Can Hair Transplants Fall Out?

One of the most common questions asked of our hair loss experts in New York is whether hair transplants fall out. The answer is that not only can hair transplants fall out, they almost certainly will. In fact, for most patients, the majority of the transplanted hair will fall out within a few weeks of surgery and will remain bare for a few weeks after that. This is a natural occurrence after hair transplantation and nothing at all to worry about. At the hair loss clinic of True & Dorin, we make sure that our patients understand what to expect in the weeks and months following hair transplantation before they proceed with surgery.

Why Do Hair Transplants Fall Out after Surgery?

There is a phenomenon in hair transplantation known as “shock loss.” Because of the trauma of being moved from their original location on the scalp to a new location, the transplanted hairs fall out. At first, it may appear that these hairs are actually growing; however, they are being pushed out. The follicles will remain bare for a few weeks, after which the follicles will produce hair as normally.

After “Shock Loss,” Will the Transplanted Hair Fall Out Again?

The short answer is no.  Because our surgeons harvest follicles from areas of the scalp where the hair is genetically programmed not to fall out, it will not fall out even after being relocated.

The long answer is that the normal cycle of hair loss and regrowth will continue once the hair is transplanted. The human scalp sheds about 50 to 100 hairs a day in a process that has nothing to do with pattern baldness. This hair regenerates and grows for between two and eight years before it once again falls out, and the process occurs all over again. This is healthy and natural.

The bottom line is this: the hair that is transplanted into the balding areas of your scalp is your own natural hair that should continue to grow in its new location for the rest of your life.

What If My Non-Transplanted Hair Continues to Fall Out?

Depending on the stage of balding during which you undergo hair transplantation, it is entirely possible that you will continue to lose hair after surgery. One thing that you will not have to worry about is an unnatural-looking head of hair. Your transplanted hair will remain in place and continue to look completely natural. It will simply appear as though natural thinning is occurring in another area of your scalp. At this point, you will have to decide whether to rebuild density in this area through further hair transplantation. If you decide to, we can transplant hair into this area to restore fullness. As with your previous transplants, this hair should be permanent and continue to grow for a lifetime.

Contact Our Hair Loss Clinic

To learn more about hair loss after hair transplantation, or to schedule your initial consultation at our practice, please contact True & Dorin today.