Does stressing harm hair transplant result?

[Urmat]

Hello everyone, 

After my hair transplant after 10th day , I have been under stress for quite a long time (like 2 weeks) being concerned about many things. 

 

Could it negative affect the transplanted hairs? 

 

Is there anyone here who also was under stress after HT and after 6 months got good result despite stress? 

 

Thank you.

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

29 minutes ago, Urmat said:

Hello everyone, 

After my hair transplant after 10th day , I have been under stress for quite a long time (like 2 weeks) being concerned about many things. 

 

Could it negative affect the transplanted hairs? 

 

Is there anyone here who also was under stress after HT and after 6 months got good result despite stress? 

 

Thank you.

Stress will not affect the transplant results. Stress only causes mild hairfall.

[TorontoMan]

No you’re fine, you’re overthinking. 

[Urmat]

Thank you so much😊

[gillenator]

Prolonged periods of high stress can potentially induce shedding and can also temporarily impact the regrowth time frames…stress will not damage the hair follicles but can hold them in the dormant phase for prolonged periods.

[Urmat]

9 minutes ago, gillenator said:

Prolonged periods of high stress can potentially induce shedding and can also temporarily impact the regrowth time frames…stress will not damage the hair follicles but can hold them in the dormant phase for prolonged periods.

Thank you for your detailed answer. I appreciate it.

[gillenator]

You are very welcome my friend…I have witnessed this occurrence with several guys post-op over the years. 

[Urmat]

On 6/2/2022 at 6:32 PM, Eugenix Hair Sciences said:

Stress will not affect the transplant results. Stress only causes mild hairfall.

@Eugenix Hair Sciences @gillenator

 

Hello, I am sorry to disturb you with this question again. I am asking since I could not get a proper answer from my clinic. 

 

I have been under excessive stress more than 3 months. Turns out the more you stress, the more it gets harder to get out of it. Now I am trying to stop stressing.

 

Despite the high stress hairline is growing very well. It has been 4 months now since my HT. But the top is still rare. 

 

I am wondering if more than 3 months of stress can damage the transplanted follicles. Last time I asked about only 2 weeks of stress. Cortisol and adrenaline can make follicles go to resting phase and hair loss is temporary because follicles return to growing phase. But what happens with transplanted follicles? Aren't they vulnerable after being transplanted and can they be damaged and never return to growing phase??? Are there any scientific research ?

 

I highly appreciate you honest comments. Thank you in advance!

Edited August 16, 2022 by Urmat

[pkipling]

47 minutes ago, Urmat said:

@Eugenix Hair Sciences @gillenator

 

Hello, I am sorry to disturb you with this question again. I am asking since I could not get a proper answer from my clinic. 

 

I have been under excessive stress more than 3 months. Turns out the more you stress, the more it gets harder to get out of it. Now I am trying to stop stressing.

 

Despite the high stress hairline is growing very well. It has been 4 months now since my HT. But the top is still rare. 

 

I am wondering if more than 3 months of stress can damage the transplanted follicles. Last time I asked about only 2 weeks of stress. Cortisol and adrenaline can make follicles go to resting phase and hair loss is temporary because follicles return to growing phase. But what happens with transplanted follicles? Aren't they vulnerable after being transplanted and can they be damaged and never return to growing phase??? Are there any scientific research ?

 

I highly appreciate you honest comments. Thank you in advance!

Hi Urmat! I think Gillenator's response still stands - even though you're experiencing this stressful period longer than previously mentioned. 

A few things to note: 

When you say "But the stop is still rare..." in regards to your progress at 4 months post-op, it indicates that you think you'd have more growth if not for the stress? If so, I want to remind you that the 4th month is the absolute earliest you would see any type of substantial growth, and if you're already seeing good results in the hairline this early, then that's a good sign!

As someone with a lifetime of managing anxiety, I understand very well how "stress causes more stress and then we get stressed out about the potential negative affects of the stress which only causes more stress and AHHHHHH" - it can feel overwhelming and like a vicious cycle that never ends. If I were you, I would focus less on how or if the stress is affecting your hair transplant (which it very likely isn't) - and focus more on learning some stress management techniques to deal with the stress itself - not the potential negative affects of the anxiety.

Ideally, a therapist would be great for helping with this sort of thing, but if not, there are lots of resources available online to give you some coping mechanisms for how to manage the stress better. Mindfulness techniques, meditation, breathing exercises, etc. are just a few ways that can really help you manage the anxiety in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. 

A cornerstone mindset of anxiety is worrying about the future and anticipating negative outcomes.... A simple (yet difficult and also profound) paradigm shift you can make is to start rewriting that narrative, and it starts with being present and mindful. When we find ourselves stressed out about make-believe events in the future, it takes us out of the present moment and leaves us feeling powerless... When the reality is, the more we can stay present and deal with what's in front of us, the more empowered we feel to take on whatever life does throw our way.

It's waaaaay easier said than done, but it's possible! See if you can start shifting your thoughts from "Is my stress ruining my hair transplant" and focus instead on "This stress is negatively impacting me in the present moment, so what are some things I can do to reframe it for me so that I find some relief here and now." 

I hope that helps - and I'm sorry you're going through some things that are causing you such distress. As much as you can, let this hair transplant be a positive experience for you that can help distract you from the stressful experiences and maybe find some relief there. It sounds like you're on the right path!

[Urmat]

On 8/17/2022 at 1:11 AM, pkipling said:

Hi Urmat! I think Gillenator's response still stands - even though you're experiencing this stressful period longer than previously mentioned. 

A few things to note: 

When you say "But the stop is still rare..." in regards to your progress at 4 months post-op, it indicates that you think you'd have more growth if not for the stress? If so, I want to remind you that the 4th month is the absolute earliest you would see any type of substantial growth, and if you're already seeing good results in the hairline this early, then that's a good sign!

As someone with a lifetime of managing anxiety, I understand very well how "stress causes more stress and then we get stressed out about the potential negative affects of the stress which only causes more stress and AHHHHHH" - it can feel overwhelming and like a vicious cycle that never ends. If I were you, I would focus less on how or if the stress is affecting your hair transplant (which it very likely isn't) - and focus more on learning some stress management techniques to deal with the stress itself - not the potential negative affects of the anxiety.

Ideally, a therapist would be great for helping with this sort of thing, but if not, there are lots of resources available online to give you some coping mechanisms for how to manage the stress better. Mindfulness techniques, meditation, breathing exercises, etc. are just a few ways that can really help you manage the anxiety in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. 

A cornerstone mindset of anxiety is worrying about the future and anticipating negative outcomes.... A simple (yet difficult and also profound) paradigm shift you can make is to start rewriting that narrative, and it starts with being present and mindful. When we find ourselves stressed out about make-believe events in the future, it takes us out of the present moment and leaves us feeling powerless... When the reality is, the more we can stay present and deal with what's in front of us, the more empowered we feel to take on whatever life does throw our way.

It's waaaaay easier said than done, but it's possible! See if you can start shifting your thoughts from "Is my stress ruining my hair transplant" and focus instead on "This stress is negatively impacting me in the present moment, so what are some things I can do to reframe it for me so that I find some relief here and now." 

I hope that helps - and I'm sorry you're going through some things that are causing you such distress. As much as you can, let this hair transplant be a positive experience for you that can help distract you from the stressful experiences and maybe find some relief there. It sounds like you're on the right path!

Thank you so much for taking the time and answering my questions and giving your advice. 

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

Urmet,

While there is some truth to the fact that extreme, traumatic stress can cause or exacerbate a form of temporary, non-genetic hair loss known as telogen effluvium, stress won’t have any long-term effects on your hair nor will regular, every day stress affect your hair at all.  Those who have experienced traumatic stress are also often not eating and indulging in other unhealthy behaviors that contribute to the temporary telogen effluvium that I’m referring to.

to be clear however, stress does not cause permanent hair loss nor does it do anything to affect the progression of genetic male pattern baldness.  This applies to both natural and transplanted hair.

keep in mind however, hair transplant surgery, the healing process and the growth process can be relatively stressful itself because you will very likely experience the typical hair shedding of the transplant hair which happens between 4 to 6 weeks after surgery and you may even experience shock loss of some of the natural hair which is related to the trauma to the scalp caused by surgery. This is also called telogen effluvium which again more specifically is a temporary non-genetic hair loss condition that’s typically caused by some kind of stressor. I already mentioned traumatic stress above is a possible stressor, but trauma to the scalp during hair transplant surgery is another possible stressor.  but rest assured, any shocked hair will return unless the hairs that were shocked were already miniaturizing due to the effects of actual genetic hair loss.

I know there’s a lot of information here so I’m sorry if it’s confusing. But most of the time, answers are not simply just yes or no especially in this field of study.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

[Urmat]

2 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

Urmet,

While there is some truth to the fact that extreme, traumatic stress can cause or exacerbate a form of temporary, non-genetic hair loss known as telogen effluvium, stress won’t have any long-term effects on your hair nor will regular, every day stress affect your hair at all.  Those who have experienced traumatic stress are also often not eating and indulging in other unhealthy behaviors that contribute to the temporary telogen effluvium that I’m referring to.

to be clear however, stress does not cause permanent hair loss nor does it do anything to affect the progression of genetic male pattern baldness.  This applies to both natural and transplanted hair.

keep in mind however, hair transplant surgery, the healing process and the growth process can be relatively stressful itself because you will very likely experience the typical hair shedding of the transplant hair which happens between 4 to 6 weeks after surgery and you may even experience shock loss of some of the natural hair which is related to the trauma to the scalp caused by surgery. This is also called telogen effluvium which again more specifically is a temporary non-genetic hair loss condition that’s typically caused by some kind of stressor. I already mentioned traumatic stress above is a possible stressor, but trauma to the scalp during hair transplant surgery is another possible stressor.  but rest assured, any shocked hair will return unless the hairs that were shocked were already miniaturizing due to the effects of actual genetic hair loss.

I know there’s a lot of information here so I’m sorry if it’s confusing. But most of the time, answers are not simply just yes or no especially in this field of study.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

Dear Rahal Hair Transplant, 

The more detailed your answer, the better it is for me. Thank you so much. You have put my mind at ease. When I remember that I am running out of hair on donor area after my first HT, it is very hard not to stress about my result. 

 

 

 

[HairEnthusiast101]

On 6/2/2022 at 7:32 AM, Eugenix Hair Sciences said:

Stress will not affect the transplant results. Stress only causes mild hairfall.

Is long term stress/anxiety/depression lead to permanent hair loss or just temporary hair loss until you fix anxiety?

[gillenator]

On 8/16/2022 at 3:11 PM, pkipling said:

Hi Urmat! I think Gillenator's response still stands - even though you're experiencing this stressful period longer than previously mentioned. 

A few things to note: 

When you say "But the stop is still rare..." in regards to your progress at 4 months post-op, it indicates that you think you'd have more growth if not for the stress? If so, I want to remind you that the 4th month is the absolute earliest you would see any type of substantial growth, and if you're already seeing good results in the hairline this early, then that's a good sign!

As someone with a lifetime of managing anxiety, I understand very well how "stress causes more stress and then we get stressed out about the potential negative affects of the stress which only causes more stress and AHHHHHH" - it can feel overwhelming and like a vicious cycle that never ends. If I were you, I would focus less on how or if the stress is affecting your hair transplant (which it very likely isn't) - and focus more on learning some stress management techniques to deal with the stress itself - not the potential negative affects of the anxiety.

Ideally, a therapist would be great for helping with this sort of thing, but if not, there are lots of resources available online to give you some coping mechanisms for how to manage the stress better. Mindfulness techniques, meditation, breathing exercises, etc. are just a few ways that can really help you manage the anxiety in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. 

A cornerstone mindset of anxiety is worrying about the future and anticipating negative outcomes.... A simple (yet difficult and also profound) paradigm shift you can make is to start rewriting that narrative, and it starts with being present and mindful. When we find ourselves stressed out about make-believe events in the future, it takes us out of the present moment and leaves us feeling powerless... When the reality is, the more we can stay present and deal with what's in front of us, the more empowered we feel to take on whatever life does throw our way.

It's waaaaay easier said than done, but it's possible! See if you can start shifting your thoughts from "Is my stress ruining my hair transplant" and focus instead on "This stress is negatively impacting me in the present moment, so what are some things I can do to reframe it for me so that I find some relief here and now." 

I hope that helps - and I'm sorry you're going through some things that are causing you such distress. As much as you can, let this hair transplant be a positive experience for you that can help distract you from the stressful experiences and maybe find some relief there. It sounds like you're on the right path!

Very wise and practical words of advice from pkipling!

[gillenator]

On 8/16/2022 at 2:08 PM, Urmat said:

@Eugenix Hair Sciences @gillenator

 

Hello, I am sorry to disturb you with this question again. I am asking since I could not get a proper answer from my clinic. 

 

I have been under excessive stress more than 3 months. Turns out the more you stress, the more it gets harder to get out of it. Now I am trying to stop stressing.

 

Despite the high stress hairline is growing very well. It has been 4 months now since my HT. But the top is still rare. 

 

I am wondering if more than 3 months of stress can damage the transplanted follicles. Last time I asked about only 2 weeks of stress. Cortisol and adrenaline can make follicles go to resting phase and hair loss is temporary because follicles return to growing phase. But what happens with transplanted follicles? Aren't they vulnerable after being transplanted and can they be damaged and never return to growing phase??? Are there any scientific research ?

 

I highly appreciate you honest comments. Thank you in advance!

I stand by the June 22nd post so please read it again and know that your follicles are fine and the real issue as pkipling stated is to get professional help with the stress.