Does The Transplanted Hair Fall Out?

Is a Hair Transplant Permanent?

Experiencing massive hair shedding within the 8-12 months after hair transplant is normal. The lost hair will grow again 3-4 months later.

After this temporary shedding has recovered, the transplanted hair follicles preserve their characteristics and they are not shed.

Hair growth has phases; growth phase(anagen),dormant phase(catagen) and shedding phase(telogen). Transplanted hair is permanent for life time and cannot be lost unless you develop alopecia related skin infection.

In the meantime Dr. Civas advises couple of things to prevent  further hair loss. However, the original hair in the same area may continue to be lost and a new hair transplantation may be planned depending on the decrease in the hair density.

Normal Hair Shedding

As we all know our hair goes through the cycle of three phases of shedding and growth at all times in our lifespan: anagen, catagen, and telogen phases. These three phases occur simultaneously; if one strand of hair may be in the anagen phase, while another is in the telogen phase.

Shedding After Hair Transplant

A lot of patients complain of hair shedding post hair transplant. Not many of us know that shedding of hair is a completely a normal occurrence and is vital for strong hair to grow on the scalp.

• Anagen phase: It is known as the growth phase and which can last from two to six years.
• Catagen phase: This is also known as the “transitional phase or dormant phase”, which also lasts for 2-3 weeks.
• The telogen phase: In this phase where most shedding occurs and can last for about 100 days. During this time, normally 80-100 hairs can shed.

Why does transplanted hair fall out?

1. Shock Loss
2. Graft Rejection
3. Stress
4. Post-op Care
5. Diet and Metabolism
6. Donor dominance & Recipient dominance theories
7. Donor grafts

1. Shock Loss

During a hair transplant, small incisions are made where the individual grafts are placed. Whether FUT or FUE is performed, the procedure is traumatic on the scalp and the surrounding hairs. Hair grafts and the existing hairs can temporarily shed which is known as shock loss.

You should not be scared if you notice the continued loss of hair, it will be between 1-5 weeks after the hair transplant procedure. But within a short span of time, new hairs will eventually grow back again. It should be noted that “shock loss” is a normal part of the hair restoration development and although it is unavoidable, it is also temporary.

2. Graft Rejection

As a matter of fact, at Civas hair transplant Clinic we can’t give you a 100% guarantee on the occurrence of graft rejection. Many times, the recipient area might reject the donor grafts completely. In this case, the body’s immune system can reject the hair grafts and can destroy the transplanted tissue completely.

3. Stress

During stress our bodies shunt nutrients to our heart, lungs, muscles and other vital organs. As a result, hair may be weakened and in some cases, hair follicles stop producing new hair. This is called telogen effluvium. This is the most common form of hair loss and typically seen two to three months after a major body stress, such as major surgery, chronic illness, or significant infection. Other causes such as sudden change of hormone levels, especially in women after childbirth, or stopping hormone replacement.

4. Post-op Care

The post care is a must for hair transplant. You need to listen to your doctor, always follow the post-op guidelines provided and pay special attention to post-operative care or else it may lead to the complete destruction of the hair transplant.

5. Diet and Metabolism

During healing your body metabolism increases and there are increased needs for more nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc and biotin among others. Limited amounts will be diverted to wear it is needed the most with hair not being one of these places. To reduce the effects of stress on your hair, try to eat a more nutritious diet. Extra fruit and vegetables may help especially foods rich in zinc, biotin and (especially if a menstruating female) and iron.

6. Donor dominance & Recipient dominance theories

The recipient dominance theory is basically the high influence of the recipient hair on the transplanted area.

7. Donor grafts

Since there are many hair transplant clinics, many do not always come with the provision of high quality and experience. Many of them end up extracting hair from non-permanent zone to place in the recipient area.

These results in complete hair loss and the results are extremely bad. Therefore, it is very important to go to an hair transplant hair transplant experienced doctor, who knows which is the perfect donor zone to carry out the hair transplant procedure.

How can I protect my transplanted hairs?

Hair transplantation is one of the most common and highly successful cosmetic surgery procedures in Turkey.

In Turkey hair transplantation, natural and satisfactory results can be obtained after surgery performed on suitable patients.

It is extremely important for the success of the procedure that the hair is not damaged after the hair transplantation. The first 10 days after hair transplantation are critical. At the end of the 10-day period, the transplanted grafts are fully settled and the risk of damage is minimized.

Extreme care should be taken in terms of trauma and friction in the first 72 hours. As a result of a blow to the head, friction or impact, the grafts may become dislodged and cause hair loss in that area.

Exposure to sunlight should be avoided, especially in the first 2 weeks, as direct sunlight exposure will reduce the success of hair transplantation.

Wearing tight hats should be avoided as it will traumatize the grafts. Avoid tight head wear

Smoking is not recommended as it delays wound healing and reduces the blood supply of the area.

A balanced diet will contribute to faster settling of transplanted grafts and faster healing of wounds.

Care should be taken during the cleaning of the crusts, as the grafts may be damaged. The use of topical ointment or pure petrolatum will facilitate the removal of crusts.

Civas Hair transplant is one of the best doctor-centered hair transplant in Turkey. You can contact us for a healthy and successful hair transplant in Turkey.

Do Transplanted Hairs Grow?

Yes. Transplanted hairs grow. If the patient observes care during the post surgery period, almost all the transplanted hair will grow. Factors that may hinder growth of new hair are:

• Hitting or scratching the transplanted hair the first few days after hair transplant.
• Wearing tight head gear after the surgery may pull out the grafts.
• Drinking alcohol or smoking too much a few days after the surgery.
• Exposing the sensitive recipient area to the sun

How Successful Is Body Hair Transplant?

The best donor hair is from the back of the scalp. Body hair might be used in various clinic, however the results might not be natural. Generally, only around 500-600 grafts can be harvested from body hair. The graft survival rate of body hair on the scalp is only 50%.

The characteristics of body hair and scalp hair are not the same, for instance length, thickness, color and shading rate and cycle completely differ. For this reason, we do not encourage body hair transplant. However on special conditions like reconstructive surgery after an accident/burn or some cases of alopecia causing scars, body hair can be considered as donor.