Hair Loss Donor “Shock Loss” After a Hair Transplant – Is it Permanent?

In  hair transplant surgery, if one experiences “shock loss” in the donor area, will it grow back?

This question was posed  by a hair loss  sufferer on our hair restoration forum  and answered by  Dr. Michael Beehner  of Saratoga Springs, NY who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians. His professional answer is below.

My sense is that in the majority of cases of donor hair shock loss, the hair mostly returns. I have had this happen three times in my career, none within the past 8 years, as I have gotten smarter with age, I hope.

In all three cases the hair grew back and there did not appear to be any permanent hair loss. I have personally seen four cases of extensive permanent loss above and below the donor scar in work done at other hair restoration  clinics, and have heard of many others that colleagues of mine have seen come to them for repair.

One thing I have learned over the years is that, if at least one attempt has already been made by anybody to try and cut out the bare area, whether it’s from permanent shock loss or a wide scar, it is fruitless to attempt another excision procedure. Follicular unit extraction (FUE) into the scar is then the best option, even though the survival of grafts into this kind of tissue is less than the usual 90% we enjoy elsewhere.

Mike Beehner, M.D.

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Bill
Associate Publisher

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