Day 11 post-op... Is it normal to be shedding this much? Should I be worried

[flare2flare]

I'm really worried.

I did not touch my head for 9 days. I only let water and a pharmaceutical shampoo(PH neutral given by the doctor) slowly drip down on my skull from a water cup. But I didn't rub or anything.


On the 10th day, I got tired of having a HUGE amount of crusts(white dead skin) on my skull so I decide to follow the instructions from my doctor which said I could gently start massaging my skull with shampoo but only using the pad of my fingers which I did do(after letting the shampoo sit on my scalp for 10 mins). I didn't apply any pressure and I didn't use my nails. Also, no bleeding whatsoever.

The problem is....

I lost a TON of transplanted hairs. After only 1 wash, almost all the flakes and scabbing is gone but so is "my new look". I look almost identical to how I looked exactly before the surgery(granted I see a little more "baby hairs" on my skull).


Is this normal? I'm on my 11th day today. I don't understand.

[Kyle Kneeland]

For nearly all patients, the transplanted hairs will fall out within two months of the initial procedure (usually under 1 month). Then they grow back over the course of the next several months. Your doctor should have gone over this with you.

[flare2flare]

Hi Kyle!


He did tell me I would lose all the transplanted hair but I thought it was supposed to be much later. I really don't mind losing this hair at all but what worries me is if it's normal to lose almost all of it at day 10. I thought it was supposed to happen gradually and at around 2-3 week mark.

[Kyle Kneeland]

Day 10 is on the earlier end of when you can expect shedding but it isn't too soon, it's fairly common for the hairs to fall out with the scabs. As long as there isn't any sign of trauma as they come out (bleeding, pain, etc.) I don't think you have any reason to be worried. If you're in doubt you can always check in with your doctor too!

[flare2flare]

Thank you Kyle for taking the time to help out by responding to my thread.

Really appreciate it!!

[mattj]

Those follicles have been moved from your donor area to the recipient area. That's a lot of trauma for them. Some patients experience complete shedding of essentially all transplanted grafts, while others hang on to many of them.

It's good that you waited until the important part of the graft is secure below the surface of the skin. You've massaged away dead hairs while the living follicle remains within your scalp. Totally normally. I know that patients are informed about this by their doctor, but it still sometimes comes as a shock. 11 days is very early. Even three months is very early. Things will pick up and when your hairs start sprouting you'll notice a real cosmetic difference that just increases day by day. Patience is the key.