Shock loss in donor area (Photo)

Question

i had fue 1200 grafts done around 3 months ago....beg of march 2016...it is now mid june 2016...when i take pictures with flash on the camera you can see the concerned area...also when i buzz the back to a number 2 the barbers ask me if i have a rash etc...however when i asked a stranger, under normal lighting, if they noticed anything they said they could not tell.. do you think the donor area will recover as the whole point of the surgery was to be able to cut my hair short?

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Shock loss is due to the loss of normal hair whether it is from donor site or recipient area.  It can occur with both FUE and strip procedures.  Usually if it occurs it will take place in the recipient area.  
Shock loss from hair transplant can occur due to the following:
Anesthesia-  excessively long procedures taking longer than 12 hours can induce shock loss more likely.  the repeated use of lidocaine, marcaine, and perhaps most importantly epinephrine can affect nourishment of the hairTraumatic harvest-  In strip surgery, traumatic harvest can induce shock loss.  Recipient area trauma- during the incision making process the hairs are either crushed or cut and damaged during the process. 
Ways to minimize shock loss are as follows:
Improve recipient bed and donor area environment.  Make your recipient environment improved by addition of growth factors and/or PRP to help reduce incidence of shock loss to native hairs.Use of Rogaine and Propecia- can help miniaturized hair become more stable and less likely to fall out during procedure9xRobotArtas-  The latest version of the robot can make recipient sites and can determine angle of existing hair and help ensure that the angle will not damage existing hair.  Especially helpful in patients where you are transplanting hair to create densityMinimize anesthesia time and procedure time- We limit number of grafts to a safe number per session.  Extended anesthesia periods and harvest times can cause patients to have a higher chance of shock loss.  The 9x Robot harvests between 1000-1500 grafts per hour making it superior to previous additions and traditional FUE approaches.Best, 
Anil Shah

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

FUE is not a scarless surgery.  You may see thinning or hair loss that seem "patchy" especially if you have black hair and fair skin.

Sean Behnam, MD · Answer

3 months is still fairly early, it often takes longer for a donor area affected by shock loss to fully recover. Redness remaining at this point is a little unusual but not unheard of- as long as it's not severe and seems to be diminishing it's no reason to worry, but you can talk to your doctor about it and they may give you some recommendations to help reduce it.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

Yes, redness in the donor area post FUE is very normal. It will take a few more months for everything to resolve. This does not mean shock loss necessarily. In fact, shock loss with a 1200 graft  FUE procedure would be unusual. Within a year, it would be unusual for your barber to make comments about a 'rash'. What you are describing is very normal at the 3 month mark.

Michael Meshkin, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

It is normal to have thining in the donor area after soon FUE hair transplant. Unfortunately many doctors that advertise FUE as noninvasive hair transplant fail to mention this to their clients which leaves their cleonts in shock when thining actually happens.

Shock loss in donor area (Photo)

Answers (6)

Answer: Redness in the donor area

Answer: Redness in the donor area

Answer: Hair loss in the donor area after FUE hair transplant

Answer: Hair loss in the donor area after FUE hair transplant

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Shock loss in donor area (Photo)

Answers (6)

Answer: Redness in the donor area

Answer: Redness in the donor area

Answer: Hair loss in the donor area after FUE hair transplant

Answer: Hair loss in the donor area after FUE hair transplant

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about FUE Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.