"recovery" and shockloss questions

[elastic]

Just a few questions:

 

After a transplant, how long after the procedure do you still see redness and bumps and things on the transplanted area? in other words, is there a point at which the transplanted area look "normal" on close inspection, like nothing had really happened?

 

Also, after a transplant, i've heard that you should not be working out for a while. is this concern in regards to effects on the scar healing properly, or in regards to the effects it may have on the transplanted area? What about an FUE procedure? are the concerns still the same?

 

Finally, shockloss: As far as I know, this is when the hairs surrounding the transplated area that are still "yours" suffer a shock and fall out. Do they grow back? do only SOME grow back? has anyone had a problem where after the procedure they look thinner because they suffered more shockloss than they transplanted in?

 

Any help would be great, thanks.

[elastic]

Just a few questions:

 

After a transplant, how long after the procedure do you still see redness and bumps and things on the transplanted area? in other words, is there a point at which the transplanted area look "normal" on close inspection, like nothing had really happened?

 

Also, after a transplant, i've heard that you should not be working out for a while. is this concern in regards to effects on the scar healing properly, or in regards to the effects it may have on the transplanted area? What about an FUE procedure? are the concerns still the same?

 

Finally, shockloss: As far as I know, this is when the hairs surrounding the transplated area that are still "yours" suffer a shock and fall out. Do they grow back? do only SOME grow back? has anyone had a problem where after the procedure they look thinner because they suffered more shockloss than they transplanted in?

 

Any help would be great, thanks.

[hairbank]

elastic,

 

If you take proper care in cleansing the recipient area scabs from the HT should be gone a week to 10 days post-op. To my knowledge, the redness varies greatly from one person to the next. I'm 1 month post-op from my 2nd HT, redness has pretty much been gone for a week or so. You can really tell I had anything done in the recipient area unless you get it under just the right lighting conditions and are extremely close- I'd venture to guess it'd be impossible for anyone but me to see. Don't know about bumps as I don't think I had any except for some pimple-looking ingrown hairs occasionally from new growth.

 

As for working out, do some searching on the site as there are several threads and varying opinions on this. My $.02, wait at least a month before working out post-op. Some places tell you okay after 2 weeks and, as far as the grafts are concerned, you're probably fine. However, several have concerns about "stretching" the scar with intense workouts which I believe to be a valid point. I have no experience with FUE but since you're not "sliced from ear to ear" ( ) during the process I'll bet you're fine at the 2 week mark.

 

Shock loss varies..........my first HT I received 1200 grafts in and around lots of existing hair. Many of my existing hairs jumped ship and, I believe, drowned in the process (i.e. did not return). My understanding is that these would have been the MPB susceptible hair that were close to dying off anyway. Look at my Hair Loss Weblog to see pics on my first HT..........even with some shock loss it's much, much thicker. You can also experience shock in the donor hair but it should all grow back since it's not MPB susceptible hair.

 

Hope this helps.

[Mahair]

your existing hair could be whiped out wholesale leaving you with much less hair than when you started the process not proceedure.

[laughter's medicine]

Doesn't the skill level of the surgeon, whether the patient is currently taking Propecia as well as how much hair exists in the recipient area have a great deal to do with it the possibility of loss? According to my conversation with Dr. Shapiro, I can't quote the exact details of our conversation, but here is the gist of it; only hair in the very near and general area of the recipient and donor are susceptible and have the possibility of "Shock". Also it is something like 20 % of patients might lose as much as of 20%, the majority not making much of a cosmetic difference because of the quality of hair, I.E. very thin and on the way out any way. He also added that it would depend upon how much hair already exsisted in these areas, recipient in particular and that he had not had a case of severe loss in a patient resulting in big steps backwards instead of forwards. On top of that our conversation included that the less hair in the recipient the less likely any hair would be lost, if any at all. Again I can't quote, but this is generally the content, any one else?

[dhuge67]

Originally posted by laughter's medicine:

I understand it could, but doesn't the skill level of the surgeon, whether the patient is currently taking Propecia as well as how much hair exists in the recipient area have a great deal to do with it the possibility of loss? According to my conversation with Dr. Shapiro, I can't quote the exact details of our conversation, but here is the gist of it; only hair in the very near and general area of the recipient and donor are susceptible and have the possibility of "Shock". Also it is something like 20 % of patients might lose as much as of 20%, the majority not making much of a cosmetic difference because of the quality of hair, I.E. very thin and on the way out any way. He also added that it would depend upon how much hair was already exsisted in these areas, recipient in particular and that he had not had a case of severe loss in a patient resulting in big steps backwards instead of forwards. On top of that our conversation included that the less hair in the recipient the less likely any hair would be lost, if any at all. Again I can't quote, but this is generally the content, any one else?

That's basically how I understand it, from what my doctor explained to me.

[laughter's medicine]

I did edit my answer some, boy you were fast on the response. Cool!

[hairbank]

Originally posted by laughter's medicine:

Doesn't the skill level of the surgeon, whether the patient is currently taking Propecia as well as how much hair exists in the recipient area have a great deal to do with it the possibility of loss? According to my conversation with Dr. Shapiro, I can't quote the exact details of our conversation, but here is the gist of it; only hair in the very near and general area of the recipient and donor are susceptible and have the possibility of "Shock". Also it is something like 20 % of patients might lose as much as of 20%, the majority not making much of a cosmetic difference because of the quality of hair, I.E. very thin and on the way out any way. He also added that it would depend upon how much hair already exsisted in these areas, recipient in particular and that he had not had a case of severe loss in a patient resulting in big steps backwards instead of forwards. On top of that our conversation included that the less hair in the recipient the less likely any hair would be lost, if any at all. Again I can't quote, but this is generally the content, any one else?

 

I agree with the content of your reply and consider your source to be "excellent"......Doc Shapiro is truly one of the best from what I've seen and heard.

 

I can say in my case.........for my first HT the amount of shocked hair in and around the recipient area that did not return was far more than 20%. Tough to measure because you have new HT hair growing in around existing hair, but, in my cased I had my hair clipped down all the way for my second HT (with Dr. Wong) and he advised that I did not have much native hair left on top........mostly HT hair.

[stillhere]

I had only 2,000 grafts put into my frontal 1/3 of my head and had a good amount of shock loss, most of which never came back and now 6 months later, the transplanted grafts are just starting to come and it looks like I had nothing done. Another procedure or two is in my future.

[jmax]

Stillhere,

You seem to be very calm over the fact that after getting 2,000 grafts it looks like nothing has been done 6 months later. I haven't had HT yet, but I think I would be pretty upset if I spent all that money and got transplants and saw no improvement at all. Maybe I'm misreading your comments, but I guess one of my big concerns in deciding on whether to have this done is the fear that after finally deciding to have this surgery, there is no improvement or, even scarier, my scalp looks worse than before. Any thoughts?

[JW]

Stillhere:

Who did your transplant? Who was your doc?