Worried: 3 months into a transplant and no new growth and finesteride not working?

[kramer]

I had another transplant about 3 months ago and so far, I am not seeing any new growth. Anybody have any experiences where it took longer than 3 months for the hair to grow? I had the platelet option done and was told I could see growth within a month but it wasn't for certain.

I also switched to finesteride about a month ago and now I am noticing about 25 hairs on my pillow case after just two days of sleeping on freshly cleaned cases. Prior to this, for years when I was on propecia, I would usually see a couple of hairs after a week or so.
This has really got me going crazy. Is it possible the finesteride isn't working? Or, can there be shock fallout 2 to 4 months after a hair transplant procedure?

I didn't bother to check my pillow case the first month and a half after this latest hair transplant while I was still using propecia to see if I was losing hairs during sleeping so I have no idea why I'm seeing so much hair on my pillow case.

[uninformed]

I had another transplant about 3 months ago and so far, I am not seeing any new growth. Anybody have any experiences where it took longer than 3 months for the hair to grow? I had the platelet option done and was told I could see growth within a month but it wasn't for certain.

I also switched to finesteride about a month ago and now I am noticing about 25 hairs on my pillow case after just two days of sleeping on freshly cleaned cases. Prior to this, for years when I was on propecia, I would usually see a couple of hairs after a week or so.
This has really got me going crazy. Is it possible the finesteride isn't working? Or, can there be shock fallout 2 to 4 months after a hair transplant procedure?

I didn't bother to check my pillow case the first month and a half after this latest hair transplant while I was still using propecia to see if I was losing hairs during sleeping so I have no idea why I'm seeing so much hair on my pillow case.

Propecia is Finasteride, former the meck's brand name, latter the active ingredient name.

I've heard transplanted graphs could take up to 9 months or so to grow, and they may fall out initially post operation.

Check with you doctor

[mattj]

It's far too early to worry. 3 months post-op is the time when the grafts just begin to sprout. You should be seeing them now but don't expect to see them all growing or to have anything like the full cosmetic effect yet.

[kramer]

Propecia is Finasteride, former the meck's brand name, latter the active ingredient name.

I've heard transplanted graphs could take up to 9 months or so to grow, and they may fall out initially post operation.

Check with you doctor

It's far too early to worry. 3 months post-op is the time when the grafts just begin to sprout. You should be seeing them now but don't expect to see them all growing or to have anything like the full cosmetic effect yet.

Thanks uninformed and mattj...

Any theory as to why I'm seeing lots of hairs on my pillow case? I'm hoping that this is temporary shock out from the new hairs coming in...

[ukman]

Kramer can i ask,how long your hair shedded for? The transplanted hairs site? I had my op 3.5 weeks ago and starting to shed now,just wondered how long and did all transplanted hairs shed or some stay? I was told 4 months until i see a growth change,as wayne rooney(massive soccer player in uk) only took 3 or 4 months hes on tele everyday in england and we had the same surgeon so id not worry too much i think ur maybe excited at seeing results like i will be soon

[Spex]

The initial session will come in so slowly and gradually that you become so used to it that it becomes the normal and YOU will not necessarily notice the change bang on month 3! - The realisation takes time!! It is only until you compare pre op pics that you actually realise how far you have come and have a glimpse at what your situation actally was.


You will scrutinise your results constantly, inspecting it every chance you get - and feel that you will always want more hair - Even at month 5/6/7 patients are planning their 2nd session but my advice is WAIT and allow for the first session to reach its max potential

It doesn't matter how many times i say it to people or write it they still feel that their growth has stopped at month 4/5/6...... then come month 10/11/12 they say - wow you were right.. I did get more.

Growth doesn't stop for many many months - it can take upto 18 months to reach the max potential from your HT so why guys are convinced after 5 months their growth has stopped is just beyond me
If you have received your HT from one of the reputable clinics around today then your growth will continue upto a year along with a great deal of maturing.

Many Dr's have commented on time scales for growth and established posters as well who have all been through the HT process and they all agree that you need to assess your HT at at least the 1 year mark in terms of reaching full growth.

You the HT recipient will not see the growth just occur - it takes months for the realisation to kick in. It is important to take pictures at monthly intervals to clearly see the progression.

Its important that guys realise that HT's are a commitment long term and you must realise that you will always want to refine your hair and wish it were thicker/fuller/denser - This is the nature of hair.

Hair greed

Grow well everyone!!!!


Use this topic to help :http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthr...230&highlight=

Best
Spex

[hairhunter]

Kramer, I feel your pain but can only suggest patience as this is not an overnight or indeed an exact process. Today is my 3 month anniversary from my 3750 Grafts at the Ziering Medical centre in Hammersmith, although I was lucky enough not to experience a large volume of shedding my grafts have yet to start growing (more than maybe a couple of mm) but everything I read and everything I've been told tells me that no decisions as to the success of these procedures can be made until after the 12 month mark. If you have real concerns as to your condition I would suggest you contact the company who carried out the procedure and make an appointment to go see them. I have felt no need so far but take comfort in the knowledge that I have the option to do just that should I expirence any problems. All the best to you.

[kramer]

Kramer can i ask,how long your hair shedded for?

Maybe 3 to 4 weeks.

The transplanted hairs site? I had my op 3.5 weeks ago and starting to shed now,just wondered how long and did all transplanted hairs shed or some stay?

Most of the implanted hairs are gone though there are a few stragglers here and there.

As to my concern with shedding, it's not the transplanted hairs but my actual growing hair. This is what I have been seeing on my pillow case, hairs about 1 to 2 inches long.

I was told 4 months until i see a growth change,as wayne rooney(massive soccer player in uk) only took 3 or 4 months hes on tele everyday in england and we had the same surgeon so id not worry too much i think ur maybe excited at seeing results like i will be soon

Thanks for the info. One of the reasons why I'm concerned is that my other 3 procedures all started growing at just about 3 months to the day.

[kramer]

Kramer, I feel your pain but can only suggest patience as this is not an overnight or indeed an exact process. Today is my 3 month anniversary from my 3750 Grafts at the Ziering Medical centre in Hammersmith, although I was lucky enough not to experience a large volume of shedding my grafts have yet to start growing (more than maybe a couple of mm) but everything I read and everything I've been told tells me that no decisions as to the success of these procedures can be made until after the 12 month mark. If you have real concerns as to your condition I would suggest you contact the company who carried out the procedure and make an appointment to go see them. I have felt no need so far but take comfort in the knowledge that I have the option to do just that should I expirence any problems. All the best to you.

Thanks. I've contacted them and will go in to see them in a few weeks.

Good luck with your HT.

[kramer]

Well, it's been almost 4 months and so far, nothing. (I haven't visited the doc yet, been busy...)

At least twice in the last 2 weeks when I have had an itch where some of the transplants were put, I ended up feeling a little bump and when I checked what it was, it looked like a dried follicle because both times, there was a quarter inch piece of hair attached along with the bump and the bump was sort of a skinny and long piece of skin.

Another concern I have is that I took a bunch of pics the days after the transplant and started counting the number of implants and while I haven't finished, from what I have counted and from what areas I have left, I can't see where I got anywhere near the number of implants I was told I got. It looks like I got about 60% of what was said to me.


What happens if I count the implants and the number is way less than what I paid for and what I was told I got? Is it time to get a lawyer?

[VictimOfDHT]

Well, it's been almost 4 months and so far, nothing. (I haven't visited the doc yet, been busy...)

At least twice in the last 2 weeks when I have had an itch where some of the transplants were put, I ended up feeling a little bump and when I checked what it was, it looked like a dried follicle because both times, there was a quarter inch piece of hair attached along with the bump and the bump was sort of a skinny and long piece of skin.

Another concern I have is that I took a bunch of pics the days after the transplant and started counting the number of implants and while I haven't finished, from what I have counted and from what areas I have left, I can't see where I got anywhere near the number of implants I was told I got. It looks like I got about 60% of what was said to me.


What happens if I count the implants and the number is way less than what I paid for and what I was told I got? Is it time to get a lawyer?

I'm not sure who your doctor was but was he a good doctor ? I've heard of people getting less grafts than what they paid for. I don't know if it's even possible to count the number of grafts you had. If it is, I don't see why you can't sue.
By the 4th month you should see some growth but as you might know it can take up to a year to see full growth but again at least some new hairs should be seen by the 4th month.

[hairhunter]

Kramer, 1 week till I hit the 4 month mark. A few things a worth notingplease bear in mind that I'm no doctor, just another HT customer with my knowledge based on internet research and discussions with the clinic at which I had my procedure), Everyone is different when it comes to this stuff which is why they don't give you fixed timescales as to results on these procedures. Hair grows in cycles (2 month approx), these cycles are split between growth and dormant i.e. at any one time you will have follicles in either of these states (this is why women get their "ends" done due to hair growing at different speeds). If the donor strip was taken from an area which has just begun a dormant phase of growth during the procedure, then once the 3/4 month "shock" period comes to an end the hair will then awaken straight back into the dormant phase once more giving you somewhere in the region of another 2 months before it will begin to grow.

As regards to whether you received the number of grafts you paid for, I would think (at this point of your recovery) that you should simply put faith in the research you carried out on the organisation which carried out you procedure. Personally I don't believe seeking legal representation would be a wise choice right now as you'll pay a fortune to be told that you have at least 8 months left before any 'legal' decision could be agreed as to the success/failure of your procedure.

The bumps and dried skin are something we share in common as I'm experiencing the same thing at present, mostly on the peak of my crown. The little white bits of skin (with the graft size hairs inserted) are apparently just another part of the shedding process and if you go by the word of my surgeon, not the loss of transplanted grafts. If we were losing grafts they would bleed. I view the bumps as my located warriors fighting there way to the surface ready to grow thick and strong and as for the bits of dry skin with the hairs well, they are simply hairs which have broken beneath the surface forced up and out by the power of new growth.

I'm sorry to repeat myself from before but I truly believe that patience is the best course of action for you right now. Book an appointment with your HT provider for peace of mind, but I have read many reports of people showing no growth at up to 8 months (poor sods) and don't think your problems are uncommon at all.

Finally, I'm unsure as to whether it would be possible for 'you' to actually count the number of grafts transplanted due to the varying number of hairs each graft contains. My advice would be to hold off for another 8-10 weeks, if following that you have still seen no growth from your procedure I would contact the HT company you couldn't afford to use and request a consultation with their senior surgeon as a second opinion.

Possible graft rejection rates for these procedures are somewhere in the region of 2-3% (so I was told).

Chin up, hang in there, the day will come for us all.