Shedding hair shortly after a hair transplant is a completely normal part of the healing process and shouldn’t cause undue stress. It might seem counterintuitive that you’d lose hair after a hair transplant, but there are a couple of explanations.
One reason for shedding is the inevitable trauma the hair follicles experience during extraction and implantation. When follicles are carefully removed from the donor area by our extremely skilled nurses, they’re temporarily cut off from their blood supply. This disruption can trigger a temporary resting phase, pushing the existing hair on the grafts to shed. The good news is that this shedding is temporary. The follicles themselves haven’t been harmed, and they’ll resume normal growth once they’ve established a new blood supply in their new location.
Another reason for shedding is a temporary hair loss condition called telogen effluvium. This can occur after any physical stress on the body, and surgery definitely qualifies. Telogen effluvium might also cause some of the surrounding, non-transplanted hairs in the recipient area to shed. While it can be unsettling to see more hair loss, rest assured that telogen effluvium is temporary as well. The hair follicles haven’t been damaged, and they’ll restart the growth cycle within a few months.
If you’re noticing thinning or less density in your hair, discover your options and see if you’re a good candidate for hair restoration surgery Here.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Anil Sharma, MD
