Frightening case of permanent shock loss?

[Buckerine11]

I've been thinking hard about possibly getting a transplant to fill in my hairline, and since I don't think I need that many grafts, I'm leaning towards FUE. But, from what I understand, FUE doesn't give as good of yield as strip, and I recently stumbled across a poor fellow's FUE results from Dr. Armani.

His results are 9 months post-op, and not only have his grafts not grown in, but he's lost a good chunk of his native hair behind his transplant. This guy's case pretty much made me rethink getting a transplant, and it gave me nightmares, as this would be absolutely unbearable.

Is this even possible with FUE? If so, how often would something like this occur? If any doctors can shed light into why this might or could happen, it'd be great.

[Jeffrey Epstein, MD]

Buckerine- You touch upon a lot of very good issues which anyone considering a transplant needs needs to consider, and points to the importance of doing one's homework about different doctors and techniques.

First of all, at just 9 months, especially with FUE procedures, there are some patients who show little growth. A few reasons why this can occur- FUE grafts are a bit more delicate and therefore more susceptible to injury; over-dissection of the FUE grafts leaving mostly 1 and 2 hair grafts without any 3hair grafts and sometimes (and fortunately not very often) for completely unknown reasons some patients have delayed and occasionally incomplete or partial regrowth of hairs.

Second, the shock loss behind the transplants is something that usually (not always) can be avoided, by not going overly aggressive on the recipient sites/packing, as well as some other meticulous surgical technique that can be had only by a top notch experienced surgeon.

Third, and the previous paragraph begs the conclusion- do your homework and if a doctor's photos/promises seem too good to be true, proceed with caution.

Outstanding work - in both strip FUT as well as FUE- can be had by choosing a top notch and aesthetic surgeon.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS

[Buckerine11]

Thanks for the reply, Dr. Epstein. When you say that some FUE patients don't show growth at 9 months, do you mean that their grafts will grow later than 9 months, or that those transplanted follicles are already dead?

Also, Spencer, can I post a picture of the case directly without linking? I just want people to know the extent of the damage for this patient. thanks.

[tbtadmin]

Hi Buckerine -

While we have no problem with you posting any image you like, within reason of course, we believe that image belongs to the forum to which it was uploaded, and of course the person who uploaded it to begin with. In my opinion, it would not be good forum etiquette to take a photo that is on their forum to repost it here. Having said that, if the patient himself would like to post it, he would be more than welcome.

Thank you for your understanding. While it seems like such a small point, we strive to be respectful of all patients and other forums.

[SpencerKobren]

Thanks for the reply, Dr. Epstein. When you say that some FUE patients don't show growth at 9 months, do you mean that their grafts will grow later than 9 months, or that those transplanted follicles are already dead?

Also, Spencer, can I post a picture of the case directly without linking? I just want people to know the extent of the damage for this patient. thanks.

Hey Buckerine,

I’m glad to see that Dr. Epstein responded to your concerns. If I remember correctly, you’re under 25 and still have a lot of hair.

If I were you, I would really take my time and not rush into surgery of any kind.

Even in the most capable hands, there is always the possibility of a less than optimal outcome, and unless you’re emotionally equipped for that possibility, cosmetic surgery might not be for you.

I see that tbtadmin addressed your question about posting images from other forums, and I hope you understand our concerns and our policy.

Hang in there man, and keep us posted on what you decide to do.

[Buckerine11]

Thanks for the reply, Spencer. I guess it's just hard not to want a transplant when you see so many great turn outs on this website. I probably will delay surgery for a few years, but it's something that I'll always want to have done.
I still have alot of hair left on my head, but my hairline really thinned quite a bit in the last two years. It has been stabilized for awhile now, and that's why I thought that it'd be beneficial to go ahead and get a small transplant done. If I do get it done, I'd probably stay under 1500 grafts, as I won't need much more.

With people in their earlier 20s like me, it's tempting not to go for a transplant so you can enjoy youth, but like you said, it's a double edged sword that has the possibility to really screw you over.