What are the common causes or reason for hair thinning well over a year after transplant? (photos)

Genetic hair loss does not stop.  Hair loss will continue despite hair transplant surgery.  It is best to follow up with your doctor for an examination.

Thank you for posting this question. A hair transplant surgery does literally nothing to stop the inevitable progression of hair loss. Hair loss is a lot like dental decay....in 3 important areas:1) both are incurable2) both are progressive in nature3) both are with you for lifeSo, the most likely reason for your thinning hair is the same reason that you sought out a hair transplant in the first place: male pattern hair loss. You should be treating the hair loss aggressively with things like finasteride, LLLT, PRP procedures, etc. If you don't then you'll end up having far more hair transplant procedures in your life than you had planned. Not treating hair loss but getting hair transplant surgery is a bit like refusing to brush your teeth and just going to the dentist to get new porcelain ones surgically implanted as your own teeth rot out. So, my advice is to step up your game in your hair loss prevention efforts. Rogaine and biotin and not significant therapies to stop serious hair loss. I hope this information is helpful to you.Kind Regards,Ken Anderson, MD, FISHRS, ABHRSBoard Certified Hair Restoration Surgeon

The transplanted hair won't get thinner. İt might be your natural hair that got thinner in between the transplanted hair. Best solution is to get in touch with your hair specialist.

After a hair transplant we advise to carefully protect the transplanted hairs for the first 5 days, after which showering and increasing your activities is possible. The transplanted hair shafts will typically fall out in about 3 weeks and the new hairs will start to grow in at 3-4 months. Full growth is judged at 10-12 months. Sometimes the native hairs in the recipient area will continue to thin over time which can give the illusion of a failed transplant, when in reality most of the density is actually from the transplanted hair.
Gary Linkov, MD
Hair Specialist
Manhattan

Thank you for your question.The hair follicles that are transplanted are genetically-resistant against baldness so they will, in theory, continue to grow over your lifetime. However, if your hair loss condition is progressive and has not been stabilized yet, you may still experience hair loss in different areas of your head. A useful approach is to build a solid foundation ahead of surgery by stabilizing your hair loss through medical treatment, with a drug such as finasteride. This will give you a sense of your hair's stability, and prevent against further loss. Consult your doctor as a first port of call.

The only way to give you an honest appraisal of the procedure is with before and after photos. In addition to the after photos you have given, is it possible to send before photos?

Hi, How are you? Have you by chance had a post op appointment to discuss your concerns with the surgeon who performed your procedure? Have you stopped using Rogaine after 15 months? If so unfortunately that might be contributing to the fears and concerns you may be experiencing. Reason being is because if you start or stop the Rogaine or if you aren't able to be all in you might want to reconsider using Rogaine all together. Starting and stopping it after that long will cause shedding and shock loss. Typically things we want our patients to avoid.  If you are still using Rogaine it might be irritating your scalp and that is why you are noticing redness. 

Hello, thank you for the question. I’m sorry to hear your transplant didn’t  get the results you hoped for, I know that’s very frustrating. The most common cause for thinning after a transplant is normal thinning in your natural hair. I advise you to make an appointment with a surgeon and see what is the best next step for you. Good luck.

It's difficult to comment on your results without seeing preoperative photos.  A hair transplant will not prevent further loss, and the most common cause of thinning after a hair transplant is ongoing loss of the native (non-transplanted) hair.  If you haven't yet, I'd suggest a visit to your surgeon to review photos and discuss results and ways to preserve your native hair such as finasteride (Propecia), minoxidil (Rogaine), platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and laser therapy (LLLT) as well as more grafting.  If you're still not happy, seek another opinion.

Not fun to not get the results you want! I would love to be able to see your donor site to see how many grafts you have available and I'm assuming this was a FUT based upon the number of grafts. You certainly have thin hair on your scalp. I'm not sure anything short of a repeat transplant would help you get a full head of hair that you hopefully want! In general I would reccomend a few consults, compare costs and compare results. I know its frustrating but there is a surgeon out there who can get you the results you want!