Still have stubble 10 months post ARTAS FUE Hair Transplant. Might it grow?

Dear db70,Thank you for posting the question.  It is true: sometimes follicles can be dormant for up to 18 months prior to growing and forming a nice terminal hair in the recipient site.  However, these follicles typically shed out in the weeks following a hair restoration procedure and when the new hair sprouts, it typically does not remain at the same length for months on end.  What I have discovered in performing exclusively hair restoration surgery for well over a decade is that occasionally hairs can die if outside of the body too long.  This is more a reflection of the talent, experience, and dedication of the technical staff that assists with procedures, especially in ARTAS cases, due to the inherent limitations of speed with the ARTAS robot.  The simple fact is that if the techs are not careful with the follicles, or the surgical team is not proficient and the follicles stay outside the body for more than about 5 hours, or if the technicians allow the grafts to warm up, or if the grafts are allowed to dry out, they can literally die prior to implantation.  In those cases where the grafts are outside the body too long, the grafts warm up, are not handled properly with the proper instruments, or allowed to dry out, the grafts simply die.  Then, when implanted, it's literally a dead piece of tissue being implanted into your skin.  Since it came from your body, it can tend not to be rejected as much as, say, a wood sliver, and the body can tolerate it and just sort of wall it off from the rest of the skin.  In this way, the graft will just sit there indefinitely and appear as stubble and never actually grow because it did not make it through the transplantation process; it's simply a piece of dead hair lodged in your scalp.  I am not saying that this is the case with you specifically, but I have seen this issue with patients of other physicians I have seen in consultation as a second opinion months after a transplant where the hairs are there but simply do not grow at all.This is a very good example of why it's important to ask your hair restoration surgeon about the experience, dedication and talent of the technicians who will be handling your grafts.  A red-flag is if they are not (a) full-time staff, and (b) full-time technicians.  Being a hair restoration technician is very difficult, and someone who does it part-time, or just learned and doesn't have a lot of experience, is simply not going to provide optimal results.  Merely putting on medical scrubs does not make one a medical talent.  It takes years of dedicated experience at a busy practice to become proficient.I hope this information is helpful to you.

Most hair transplant patients show final results at around a year although some patients can take up to 2 years.  In my practice, we improve results by using the latest in regenerative techniques including PRP, growth factors etc to help the hair realize its full potential earlier.  Best Dr. Anil Shah

At 10 months after a hair transplant procedure (regardless of the harvest technique), patients should be seeing results, but the full results cannot be judged until at least the one year mark. It is true that in some patients, there will still be some improvement from the 12 to 18 month mark. At 12 months, I feel comfortable enough in most patients to consider a second transplant session if that is something the patient is interested in. As always with hair restoration, patience is key.
All the best,

Nothing you can do but wait and see if the grafts grow.  Sometimes it can take up to 18 months to get full results. Please update us

db70,It all depends on the post-op course. The prognosis of the transplant is not good if the transplanted hair have remained in place without growth since the transplant over 6 months ago. This is in contrast to transplanted hair remaining without shedding but commencing growth from the very first week. Normal growth is 1mm very 3 days. Please see the link below for further information.Sincerely,Bernardino A. Arocha, MD

be patient, I've had patients that haven't realized full results until nearly 18 months. The full result is often realized later when the hair doesn't shed immediately post op but begins to grow. The growth cycle can be pushed out a few months when the shedding doesn't occur. I recommend visiting with your doctor and reviewing the result. Also, remember that native density can not be realized with one treatment. You may desire a second procedure.

Typically one sees hair growing from 4 months but improvement will be expected until 12 months. We have very good experience with the PRP treatment at the time of the transplant -usually hair grows faster and thicker I routinely use it during the procedure

You will see results in 6 to 12 months. Sometimes it may take longer.  If you only have stubbles and it has not grown any in the last several months, something is not right.  Those stubbles may be your old transplanted hairs that have not fallen or slid out.  New hairs may be growing around them.  You would need an exam.

After undergoing the ARTAS hair transplant procedure, as with any other procedure, it takes time to see final results. The hair grafts, which have been harvested from one area and transferred to another, will need to adjust to the transition. This often occurs through a shift in phase from the anagen (growth) phase to telogen (shedding) phase. It will take between months 3 to 12 to start noticing a change as the follicles slowly re-enter the growth phase. This is when more significant growth and density will be visible. At the 12-month mark, one should be able to see the results of the hair transplant more fully.
As you are 10 months post hair transplant, I would heed your surgeon’s recommendation to wait until 18 months, as there may be additional growth. For some patients, it can take up to 2 years to see final results. You can reassess progress at that time and seek an evaluation with your doctor to determine whether a second procedure may be necessary to achieve desired results.

Glad to hear you are happy with your procedure so far.  I should continue to see more results with due time!  Congrats on your success to date.  Best, Dr. Rome