I am thinking about getting a hair transplant, but I keep reading horror stories about hair transplant shock loss after. If I do have a hair transplant, is there any way to know if I will have hair transplant shock loss? Is there any way to prevent shock loss from hair a transplant?

Hair Transplant Shock Loss Is Temporary in Most Cases

Hair transplant shock loss stories are terrifying. Patients have a hair transplant to make their hair loss situation better, and end up looking worse than they did before they had the hair transplant. First, it’s important to understand that the rate of shock loss is only 1 to 2 % in our practice and that hair transplant shock loss is temporary in most cases (shocked hairs typically grow back between 3-6 months).

Patient with shock loss in the donor area from another clinic. Hair transplant shock loss is temporary in most cases and typically shocked hairs grow back between 3-6 months.

Hair transplant shock loss is when physical trauma done to the transplanted hairs causes them to shed from the recipient or donor area after a transplant. The trauma to the hair is caused by the very tools and chemicals that are used to perform the transplant. It can happen no matter what method of hair transplant is being performed by the doctor.

There is no way to predict if you will be subject to shock loss after a hair transplant before the procedure occurs. This is due to the fact that how your doctor performs your hair transplant has a greatest effect on whether you will experience it or not.

The chance of shock loss after a hair transplant increases if your doctor has no respect for the hair angle when making the incision sites, packs the transplanted hair too densely or if the hairs are fragile and in the end of the anagen cycle.

Medications Can Decrease Your Chances of Hair Transplant Shock Loss

Aside from your doctor properly respecting the hair angle at the incision site and grafting healthy hair in an appropriate density, there is little that you can do to prevent shock loss after a hair transplant. You can try to strengthen your hairs with medications like minoxidil or propecia (consult your doctor first). The use of either of these two medications can possible decrease your chances of hair transplant shock loss.

I am doing research into hair transplants. I am 36 and am thinning around my crown. I am considering stopping Propecia, as I am worried about the side effects. Should I even be considering having a hair transplant if I stop taking Propecia?

Most Doctors Recommend Stopping Propecia if You Experience Adverse Side Effects.

Yes there are sexual side effects with Propecia, as it affects your testosterone, but most people taking it do not have severe enough side effects to stop Propecia use. In comparison, the benefits of Propecia far outweigh the side effects, especially in younger patients who see the most benefit from the drug. However, most doctors will recommend stopping Propecia if you do experience any of the adverse side effects and to consider alternative medications such as Rogaine.

Stopping Propecia Can Lead to Additional Hair Transplants

How Propecia works is that it maintains the hair that you currently have and possibly reverses hair follicles that have been miniaturized in some cases. However, if you stop taking propecia, all of the benefits will reverse. Stopping Propecia can also increase the number of hair transplants needed over your lifetime.

DHT can cause hair follicles to shrink until there are fewer visible hairs left on the scalp. Propecia blocks the formation of DHT.

If you do decide to take Propecia and have a hair transplant, Propecia use could decrease the number of hair transplant procedures that you may need over your lifetime. Because Propecia maintains the hair that you currently have, you won’t lose that hair as fast.

For best results, many hair transplant surgeons recommend pairing Propecia with Rogaine. The treatment results seen from using both medications together are much better than using either of the treatments separately. Your hair transplant surgeon may even recommend low light laser therapy if you have a large amount of miniaturization of follicles. The use of all three can markedly slow down any additional loss of the hair you currently have.

I had a hair transplant before with scaring in my donor area. I was about 50% pleased with the hair transplant and 0% with the scar. I have a lot of body hair that is thick and am considering a body hair transplant. I am 57 and not looking for perfection but possibly a body hair transplant with FUE, if it can improve my hairline and add some hair to the top of my head. My transplant does look natural, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to take more from the donor area but rather a body hair transplant to head. Thanks.

I’m not convinced that a body hair transplant to head leads to a satisfying result, either aesthetically or in terms of graft yield (the successful growth of the transplanted hairs).

Therefore we don’t perform a body hair transplant. Body hair transplant to head hair is usually of a different texture and thickness than scalp hair (you did mention that your body hair is heavy) and the result can stand out as looking unnatural. Moreover, body hair transplant surgery does tend to be more expensive than other options.

My advice would be to schedule a free consultation. I can then assess your scalp and donor region. It’s quite possible that you have enough hair in your donor area to supply ample grafts to achieve your goal of adding hair to the top and improving your hairline without a body hair transplant to head.

I can select the best hairs for the most refined result. Alternatively, you might be a candidate for a FUT (strip) procedure, which might provide the potential for improving the scar from your previous hair transplant.

I hope you find this helpful and I wish you luck.

I’m planning a hair transplant early next year. Can you please advise the average cost of hair transplant? I know that it’s best to schedule a consultation to get cost for hair transplant first, but I’m wondering if a procedure is even an option for me because of price.

At Rahal, average cost of hair transplant is determined on a “per graft” basis, though most of our patients invest anywhere from $5,000 – $15,000 per procedure (before available discounts).

In order to determine the average cost of hair transplant, the first step is to schedule a free online consultation. This consultation will allow a Rahal physician to evaluate your hair characteristics, such as hair texture and quality, pattern of loss and donor availability. Your Rahal physician can then design a personal hair loss treatment plan for your particular needs, which will include the cost for hair transplant. There is also a resource here to help determine cost for hair transplant.

At Rahal we also perform both the FUE and FUT (strip) methods of hair transplantation, and the average cost of hair transplant can vary depending on which method is better suited for you. Therefore, the best option is to schedule a no-obligation consultation with a Rahal physician to further discuss your desired outcome, cost for hair transplant and receive your personal hair loss treatment plan.

I recently read that hair dye can cause hair loss. I don’t see any damage but I don’t want to continue dying my hair if it can cause hair loss from hair dye. When people say that dying your hair causes hair loss, do they mean permanent hair loss or do they mean it can temporarily weaken your hairs and they might fall out and then will grow back? Can hair dye cause hair loss?

I’m often asked the question “Can hair dye cause hair loss?” by my patients and my answer is … If products are of a commercial grade containing safe ingredients and purchased from a reliable source, you should not experience hair loss from hair dye.

However, hair dye products contain certain chemicals that if misused or over used can result in damage to hair follicles or your scalp and cause hair loss from hair dye. One example is chemical straightening used on hair that can burn the scalp and cause temporary or permanent hair loss.

It is important to note that the regular use of hair products (sprays, gels, dyes) along with routine washing and combing of hair does not cause hair loss. Most people suffering from hair loss have a genetic predisposition to hair loss called androgenic alopecia. This condition will progress over time regardless of the use of cosmetic styling products. Some people are more prone to hair loss and the overuse or improper use of chemicals in lower grade products may cause hair loss from hair dye by stimulating and accelerating the process of hair loss.

It is recommended that you test any hair product on a small part of your scalp to identify any reactions to avoid hair loss from hair dye. Here is a great resource of the types of hair dye. If hair loss occurs because of hair dye it is best to consult a dermatologist for a thorough scalp inspection and further advice.

I keep hearing about this new, cutting-edge process called neograft hair transplant and that is supposed to automate hair transplant surgery. Does it really work as easy as they say it does? What exactly is it?

Neograft hair transplant is not a new, cutting edge, automated procedure. The Neograft is a machine that is used in a specific hair transplant procedure referred to as Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). The FUE procedure is the alternative method chosen in hair transplants for those that are afraid of potential scaring from the strip excision method for harvesting hair during a hair transplant.

With the FUE procedure, hair is harvested from the back of the scalp from what is called the “donor area”. The hair from the donor area is the hair that is used for the grafts in the hair transplant; the Neograft is the machine that harvests the hair, one graft at a time.

The neograft hair transplant is marketed all over the nation to doctors who have no training in hair transplants and as a way to turn an easy profit by starting to do hair transplants for their patients, even though these doctors have no experience in performing this procedure. It’s actually the technical crew that is trained in a neograft hair transplant and are the ones who perform the procedure, not the doctor.

The skills that are needed to perform a hair transplant are not ones that can be learned in a two-day neograft hair transplant course, like the one offered with the machine. Above all, it definitely should not be done by someone who is not a physician either, no matter how well they are trained to be a technician in a neograft hair transplant.

The marketing department of the Neograft machine would like to have you believe that the use of the machine and the FUE procedure is for everyone and can be done by any technician, but this is not the case. Because each patient has different hair transplant goals and needs, this is not a procedure that you want to have done on you by anyone other than a doctor trained in this field.

Performing hair transplants are work intensive, but relatively easy for a surgeon that has good aesthetic and surgical skills.

I have heard that hair can be transplanted to the eyebrows. Can you do eyebrow hair implants? Are hair implants for eyebrows possible? I would be nervous that it would not look natural.

We have performed quite a lot of eyebrow hair implants. And unlike other eyebrow enhancement techniques, hair implants for eyebrows is the only permanent solution.

Patients looking at hair implants for eyebrows may have a wound that has created a bald patch in their eyebrow. Other times they may have a history of over-plucking, which can cause the hairs to stop growing. Others are simply born without the shape or density of the eyebrow that they desire.

The eyebrow hair implants procedure is simple, and only a smaller number of follicular units are required to achieve a natural result. However, eyebrow hair implants require an artistic approach to create a truly natural and permanent look, so your physician must also considers arch shape and thickness of hair. It’s also important to place each graft into the donor sites at the correct position and angle.

Because of the incredible results, hair implants for eyebrows is increasingly in high demand at Rahal.

My hair seems to be falling out really fast. I am thinking of buying Avodart or Propecia, but I’ve heard that Avodart vs Finasteride is stronger and I want to do everything I can to keep my hair! Can you explain which one is stronger, Avodart vs Finasteride?

Avodart or Propecia, also known as Dutasteride and Finasteride, both work by blocking the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the hormone that causes male pattern baldness.

Which drug is the stronger drug, Avodart or Propecia? Avodart vs Finasteride is indeed the stronger drug but at this time does not have FDA approval for male pattern baldness.

It is also possible that users might be more likely to experience unwanted side effects with Avodart vs Finasteride. Since Propecia can be very effective in fighting hair loss, I advise patients to try this medication first before considering Avodart vs Finasteride.

As always, speak to your family doctor before taking Avodart or Propecia.

I’m 30 years old and have stage two hair loss in the hairline. Not bad at all. Just two gaps on the side, and I can conceal it with creative styling. My question is – if I get a hair transplant and fill the gaps, what happens if my hairline recedes further? Will it not look bad? How can I learn how to prevent a receding hairline? Are there ways to prevent receding hairline?

If you’re considering a hair transplant, it’s always a good idea to learn how to prevent a receding hairline first. When learning how to prevent a receding hairline, I recommend that my male patients use medication such as Propecia (Finasteride) and Rogaine (Minoxidil) in conjunction with surgery to prevent receding hairline.

Each hair transplant procedure should also stand on its own, keeping in mind that the patient may eventually have extensive hair loss. This allows the patient to stop after each session and look completely natural. Success also depends on donor supply, hairline placement/design and large sessions to provide maximum coverage and density. And of course medication to first prevent receding hairline.

It’s important to discuss the above with your doctor and learn how to prevent a receding hairline. Hair transplant planning to prevent receding hairline can be quite complex.

I am 29 with hair loss, and I like to keep my hair short. At this point I can’t hide my receding hairline any longer. So I am considering hair transplant surgery. Can you explain the difference between a FUE vs FUT?

Main Difference Between FUE vs FUT

With FUT, also known as a follicular unit transplant or strip, you are given local anesthesia in the donor area of your scalp, and your Rahal physician will remove the donor strip.

The donor area is then sutured. This typically leaves a fine scar that’s easily hidden by your remaining hair. The follicular units are then removed from the donor strip under microscopic control and divided into natural groupings of one, two and three hair follicular units.

With FUT, the donor strip (show above) is divided under microscopic control into natural groupings of one, two and three hair follicular units.

With FUE, we still utilize the follicular unit approach to hair restoration, but instead of removing a donor strip, we remove one individual follicular unit at a time. The instrumentation we use is so small that the donor area is left with tiny, almost invisible marks.

You can watch a video of a Rahal physician performing FUE here…

A Rahal FUE patient after 2100 follicular units.

Advantages to FUE vs FUT

The main advantage to FUE versus FUT is that it provides flexibility to have a very short hairstyle or even shave the donor area. Follicular Unit Extraction is also a particularly good option for those who do not have enough scalp laxity to undergo traditional strip excision. FUE can even be used to repair linear donor scars (from previous strip procedures) that cannot be excised.

Other advantages to FUE vs FUT include…

• No linear scar
• No need for sutures
• Good choice of procedure for patients with short hair
• Good option for patients with previous scarring or a tight scalp
• Good choice if a limited number of grafts are required
• Quick healing time
• Minimal discomfort after surgery
• Less downtime and able to resume normal activities and exercise quickly

Good luck with your decision.