my husband is 30, always had a thick head of hair until the last 2 years it started thinning in typical male pattern baldness. This caused him so much emotional distress I agreed to spend $11k getting Bosley procedure. It was only done a month ago so I imagine we need to wait a few months to see full results but my husband is worried he made his situation worse. What can we do to help the hair growth on top get fuller quicker and will it ever be as thick as it was in his 20s? He had 2300 grafts.
September 3, 2015
Answer: Shock Loss Common with Slit Sites Unfortunately shock loss can be very common in both FUE and FUT hair transplant procedures if slit incisions are made to transplant the hairs. In my opinion this is an outdated approach, but many clinics still use this method. The procedure is thus: after applying anesthesia to the donor area, micro incisions are made in the scalp using a specialized blade and then the grafts are put into these pre-made sites. The problem is that making the slit sites disturb existing hair follicles and they become traumatized and shed their hair - leading to what is know as "shock loss."To prevent this, I recommend the use of specialized implanters which avoid the need for making slit incisions. I also recommend the use of growth factors with every surgery. I never have shock loss with my technique. The website below has some information on my technique. The good news is that most of the time, hair shed from shock loss will grow back. It will just take time and patience. Best, Dr. Welter
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September 3, 2015
Answer: Shock Loss Common with Slit Sites Unfortunately shock loss can be very common in both FUE and FUT hair transplant procedures if slit incisions are made to transplant the hairs. In my opinion this is an outdated approach, but many clinics still use this method. The procedure is thus: after applying anesthesia to the donor area, micro incisions are made in the scalp using a specialized blade and then the grafts are put into these pre-made sites. The problem is that making the slit sites disturb existing hair follicles and they become traumatized and shed their hair - leading to what is know as "shock loss."To prevent this, I recommend the use of specialized implanters which avoid the need for making slit incisions. I also recommend the use of growth factors with every surgery. I never have shock loss with my technique. The website below has some information on my technique. The good news is that most of the time, hair shed from shock loss will grow back. It will just take time and patience. Best, Dr. Welter
Helpful
June 2, 2016
Answer: Shock loss after hair transplant What your husband is experiencing is very common and can be very distressing. (I know this first hand.) The more hair you have in the area of thinning prior to the transplant (the less bald you are), the more likely it is for shock loss to occur and the more likely it is to be noticeable. There is very little your husband could have done to make things worse (other than pulling his hair out). If he is not already on Propecia (finasteride) and/or minoxidil, and/or using a laser device, this is something he could discuss with his surgeon. He could also try one of a number of camouflaging products that are available (e.g., Toppik). Though much of the shock loss is likely to recover over the next 3-4 months, and this will be supplemented by growth of the transplanted hair, it is unrealistic to think that his hair will be as thick as it was in his twenties.
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June 2, 2016
Answer: Shock loss after hair transplant What your husband is experiencing is very common and can be very distressing. (I know this first hand.) The more hair you have in the area of thinning prior to the transplant (the less bald you are), the more likely it is for shock loss to occur and the more likely it is to be noticeable. There is very little your husband could have done to make things worse (other than pulling his hair out). If he is not already on Propecia (finasteride) and/or minoxidil, and/or using a laser device, this is something he could discuss with his surgeon. He could also try one of a number of camouflaging products that are available (e.g., Toppik). Though much of the shock loss is likely to recover over the next 3-4 months, and this will be supplemented by growth of the transplanted hair, it is unrealistic to think that his hair will be as thick as it was in his twenties.
Helpful 2 people found this helpful