So, does shock loss recover, or doesn't it?

[win200]

I've gotten lots of contradictory info about whether shock loss in the recipient area recovers. I'm 15 weeks post-op with what feels, to me, like a lot of thinning in my forelock. I had 1,500 grafts placed along the hairline, and I'm not happy at all with how thin the middle looks now--I'd be crushed if it stayed that way, as it's no longer a solid hairline like I had before surgery. My surgeon looked at it and just said, "Oh, that'll recover." That's nice, but I'm still nervous. Rassman simply says that most shock loss is permanent or semi-permanent.

So, which is it?

[Tracy C]

My shock loss largely recovered, so Dr. Rassman is wrong about that. Shock loss isn't always permanent - and it does not always recover. That is why you cannot find a consistent answer. You will know if you have recovered when you are between 12 and 18 months post op.

[VictimOfDHT]

My own experience : I've had several HTs over the years (in the frontal area) and I don't think I even had shock loss from any of them, at least not that I could notice especially immediately after. The site might look thin after an HT but give it some time and hopefully it'll look like it did before the HT. From what they always say, those hairs that are thin (miniaturized) will likely be lost permanently. Those that are not, are likely to grow back, that's IF they're shed after the surgery.

[Spex]

I have experienced quite a bit of shockloss over the years in both recipient and donor area. I wouldnt worry too much - I can honestly say even in my most extreme cases of shockloss it all grew back - Took 5months approx.

Try not worry and keep busy - A watch kettle never boils.

Regards
SPEX

[win200]

I have experienced quite a bit of shockloss over the years in both recipient and donor area. I wouldnt worry too much - I can honestly say even in my most extreme cases of shockloss it all grew back - Took 5months approx.

Try not worry and keep busy - A watch kettle never boils.

Regards
SPEX

Thanks for the reply, Spex. When you say it took 5 months, do you mean that it took that long for the loss to begin regrowing, or that it was more or less grown in by that time? Because I'm at 15 weeks post-op and there's no sign of improvement. I just checked my 7-week pictures (available on this thread: http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=9370), and I've lost some group at the hairline since then; there's been a retreat of a few millimeters. Love to hear if you have any thoughts about my situation. Thanks!

[Spex]

Win,

I would say at 5 months it had started to all regrow and i was 50-70% back on track. Subsequent months only made the situ better and better.

Try not worry. Its a matter of time

Best
Spex

[Jeffrey Epstein, MD]

Win,

In most cases, shock loss does in fact recover, as there has not been permanent damage to the hair follicles. In these situations, I usually recommend some combination of minoxidil and/or laser light therapy.

[win200]

Win,

In most cases, shock loss does in fact recover, as there has not been permanent damage to the hair follicles. In these situations, I usually recommend some combination of minoxidil and/or laser light therapy.

Thanks very much, Dr. Epstein. I'd been avoiding minoxidil out of insecurity about the shed, but I need to just bite the bullet and do it.

Spex, I've seen you advise a taper onto Rogaine. Assuming I'm going to use the foam, how would you suggest structuring a taper?

[Dr. Lindsey]

If the roots weren't hit during slit placement, then yes, it should come back. On the other hand, if those hairs were "on their last leg" due to MPB anyway, that could seal their fate.

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[win200]

If the roots weren't hit during slit placement, then yes, it should come back. On the other hand, if those hairs were "on their last leg" due to MPB anyway, that could seal their fate.

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

Thanks, Dr. Lindsey. The thing that's particularly worrying me is that I'm seeing highly increased shedding all over the scalp since the procedure, including in areas that had never thinned before, including the anterior and the crown. Is this at all common, or am I just unlucky? This shedding is still continuing 5 months after the procedure, and shows no sign of abating.

[gillenator]

win200,

Permanent damage to the roots is transection however when that happens, the transected hair sheds almost immediately, not 5 plus months later post-op.

And yes, the shockloss can spread outside the recipient area to other regions of the scalp, albeit rare.

Have you by chance started any hairloss meds recently (post-op) or any other topical products like Nizoral or other scalp invigorators?

[win200]

win200,

Permanent damage to the roots is transection however when that happens, the transected hair sheds almost immediately, not 5 plus months later post-op.

And yes, the shockloss can spread outside the recipient area to other regions of the scalp, albeit rare.

Have you by chance started any hairloss meds recently (post-op) or any other topical products like Nizoral or other scalp invigorators?

I actually started Propecia on 9/20 and Rogaine on 10/17 (my surgery was on 6/20). The sustained shedding was still present when I started both treatments--it was actually the REASON I started both. I used Nizoral for a couple weeks (twice per week), but stopped because I thought my scalp was already undergoing so much tumult, between the surgery and two new meds, that I shouldn't push it. So maybe the shedding is some persistent shock loss combined with some fin/minoxidil shedding. Who knows.

I actually got my hair cut shorter this morning; it was REALLY long, and I was terrified about the thinness that I was going to see underneath. Surprisingly, it turned out looking really good. The funny thing about long hair is that sometimes it sort of clumps into strands and makes coverage look WORSE despite having more hair on your head. With my hair shorter, it splays apart more, and I'm not as thin as I thought I was.

[gillenator]

win,

Thank goodness you are now seeing improvemnent. And you are correct in how the longer hair can clump togethor and along with the effects of gravity, can make the hair look more sparse visually speaking.

There is an old saying in this field which states, "Shorter looks fuller". One of the docs I used to work for would occaisionally mention this to men who had more advanced classes of hairloss and never had the donor to fully cover their extent of hairloss.

He used to recommend cutting the hair down to a number 1 guide after he established lower ranges of restored density say on average 30 FUcm2 where there was no hair at all. These were men who had average caliber and also had more narrow color contrasts. Guys with more lighter hair color on fairer complexions.

This shorter length tended to produce more visual coverage because of how the hair shafts tended to stand more than hang, if that makes any sense, and this also allows more surface coverage because the grafts can also be spread out further from one another.

I still believe you are going to see continued improvement as your transplanted hair fully matures.

[win200]

win,

Thank goodness you are now seeing improvemnent. And you are correct in how the longer hair can clump togethor and along with the effects of gravity, can make the hair look more sparse visually speaking.

There is an old saying in this field which states, "Shorter looks fuller". One of the docs I used to work for would occaisionally mention this to men who had more advanced classes of hairloss and never had the donor to fully cover their extent of hairloss.

He used to recommend cutting the hair down to a number 1 guide after he established lower ranges of restored density say on average 30 FUcm2 where there was no hair at all. These were men who had average caliber and also had more narrow color contrasts. Guys with more lighter hair color on fairer complexions.

This shorter length tended to produce more visual coverage because of how the hair shafts tended to stand more than hang, if that makes any sense, and this also allows more surface coverage because the grafts can also be spread out further from one another.

I still believe you are going to see continued improvement as your transplanted hair fully matures.

I think you're right on. Ever since I got my hair cut shorter, I've felt significantly better. I'm lucky in that I still have a nearly full head of hair (Dr. Gabel said I'm about a NW1.5), but my front is starting to get a little thin, and the long bangs hanging down looked a little wispy. Of course, long hair only added to the problem, because it maximized the length difference between the graft hairs and my native hair. Now that the native hair is shorter, the transplanted growth looks more integrated. The right side of my hairline (which was advanced forward, creating a new hairline) now is completely indistinguishable from the native hair. On the right side, the hairs are coming in kinked/frizzy, so they still stand out a bit (I'm aware they'll straighten out).

The growth has really begun to mature in the last couple weeks, and I think I'm in a great position for 5.5 months. It's just a little crazy to see a new hairline that never existed before; I was transplanted with a relatively deep v-shape that is totally different from my natural hairline, but I really like it. The tip of the v touches my juvenile hairline, so when I part my hair, it really does look like I've got a juvenile hairline, because it covers the receded corners. It was a good strategy on the surgeon's part; it would have been stupid to transplant the entire hairline down to a juvenile point, but allowing the v to touch low creates a nice youthful look. For a non-IAHRS surgeon, I think I lucked out.

[Ossama]

Dears, please i have loss of hair now from donor area but after one year from hair transplantation
Now all the donor area appeared as bald area