Does hair grow in stages after hair transplant?

[Optimistic1]

Does hair grow in stages or waves after hair transplant or once the hair growth progress start it should not stop?

I noticed good initial growth by the end of the third month an I was noticing the growth day by day from 80 to 90 days. However, I didn't noticed any growth even after 3.5 month mark. Is it normal?

[RecessionProof]

It varies from person to person — I’ve definitely seen a lot of cases where people have had growth in spurts. 3 months is super early so you most likely have a lot of growth ahead of you

Edited March 28, 2019 by RecessionProof

[LaserCap]

A couple of things to realize,

Hair goes into resting phases.  You'll shed some, then the hair typically returns.  How many lives does hair have? Not sure, perhaps a professional can tell you but it will be their best estimate as everyone is different as Recession Proof pointed out.  Now the question becomes, once the hair is transplanted, does the hair resume its normal shedding? Bet it does.  And it is in spurts.  You will not shed all the hair all at once.  You will shed one here and one there.  Most believe all hair that is shed returns.  The hair that does not return is the hair that thins, miniaturizes.  this hair tends to not grow very good and eventually disappears.  Look at your hairline.  Do you seem some hairs that have nice and thick shafts?  How about really thin that you can hardly see? That's hair on its way out.

Now lets consider hair after transplant.  Most will tell you it takes about 3-4 months for the grafts to reincorporate into the blood supply. Then the hair starts growing.  Weak at first.  It then starts improving.  It will be a year before you really see a matured result.  I've also seen this take up to 18 months!  To answer your question.......Think of an empty head before a transplant.  As the results come in, by definition, you will see a HUGE difference.  Now consider a year after.  Suppose the result was a full set of hair. If you were to do another transplant at that point, you will not see much of a difference since there is already hair there.

One suggestion is for you to take photos and put them away.  Take another set in 6 months and another in 12. Eventually this will become you and you'll forget how empty you started.  It happens to everyone.

Are you doing any type of medical therapy?  The fact is, if you've lost hair, you will continue losing.  It is a losing battle.  Unless you are retaining the native hair, you will never bump that bar of density in the future.

 

 

[Dazed]

I have had 2 transplants and I am probably the worst at describing the growth cycle.  Both times at the 4-5 month period I thought nothing was happening, then at about 6 months it was 'oops there it is'.  I kind of ignored it until it grabbed my attention.  I think micromanaging the growth will drive you crazy.

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

Optimistic, 

It is extremely variable. Almost all patients are different and you should resist the urge to compare yourself to others -- though I know it is hard not to. I have seen some patients with jaw-dropping growth at 4 months; I have seen others who really did not look "fully cooked" until 18 months (particularly if they had work in the mid-scalp and/or crown region). I even specifically remember one patient who took 24 months to really look fully matured. Now, all of these are pretty much outside the "norm," but just to reassure you that everyone is different. 

I would say the average patient sees a "spurt" at around 3-5 months, they are pretty happy and starting to actually use the transplants to style, increase density, etc., by 6 months, and then reach full maturation sometime between 12-18 months. 12 months for "full maturation" is a nice easy number we use a lot online, but I personally think almost all patients look a little better at 18 months compared to 12. 

Seeing sporadic growth or even no growth at 3.5 months is normal. Nothing to be concerned about. I know it is difficult, but try to put it out of your mind for a while and let your body heal and mature on its own. There is an old adage about a watched pot never boiling, and I think it does apply a little here. 

Best of luck. 

[PlzRespond]

4 hours ago, Dr Blake Bloxham said:

Optimistic, 

It is extremely variable. Almost all patients are different and you should resist the urge to compare yourself to others -- though I know it is hard not to. I have seen some patients with jaw-dropping growth at 4 months; I have seen others who really did not look "fully cooked" until 18 months (particularly if they had work in the mid-scalp and/or crown region). I even specifically remember one patient who took 24 months to really look fully matured. Now, all of these are pretty much outside the "norm," but just to reassure you that everyone is different. 

I would say the average patient sees a "spurt" at around 3-5 months, they are pretty happy and starting to actually use the transplants to style, increase density, etc., by 6 months, and then reach full maturation sometime between 12-18 months. 12 months for "full maturation" is a nice easy number we use a lot online, but I personally think almost all patients look a little better at 18 months compared to 12. 

Seeing sporadic growth or even no growth at 3.5 months is normal. Nothing to be concerned about. I know it is difficult, but try to put it out of your mind for a while and let your body heal and mature on its own. There is an old adage about a watched pot never boiling, and I think it does apply a little here. 

Best of luck. 

Great post.

after the “spurt” of growth at 3-5 months is there another or several more of these “spurts” where new hairs sprout thru the scalp? If so, when does this typically occur?