Can you pull out grafts one month after a hair transplant?

Question

After 33 days of my HT, I was in the normal post operative shedding phase . Until that point, I was very gentle with massaging my recipent area during the shampoo. Finally I decided to be more aggressive with the massage. That day I noticed tons of hair on my hands. Now I am nervous that I might have been too aggressive. There was no bleeding or physical damage. I have heard that by two weeks the hair shaft is separated from the growth center any way. Is there a chance I disturbed the grafts?

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

You cannot dislodge a graft one month after surgery.  Grafts are usually secure within the first few days.

Parsa Mohebi, MD, FISHRS · Answer

We tell our patients that by the 5th post op day the grafts have taken hold and aggressive hair washing will not disturb them.  Keep in mind that during weeks 2 to 4 you may start to see loss of the hair shafts, this is to be expected.  Never fear, new hair will grow in its place as the hair cycle begins anew.

Karl Hekimian, MD · Answer

After a month, the grafts are securely healed in.  Aggressive scrubbing will not remove or damage them.

David Perez-Meza, MD, FISHRS · Answer

No worries, nothing happened to you transplanted hair grafts. I did a study and I have written several articles about wound repair, revascularization of the transplanted hair grafts "how take and survive" and the critical time is the first 5 PO days. At 33 days PO you normally can wash your donor and recipient areas.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

The grafts are completely secure by 3 weeks, especially if all of the crusts are off. By that time the stem cells have taken root

Can you pull out grafts one month after a hair transplant?

Answers (5)