Can Hair Transplants Grow Thick Enough for Long Hair?

Generally individuals who have had hair transplants have a diffiuse area of hair loss and growing a pony tail would appear incompatible with their overall appearance not to mention the dramatic change in their "look". The length of the hair depends on the donor site characterisics and it is possible to grow hair that long.

Hair that has been grafted and transplanted is no different from the other hair present on the scalp. It will and should grow in the same manner and pattern as the rest of the hair follicles present. Hence, a hair transplant does not affect how the hair grows, it only aids in the re-distribution of follicles.
If a patient wishes to grow their hair out to whatever length, be it shoulder, waist, or knees, it will most definitely occur but it takes time for the hair to grow. This is because the hair in general only grows about a centimeter per month. Therefore, to grow hair long enough to put in a ponytail (from a bald head after surgery) it can take up to two years.
This is why most before and after pictures show patients with short groomed hair. Typically, the after pictures are clicked approximately after the one-year mark of completion of the surgery because it takes that long for the follicles to undergo the hair growth cycle and for the permanent results to set in.
Obviously, if the patient is facing trouble with their growth, other treatments like hair supplements, platelet-rich plasma therapy, and low-level laser therapy can be used to boost the effects.