 60 and 70 years old guys.

 

I only know one person with non-thick hair and he's not my relative. At least my trycologyst says that doesn't happen.

 

But don't forget that the article i posted in this topic is talking about permanent hair falling apart, not just getting fine.

[Spanker]

Maybe someone else will chime in.

[TonyStark83]

Maybe someone else will chime in.

 

But what you've said is not the norm, right?

[Blake Bloxham]

Hi Tony,

 

In general, follicular unit grafts used during hair transplant surgery are extracted from a region of the scalp called the "donor region." The reason why this area is called the donor region is because the follicles in this part of the scalp are highly resistant to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) - the hormone that directly causes follicles to "shrink" and stop functioning (i.e. stop producing visible hairs). These hairs retain their donor characteristics (a phenomenon called "donor dominance"), which means when they are implanted into balding scalp, they are still resistant to DHT and will NOT shed. Long story short, they become permanent.

 

As Spanker said, they are some individuals who do tend to recede into the universal "safe zone" or universal "donor region," and this means some of their follicles may not be as resistant to DHT. However, this usually only applies to follicles on the fringe of the safe extraction zone, and most hair transplant surgeons would not utilize follicles like this, as they know they would be prone to future loss.

 

Just for reference, here is a case from Dr. Meshkin, where he presents a patient who underwent hair transplantation at his clinic 18 years prior. As you can tell in the "after" images, his hair still looks excellent nearly 2 decades after the procedure.

 

I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any additional questions.

[Spanker]

But what you've said is not the norm, right?

 

hahaha

[NoTakeBacks]

Like Spanker said, successfully transplanted hairs will have the same susceptibility to thinning as their former neighbors on the back and sides.(Which is greatly reduced if not eliminated due to their DHT resistant nature See Blake's post for details) It's important to remember that by thinning, we're referring to hair shaft diameter. Most elder gents will have some overall thinning/reduction in hair shaft diameter as they age. Note, this won't be isolated to just the grafts. If it occurs, it will effect the grafts, crown, sides and back; it'll be an overall thinning. Some are effected by this more than others, just like each individual is effected by MPB differently.

 

Obviously some guys will die with a thick dense head of hair, but the majority of men who reach 65+ will experience some generalized thinning (overall wispier hair). It's just a fact of aging and genetics.If your grafts have stuck around for 1-5 years post op, there's no reason to suspect they'll just spontaneously die and fall out in the next 20.

 

My $.02.

[Spanker]

Dr. Konior does a detailed write-up on the linked thread. What I was referring to is called senile alopecia.

 

 

 

Click here to learn more about senile alopecia

 

 

 

 

 

 

check out the blue link above

[Blake Bloxham]

Senile alopecia. What a great term!

[Fue123]

I think also that in a small subset of the population, since HT is technically a kind of organ transplant albeit native, the grafts can fail to 'take' even after successfully growing. There is a decent thread where a gentleman (a lawyer I believe) experienced this strange phenomenon. This is not the norm though.

[Blake Bloxham]

Fue,

 

I think there are a few issues at hand there:

 

The first is some kind of inappropriate autoimmune response (a phenomenon where they body incorrectly interprets something as "foreign" and attacks itself) where the implanted follicles are attacked by the body. This is usually a variant of Lichen Planopilaris.

 

The second issue is what most refer to as the "X" factor, where there is essentially some unknown element of the patient's physiology (which could be related to an autoimmune response, but could also be caused by a variety of other things) which creates poor growth.

[TonyStark83]

Hi Tony,

 

In general, follicular unit grafts used during hair transplant surgery are extracted from a region of the scalp called the "donor region." The reason why this area is called the donor region is because the follicles in this part of the scalp are highly resistant to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) - the hormone that directly causes follicles to "shrink" and stop functioning (i.e. stop producing visible hairs). These hairs retain their donor characteristics (a phenomenon called "donor dominance"), which means when they are implanted into balding scalp, they are still resistant to DHT and will NOT shed. Long story short, they become permanent.

 

As Spanker said, they are some individuals who do tend to recede into the universal "safe zone" or universal "donor region," and this means some of their follicles may not be as resistant to DHT. However, this usually only applies to follicles on the fringe of the safe extraction zone, and most hair transplant surgeons would not utilize follicles like this, as they know they would be prone to future loss.

 

Just for reference, here is a case from Dr. Meshkin, where he presents a patient who underwent hair transplantation at his clinic 18 years prior. As you can tell in the "after" images, his hair still looks excellent nearly 2 decades after the procedure.

 

I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any additional questions.

 

Thanks very much for the response (and to the others as well).

 

Then I guess I can be happy since the doctors who made the 2 sessions of FUE on me 10 months ago (I'm gonna do a 3rd session, the last one, in September or October) didn't extract any follicule from my fringe on the safe zone.

 

And like I've suspected it's only fro some individuals and it's not the norm, that's pretty good.

 

Thanks!

 

[TonyStark83]

hahaha

 

Hahaha what?

 

[Spanker]

Hahaha what?

 

 

Sorry, I was doing more than one thing at a time and that was not meant for you.

[TonyStark83]

Sorry, I was doing more than one thing at a time and that was not meant for you.

 

Don't worry. I was just curious.

 

It's good having that spirit.

 

[Fue123]

Fue,

 

I think there are a few issues at hand there:

 

The first is some kind of inappropriate autoimmune response (a phenomenon where they body incorrectly interprets something as "foreign" and attacks itself) where the implanted follicles are attacked by the body. This is usually a variant of Lichen Planopilaris.

 

The second issue is what most refer to as the "X" factor, where there is essentially some unknown element of the patient's physiology (which could be related to an autoimmune response, but could also be caused by a variety of other things) which creates poor growth.

 

I agree. Was just pointing out that it does happen.

[Al - Moderator]

Dr. Konior does a detailed write-up on the linked thread. What I was referring to is called senile alopecia.

 

I really wish you guys would stop saying it only happens in men in their 60's and older. Please go back and read the first paragraph from Dr Konior where he states "men in their twenties, thirties and forties may experience it too.

 

You can also view my photos for proof. The latest ones that show the sides are from 2009 when I was 42. I should ad some new ones as the entire area has thinned noticeably more since then.

 

It's easy to pass something off as rare as if it shouldn't matter to anyone, but you don't know if the person you are telling that to will be the one with the condition. When you are the one it happens to then the "chances" are 100%. What I mean by that is no matter what the chances are, each single individual is concerned about if will it happen to them. For the sampling size of 1 (me) the rate of occurrance is 100%. It really doesn't matter how rare anyone else wants to think it is. It is not rare for the one who has it.

 

AL

[TonyStark83]

I really wish you guys would stop saying it only happens in men in their 60's and older. Please go back and read the first paragraph from Dr Konior where he states "men in their twenties, thirties and forties may experience it too.

 

You can also view my photos for proof. The latest ones that show the sides are from 2009 when I was 42. I should ad some new ones as the entire area has thinned noticeably more since then.

 

It's easy to pass something off as rare as if it shouldn't matter to anyone, but you don't know if the person you are telling that to will be the one with the condition. When you are the one it happens to then the "chances" are 100%. What I mean by that is no matter what the chances are, each single individual is concerned about if will it happen to them. For the sampling size of 1 (me) the rate of occurrance is 100%. It really doesn't matter how rare anyone else wants to think it is. It is not rare for the one who has it.

 

AL

 

But do you think overall it makes a lot of difference to your own hair or the differences are just tiny?

[Spanker]

I really wish you guys would stop saying it only happens in men in their 60's and older. Please go back and read the first paragraph from Dr Konior where he states "men in their twenties, thirties and forties may experience it too.

 

You can also view my photos for proof. The latest ones that show the sides are from 2009 when I was 42. I should ad some new ones as the entire area has thinned noticeably more since then.

 

It's easy to pass something off as rare as if it shouldn't matter to anyone, but you don't know if the person you are telling that to will be the one with the condition. When you are the one it happens to then the "chances" are 100%. What I mean by that is no matter what the chances are, each single individual is concerned about if will it happen to them. For the sampling size of 1 (me) the rate of occurrance is 100%. It really doesn't matter how rare anyone else wants to think it is. It is not rare for the one who has it.

 

AL

 

AL,

 

You are right, it can happen to men at an earlier age, however, I was pointing out when it is most common. You are, IMO, a statistical outlier. I also wonder if you having 25 hair transplants has anything to do with what you are experiencing on your sides. Significant miniaturization in the safe zone in a uniform way at that age is very unlikely, but does happen. Senile alopecia usually happens in an older age, but not always. These patients that have it happen early are usually turned away from surgery. Hell, I have miniaturized hairs in my donor as well, but I think so do most people, the difference is the significance of this happening to a large percent of the donor area in.

 

I understand that for the person that has this happen to, it is 100% to them, but some people get alopecia totalis, losing all of their hair including thier body hair, eye brows, and eyelashes. Should we warn potential patients of this?

 

I am really sorry that you have had such a tough road, and your points are fair to bring up, but to also be fair, its hard to put in a disclaimer on every post by adding the worst possible outcome for every piece of advice that is given.

 

I'm telling this guy that thinning throughout the donor can happen and when it happens that usually happens in the older population. I think that is fair advice.

[TonyStark83]

But from what I've been reading and hearing only a small percentage of people, even older than 60 and 70 years of age, suffer from thinning in the donor area.

[Spanker]

But from what I've been reading and hearing only a small percentage of people, even older than 60 and 70 years of age, suffer from thinning in the donor area.

 

Where did you read that?

[1978matt]

Thinning only becomes noticeable at around 50% original density. So lets say you had 100 fu/cm2 donor at age 30 and lost 25% by 60yrs old (75 fu/cm2). That would be pretty unnoticeable, especially with grey hair.

 

But...

 

If you transplant the donor aged 30 at 50 fu/cm2, by the time you're 60 you would effectively have 37.5 fu/cm2 (25% drop). That would be noticeably different for sure.