Does Hair Always Shed after Hair Transplant Surgery?

This question, from a member of our Hair Restoration Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by recommended hair transplant surgeon Dr. Blake Bloxham:

Four months after my strip hair transplant, I’m struggling to find any hairs that have fallen out. They’re all like 1 inch long now. Maybe they fell out and grew back really fast?

I had a lot of shock loss behind the transplanted area and although it’s filling in slightly better now, I’m not sure if that’s because the existing hairs just got longer or if the ones that fell out are actually growing back in. Do some people never recover from shock loss?

There is a very small sub-sect of patients (somewhere in the 2% range) who do not shed or experience a post-op telogen (follicular sleeping) phase after hair restoration surgery. I’ve only seen this in one patient, and I’m still not sure. He stopped by the office at 3-4 months and already looked very good. However, I had previously performed 2 procedures on him, and this one was a “hair greed” finishing touch job, so it was difficult to tell if it was the result of no hair growth, very early growth, growth of his other transplants in the area, etc.

Some people experience permanent shock loss. It usually only occurs when weakened follicles undergo a trauma (like surgery) and they aren’t strong enough to really recover. I personally think it’s a little rarer than reported, but it is a real phenomenon.

Dr. Blake Bloxham
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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator