When Do Hair Transplant Grafts Stop Shedding?

I had a hair transplant 4 weeks ago and I have been continuously shedding for the past few days. When does the shedding stop and the growth begin?

Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer, because everyone sheds at different stages and begin growth at different times. No two people are the same. Therefore, one person may start shedding two weeks after hair transplant surgery and start growing three months after surgery. Conversely, one individual may start shedding 5 weeks after surgery and may not see any growth until the 5th to 6th month after surgery.

Immediately following a hair transplant the scalp is typically pink with tiny scabs forming around the micro-incision sites. The tiny graft incision sites heal rapidly within 7-10 days. After surgery the scalp may experience some minor swelling and redness. Generally, the redness clears up and fades away after a few weeks, but can prolong for months in fair skinned individuals. The majority of patients begin to shed their transplanted hair around the third to fourth week following surgery. In rare cases, some of the transplanted hair will not shed and will continue to grow.

The majority of patients begin to see noticeable hair growth around seven months after surgery. By this time most patients have grown a significant amount of new hair. That said, the hairs are not mature yet they will continue to grow in diameter in the following months. In some instances, the newly transplanted hair may appear curly and frizzy. This is a fairly common issue. The hair will begin to straighten over time as the hair matures. By twelve months most patients have grown all of their transplanted hair. However, even at twelve months some of the hairs have not fully matured and grown in to their final state. At eighteen months all of the transplanted hair has matured and grown in diameter providing a fuller and thicker appearance to the hair transplant result.

It is important to understand the process of a hair follicles life cycle. There are three stages of a hair follicles life cycle the anagen (growth), catagen (transitional) and telogen (resting) phase. When follicular units are transplanted they enter the telogen (resting) phase at different times. Each hair follicle is independent and will enter different stages at different times. Additionally, the time it takes for new growth to appear varies from individual to individual, some patients see growth within a few months and others take almost a full year.

Written and published by,
Melvin- Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network and The Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians