Shock Loss Everywhere!

[Londinium]

Hello, just to provide a little introduction to my situation I'll begin by typing that my hair transplant was on the 8th at Bosley New York with Dr. DiBiase. Since then my life has been a roller coaster as I found myself discovering all this information about hair transplants post-op that made me second guess my procedure. My hair transplant was done via donor scar to fill in an area on the back of my head where I had a scar from a childhood accident. Initially I was excited to have my long time scar gone but gradually my excitement changed into pure terror.

Today, as of the 28th, I spoke with DiBiase about an issue I've been having since the second week or so: hair shock. At least I think it's hair shock, truly nobody has been able to give me a straight answer and I'm hoping for different from the informed people of this forum. From my own research I know that shock loss occurs typically around the donor area and the area receiving the transplants. Okay, that's fine and dandy, except I'm losing hair EVERYWHERE, especially on the top of my head. And when I say losing hair I mean losing hair, as in I now have patches. I'm twenty one years old, went to fix a scar, and am now finding myself cursed with additional patches on my head that my hair can barely cover up. My doctor suggested this could be due to MPB but I never suffered from MPB prior to the operation and am clinging to the hope that it's shock loss that'll eventually come back. Anybody else have an experience like this where they suffered shock loss in areas completely foreign to where their hair transplant happened? And can MPB be accelerated by a hair transplant? I apologize if it seems like I'm in panic mode but I kind of am at this point.

My doctor said to expect the return of hair from up to four to five months post op, information online says it can return as early as three months. But what is really going on? Could the hair transplant have really triggered MPB in my hair or could the general anastisia have done something to damage my hair? Please, I'm looking for any kind of help/information I can get because honestly I feel like I'm going to lose my mind over this. The stress is driving me insane, which I'm sure is adding to the hair loss, and it's as though everywhere I turn is another obstacle. I literally can't leave my room anymore without wearing a hat because of both now having my already existing scar on my head, the donor scar, and patches of bald on the top of my head. I'm hoping this is just my case of the "ugly duckling phase" and that down the road everything will turn out for the better but right now I'm not sure what to think anymore. Thanks.

[drybone]

Wow.

I am deeply saddened to read your story. You can take some solace in the fact we are all in the same boat . We know the pain of hair loss. We are on your side.

Can you put up any photos of yourself so we can see what you are dealing with? You can block out your face. Do not worry. We are used to seeing all stages of hair transplants.

Cheers

[gillenator]

Londinium,

So sorry to hear of your situation. Most of the repair cases that I hear from are individuals like yourself who were not very informed before their procedures. It's very encouraging to see that you are now pursuing the information needed to make the best informed decisions. Rather than talk about the things that you cannot change, let's focus on where to go from here.

Yes it sounds like shockloss impacted the donor and recipient area post-op and yes it can spread throughout the scap albeit rare. Yet IMHO, I think that you may also be experiencing alopecia aereata along with the shock. Do a search on this. For most, and BTW, it seems to impact women more than men, alopecia aereata is a form of hairloss that is evident by the "patches" of hairloss. The patches can be a small as a coin and open up larger over time. In my own observation, it can be induced from periods of high stress, overall scalp trauma from the surgery, and yes even some of the scalp injections. No one seems to know the source or causes of alopecia aereata.

For those individuals who do not have MPB and those not having HT surgery, seem to be even more susceptible to this type of patchy hairloss and again related to longer periods of stress. I have observed both men and women going through divorce, new stressful job assignments, loss of a loved one, etc experience this type of hairloss. My own brother who does not have MPB experienced alopecia aereata for approximately one year. He even came to me asking about where he could do FUE for the blotchy patches, but I told him to wait it out. Eventually the hair grew back in once he adjusted to the major changes in his life.

There are steroid based creams that a potential dermatologist could script that can be effective for treating alopecia aereata. It does not always work for everyone. Most of the time, it will resolve itself once the trauma settles down and the stress. You will get better over time.

No one seems to know the exact reasons or cures for this type of hairloss especially if the individual does not have MPB. Can alopecia aereata advance the progression of MPB? We don't know for sure because there is very little clinical research being done on it. What we do know is that MPB and alopecia aereata are entirely two different forms of hairloss and undetermined if aereata is a genetic trait like MPB.

If we had the opportunity to talk with you prior to the surgery with Bosley, I believe many of us would have recommended FUE to fill in the scar from your youth. I am not an advocate of filling in a scar by creating another scar. It's very possible that your Bosley surgeon does not perform FUE and why they did a strip. I presume it was a very small strip? I would not recommend a large chain clinic and especially not for FUE or repair.

From here, you are in recovery and recommend that you wait it out. Try to manage the stress factors in your life. After everything grows out, you will know if anything more needs to be done. Research all the while but first take a good break from this to give your mind a break. I would definitely recommend that you find a well respected independent HT surgeon known for repair and proficient in both strip and FUE.

I wish you the very best in your recovery my friend.

[drybone]

Good read. Thanks Gill.

[Londinium]

Thank you for the reply, Gill, I'm still holding onto hope that in 3 or so months my hair will fill out again. Today I looked in the mirror and noticed that there is a perfect line going down the top of my head, this seems to be diffusing judging by pictures I've googled, and yes, it's terrifying me but again I'm trying to cling onto hope and have been trying to contact my doctor so he can look at the top of my head and tell me what's going on. It's times like these that make you wish time travel existed.

[Londinium]

By the way, just a quick update, but I also looked at pictures of alopecia areata and I don't think that's what I have (I hope). When I said patches I meant patches of thinning hair throughout my head and not literal bald spots. I apologize for that and would also like to add that this forum has done a lot to keep me on top of my situation. A friend suggested I relax and begin taking vitamin E pills because she thinks it's the mix of stress and shock that's doing the number on my hair, which I'm inclined to agree with. She even showed me some damage to her own hair from stress and I'm more or less hoping she's right because that implies my situation is temporary.

[Londinium]

Another update, I got an appointment finally and am going to meet with my doctor on Monday. I want him to tell me the truth about what's going on because from everything I've read thus far, the only reason shock loss all over the head should happen is if the surgeon more or less did a butcher's job to your head. Man, I can't describe how furious I am right now, Monday can't come soon enough but honestly I just want solid answers from a medical doctor. I also plan to ask somebody independent of my doctor, as suggested, for clearer and perhaps more honest advice but I'm unsure who to ask. Does anybody know any HT doctors I can contact in NYC or its metropolitan area? I live in northern New Jersey so anywhere around there would be easiest to reach. Would a dermatologist also suffice? Thanks.

[gillenator]

I would not yet recommend that you see a derm at this point.

May I suggest that you meet with your HT surgeon first and get their opinion. Whatever you do, don't make any commitments for any further surgery. The hair mills especially are known for selling more surery if the first one fails.

IMHO, you also owe it to yourself to get a few other opinions from other reputable HT doctors and yes there are a number of them in NYC. Just take a peek at the recommended ones within this community and other sites.

After obtaining several other opinions, I think you will find more answers that begin to make sense. But al least give your doctor the benefit of hearing him out and try to temper down the anger before you meet. I know the emotions can run very high especially when the expected does not occur. Yet there may be other phisiological reasons for the massive shock and disparaging yield.

My recommendation is not be accusatory until you have all of the facts in hand including those other opinions.

I wish you the very best resolve Londinium. I know this has been stressful and dissapointing but try and hang in there the best you can. You are also welcome to phone me if you like or email me some digital quality pics in total confidence and I will reply to you.

[Londinium]

This is just an update in case anybody else reading this has been experiencing the same thing as me (scalp wide hair loss following transplant), the hair is coming back. I don't know why it happened but I'm glad it seems to have largely subsided by the first month and I'm not really seeing those huge patches of thinning throughout my scalp anymore. I also went to my transplant doctor as was suggested and he said he couldn't see any hair loss. There is, however, still actual shock loss around my donor scar but I understand that comes back within 3 - 4 months following the procedure. So, basically, if you're losing hair .. don't worry, it'll probably come back. I didn't take any pictures but I can tell you that it was A LOT of shedding. My t-shirts looked like they were transforming into fur coats. Anyway, thanks for the responses as always.

[drybone]

Well thats good news !!!! Keep us updated.

Snap a few more photos and let us know !!!!