How likely would results be altered if I get pregnant shortly after a hair transplant?

Question

I am wondering if the end results of a hair transplant would be altered if I get pregnant shortly after the surgery or within the first 6 months. I read that the full results show after 12 months and wonder if pregnancy would alter the results as hormones change during that pregnancy. is there a risk or is it safe to have the surgery then become pregnant within the same time frame providing all medication is stopped.

Glenn Vallecillos, MD, FACS · Answer

Having a hair transplant procedure during these periods of change might have a direct affect on the results so it would be wise to wait until at least 6 months after the pregnancy or after breast feeding finishes. Doing this would ensure that hormone changes will stabilize and will not have the potential to affect your results.

It's important to visit with a Hair-Transplant specialist and identify the causes of your hair loss - this diagnosis is more accurate when not in a state of hormonal fluctuation.

Hair Loss During Pregnancy:
The hair grows in a cyclical manner and this process is ongoing. There are three phases of growth:

Anagen-, where the hair receives nourishment from the blood supply before finally sprouting out.
Catagen, in which the hair detaches itself from the blood supply since it is fully grown now.
Telogen, where the hair enters a ‘resting period’ and awaits for new hair to sprout out and replace it.
During pregnancy, women’s bodies get flooded with two hormones namely, estrogen and progesterone. This affects a graft’s blood circulation and reduces the growth of hair. Hence, some women might suffer severe hair loss during pregnancy.

Additionally, pregnant women might observe hair loss potentially from stress during pregnancy. This phenomenon is known as ‘Telogen Effluvium’, and is related to hormonal changes. These sudden hormonal changes can worsen the body balance and may lead to hair loss. This type of hair loss occurs slowly and lasts for six months, and the results are mainly temporary.

Hair loss can also occur as a side effect of the thyroid hormone being excreted excessively. Similarly, deficiency of iron due to hormonal changes within the mother’s body can lead to hair loss during the pregnancy period too. However, hair loss occurred by the deficiency of iron is temporary. After childbirth, the hair returns to its normal growth circulation.

Tips to avoid further hair-loss:
Avoid tight hairstyles such as: ponytails, buns, and pigtails.
Be gentle with fragile hair
Avoid heated treatments on your hair
Keep your diet high in proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains

To be clear, the hair transplant treatment during pregnancy is, in fact, completely possible and safe to perform; for you and your baby. Because the anesthesia is local only and the procedure is non-invasive.

The sudden rise of hormones upsets the natural balance that is normally found within the body, and this has consequences later on. During the pregnancy, your hair enters a prolonged telogen phase, resting while awaiting replacement. But due to elevated estrogen, the replacement won’t come until after the delivery.

After childbirth, you will start to see them. Once the baby is born, hormonal levels will readjust to normalcy, which means another sudden change for the hair. The hair that was in a prolonged resting phase will now fall to make room for a new one, starting the cycle again. Thus, sudden hair loss happens.

Women can see their hair falling all at once or in clumps for three to four months after childbirth. Doctors refer to this specifically as hair shedding, rather than hair loss, because it is temporary. As stated, the hair falls to make room for new ones, thus, making a hair transplant treatment during pregnancy unnecessary in most cases. If your hair-loss is a direct result of your hormone changes (from pregnancy - i.e. it started after your pregnancy and didn't know signs pre-pregnancy) just wait it out, and it’ll be fine.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

Thanks for the question. After 14 days, a transplant result is pretty much finalized and there is little to nothing a person can do to affect or harm the results. (The only exception would be injury or trauma to the area).
We don’t have any published case series of patients who had transplants and got pregnant shortly prior to or after a hair transplant but in my opinion the result of the transplant would not be likely to be affected to much of a degree. One should not ideally be pregnant at the time of surgery and one should avoid sexual activity for 3-5 days after surgery. The hormones in pregnancy are helpful for the most part to promoting hair growth.  In summary, getting pregnant more than 1 month after a transplant will not likely affect the results one way or another. Of course, it can complicate the timing of the final result as some women experience significant shedding 2-9 months after pregnancy and some women actually find that delivery of a baby and the post partum period actually accelerates androgenetic alopecia to some degree. But the “final” result of a transplant will not be affected to any significant degree by the decision to become pregnant 1 month post surgery. A patient who becomes pregnant after surgery and has an outstanding result 24 months down the road can attribute that nice result to the surgeon and not the pregnancy. A patient who becomes pregnant after surgery and has a very poor result 24 months down the road can attribute that very poor result most likely to the surgeon not the pregnancy.

How likely would results be altered if I get pregnant shortly after a hair transplant?

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How likely would results be altered if I get pregnant shortly after a hair transplant?

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