Hair grafts for a thin crown area

[Folly]

Hi Tracy,

Thanks for the reply. In that case, i'm suprised that people are so worried about shock loss because the thin hairs that are in their last cycle provide little to no coverage anyway. They're useless.

Obviously if thicker hairs are lost from shock loss, the patient will have to wait a few months for these hairs to grow back. Do these hairs come back thinner from MPB, as they have been taken out of their anagen phase early ? In which case, your MPB has been accelerated by the HT.

[Tracy C]

i'm suprised that people are so worried about shock loss because the thin hairs that are in their last cycle provide little to no coverage anyway. They're useless.

That is one way to look at it...

The way I see it, it would be best to spend some time trying to re-strengthen those hairs if possible before even having surgery. That way maybe they can survive surgery and add to the final outcome. Every little bit helps. Even if it's only 5%. 5% is still better than nothing. I know... Most guys don't seem to get that "better than nothing" concept.

[Folly]

Gotchya !! Thanks Tracy

[Still-Researching]

To both Hairavatar and Folly,
For sure we have seen both pictures and heard stories on this and other forums about people who had a HT - mainly people with diffuse thinning and mid scalp/crown HTs, where transplanted hairs are inserted close or among existing hairs who has suffered significant shock-loss. The recipient area is traumatized due to the many small insertion cuts, and you risk loose some of your existing hairs, mainly hairs that would shed anyway in short time 6-12 months, but you also risk healthy hairs that could have lived much longer.

This is why you see often good doctors using much more grafts and inserting them in areas, where there are already hairs, as they know that if you only use a few - the existing risk to shed and you will end up worse or same as pre HT.

Hairavatar:
I am no doctor but 800-1000 grafts sounds like very little to be used in the crown area, and I would see this as a big risk of you ending with a result that you will not be happy with. Another thing is that 800-1000 grafts is very little in exchange for a strip scar. Not advocating FUE here - it is fine to go with FUT, but would wait and use propecia/rogaine/nizoral and see if everything is stabilized/improving. Then take contact to IAHRS doctor - make sure to discuss shock-loss and realistic number of grafts to get a satisfactory result. There is a reason that docs call the crown - A black hole - some people can use 2000 grafts and you cannot see it in the crown and it would make an enormous difference in the hairline.

Folly:
Again Folly, sorry to hear about your experience. I hope you will take good time to research before you take any further steps.

[Folly]

but you also risk healthy hairs that could have lived much longer.

Hi Still-researching, thanks for the info. So you're saying you can permanently lose terminal hairs from shock loss too ?

Also, if the terminal hair grows back after shock loss, does it come back thinner due to DHT ?

Folly:
Again Folly, sorry to hear about your experience. I hope you will take good time to research before you take any further steps.

Definitely. Thanks for the advice dude.

[Still-Researching]

Hi Still-researching, thanks for the info. So you're saying you can permanently lose terminal hairs from shock loss too ?

Also, if the terminal hair grows back after shock loss, does it come back thinner due to DHT ?

Yes, you can permanently lose healthy hairs too - it can happen in both donor and recipient area, however in most cases the hairs grow back, and believe they would not be thinner. You limit such risk by choosing a skilled doctor and discuss such risks when you design hairlines or placement in mid/crown area.

Above should more be seen as another reason to think hard before asking to place grafts in areas where there are already some density of healthy hairs, it is a bet on that the trauma from the HT will not damage these hairs. You can place hairs up close to the receding hairline, but all around other hairs - is a bet...

When I had my HT a month ago - we discussed this specifically, as I have an "island" like of hair in the hairline and the doc said that the "bridge" in the forelock behind my hairline has some density, however these hairs would not be able to survive a HT - so we had to place more grafts there, but the island would survive - we will see in 12 months :-)

[Folly]

Yes, you can permanently lose healthy hairs too

Wow, i've asked this question a couple of times on this forum, but this is the first time i've been answered. That's really worrying. I wasn't told this by my HT surgeon when i had my surgery last year. My hairline was still reasonably dense when i had my surgery, but i was told that the chance of shock loss was less than 5%. I believe i've had shock loss after my surgery, whether it was permanent or not, i don't know. All i know is my hairline is worse now than it was pre op. I was ignorant when i got my HT last year, so tbh, i probably deserve all the bad luck i've had.

I'm planning to get another procedure to add density to my hairline, in the red area shown in the attached picture. Most of the hairs in the red area are transplanted, so i'm assuming if the doc adds high denisty in this area, the risk of shock loss is low.Would you agree Still-researching ? Can you also permanently lose previously transplanted hairs from shock loss.

Thanks dude.

[mr.z]

get a FUE

don't get a FUT. it's backwards. you ll have a massive scar, and if you shave ur hair you ll have a big smiley on the back of your head.

you ll regret a FUT

6months- 1 year of discomfort. you ll have to watch out with all sorts of stuff like picking up groceries. all that stuff stretches ur scar. you ll possibly have permanent numb feeling on ur head. research FUT - so many downsides. FUT is barbaric , no need for it.

get a FUE.

[Folly]

But you get a lot more grafts with strips don't you ? My dad is an NW4, so i'm not sure if i'll get enough grafts with just FUE. Especially since i have fine hair and need extra grafts/cm^2 for coverage.

[Tracy C]

Wow, i've asked this question a couple of times on this forum, but this is the first time i've been answered.

Folly, No one can accurately anwer that question. Though I believe it is probably possible, I am not a doctor therefore I am not qualified to answer.

My hairline was still reasonably dense when i had my surgery, but...

You did not need hair transplant surgery and the doctor who performed your surgery should have turned you away. Ultimately, it was your decision to move forward with having the surgery. That is the reality of your situation. It was a mistake. Now all you can do is do what you can to make the best of it.

[Folly]

I'm planning to get another procedure to add density to my hairline, in the red area shown in the attached picture.
Thanks dude.

SH#t, i didn't attach the pic. Sorry !!

[hairavatar]

Hairavatar:
I am no doctor but 800-1000 grafts sounds like very little to be used in the crown area, and I would see this as a big risk of you ending with a result that you will not be happy with. Another thing is that 800-1000 grafts is very little in exchange for a strip scar. Not advocating FUE here - it is fine to go with FUT, but would wait and use propecia/rogaine/nizoral and see if everything is stabilized/improving. Then take contact to IAHRS doctor - make sure to discuss shock-loss and realistic number of grafts to get a satisfactory result. There is a reason that docs call the crown - A black hole - some people can use 2000 grafts and you cannot see it in the crown and it would make an enormous difference in the hairline.

Thanks for all the responses but just to clarify:
I lost a lot of my hair a long time ago and have managed to grow a lot back through the use of minoxydil and finesteride. But now after years of usage it has remained the same with just a small thin area at the crown.

I would like to get FUE but cost is of great importance.

I will have to see what the various consultants have to say about shock loss first.