Mon 5 May 2008
How Long After Hair Transplant Surgery Until I See Hair Growth?
Category: FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) , FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) , Hair Transplant Surgery , Post Operative ConcernsI had a 2617 follicular unit graft hair transplant surgery for my hair loss in in mid November, 2007 (a little over three months ago), and am curious about the average time frame that others have noticed results?
The first 5 months (the beginning phases) of surgery are often depressing and can leave you full of doubt as to whether or not the hair replacement procedure was a success. This is often due to the misinterpretation of when a [surgeon says that hair growth will start in 3 months. Though the transplanted hair may very well start growing, very few patients notice any visible change in the appearance of their hair at this early stage. But be patient; the result will come with time. In order to help give you an understanding of what to expect, I’ve described a little bit about the hair restoration hair regrowth process below.
Keep in mind that every patient is different and hair will start to grow at different times. This is also sometimes why hair transplant patients will see some nice growth on one side of their head and not the other. This often leaves the balding patient concerned. Rest assured however, this is perfectly normal.
Hair growth from surgery is a gradual process that only starts between 3 to 5 months. Hair will typically start to grow as thin, colorless, and wispy and continue to mature up to 18 months. At around 9 months, most of the hair has at least started to grow and is well on its way to maturity. But hair thickening and darkening will continue for some time and will have a significant impact on the overall cosmetic result.
The word “result” therefore becomes very subjective. If you are talking about seeing a cosmetic difference in your hair density and coverage, most hair transplant patients see some nice growth around 6-8 months. The final mature hair replacement result won’t come until 12-18 months after surgery.
Bill
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog
Technorati Tags: follicular unit graft, hair transplant, hair loss, hair replacement, hair growth, transplanted hair, hair restoration, hair regrowth, hair transplant patient, balding, hair thickening, hair density
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September 16th, 2009 at 12:44 am
is it possible to undergo hair transplant after having a hair piece on head(hair bonding)for a period of one year
September 17th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Rahul,
Yes, and this is actually done all the time. However, know that hair transplant surgery usually can’t accomplish the same kind of coverage and density that a hairpiece can since donor hair is limited. Thus, it’s important for you to work with a quality physician to discuss what can realistically be accomplished for you and whether or not you’ll be satisfied with the outcome. Know also, it sometimes takes a couple of procedures to meet your goals.
Best wishes,
Bill
June 12th, 2010 at 2:00 am
Hi,
It’s been 6 months after a HT and the recepient area has white bumps where the folicles originate. Will these go away? Is there any way to smooth out these bumps so as they no longer will look like chicken skin?
-Ted
June 13th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Ted,
It really depends on what the “bumps” are. I’d recommend consulting with your hair restoration physician to evaluate what they are. If they’re something as simple as dry skin, it’s surely temporary. If it’s cobblestoning, they are permanent.
Best wishes,
Bill Seemiller
Managing Publisher of this Community
November 26th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Its been 6 months since my third HT. The HTs are growing in nicely and I thinks this is my last procedure. However, the donor scar on the one end didn’t heal very well and I was left with a bald spot. Is it possible to do a scar revision on one section of the scar without doing the rest? Also, do you have any suggestion as to why this my of happen? After three procedure the rest of the scar is very thin and I never had problem before. Thank you for taking my question and I look forward to you’re response.
November 29th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
John,
Yes, it is possible to revise an isolated section of a hair transplant scar. As to why it didn’t heal as well this time, it could be due to anything from increased wound tension (from having a number of procedures), a different type of closure used by the surgeon, some type of activity you performed during this healing period that you previously didn’t, etc. I hope this helps! Also, feel free to review our recommended hair restoration physicians for your potential scar restoration procedure: http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-loss-doctors.asp
Blake (Future_HT_Doc)
Editorial Assistant
December 17th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Bill,
I had my HT completed 8-9 months ago and have very nice growth on my Left front, and no growth on my Right front. I have red patches on my right side from where the pimples were. I have been using neosporin and an antifungal shampoo per my doctors orders.
My question is will my hair on the Right side eventually come in ie almost 9 months later with no growth?
Thank you,
Jon
December 20th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Jon,
Although it takes up to a year for a hair transplant to fully mature, you should see fairly substantial results on the right side by now. You definitely could still see growth on that side, but I think there is also a possibility that you’ve seen continued hair loss on the right side of the scalp (men usually bald asymmetrically, with the right side thinning faster)and it’s making it appear like the right side isn’t growing.
Granted, there are definitely a variety of possibilities – late growth, issues with implanting on the right side, progressive hair loss, etc. At this point, I suggest several things: First, if you are not already, investigate preventive medications (like minoxidil/Rogaine and finasteride/Propecia) that will help stabilize any progressive loss. Second, wait a few months for the ’1 year mark’ and if you still aren’t satisfied with the result, make an appointment with the operating surgeon and discuss what he/she thinks caused the decreased growth (if it doesn’t thicken up in the next few months), and figure out how you’d like to progress from there.
If you’re interested in consulting with another surgeon (at that point) please review our list of recommended hair restoration surgeons:
http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-loss-doctors.asp
Good luck!
Blake (Future_HT_Doc)
Editorial Assistant
June 27th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
I am a 45 yr old woman and I had HTS 7 months ago due to frontal thinning of hair. I continue to have very thick back hair.I stress it was due to thinning of frontal hair. I had not gone bald. Now after 7 months, I see all the hair that I had before (which had fallen off due to shocking) back but not any more it appears. It has not thickened which is the reason for the surgery in the first place.I still see my scalp unless I mat the hair cleverly. I am truly saddened that it is not thick and luscious as I had wanted.
My question, will the frontal hair continue to thicken after 7 months or does it just continue to grow in length? It was 1800 grafts surgery.
June 28th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
AVD,
At 7 months post-operative, you’re only at an estimated 50% maturation and will still see growth and additional thickening up until the 12 month mark. Personally, I would wait a full year before officially assessing your result.
However, it does sound like you are seeing additional thinning while waiting for the result to mature, and if this is the case, I highly recommend researching and potentially utilizing minoxidil (Rogaine) for women:
https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/product/49/Rogaine-for-Women-1-Month-Supply/
This product should really help maintain and thicken your current hair while waiting for the transplanted hair to mature. Make sure to check with a personal physician before utilizing this product.
I hope this helps.
Blake (Future_HT_Doc)
Editorial Assistant
June 29th, 2011 at 5:41 am
AVD,
On average, you should expect to see about 70% of your transplanted hairs growing at 7 months post-op. While most of your transplanted hairs should have sprouted by now, you should continue to see some new hairs growing in as well as continued thickening of your hair transplant as the newly growing hairs become darker and increase in diameter.
However, I suggest discussing your concerns with your hair restoration surgeon. An ethical doctor will be willing to stand behind their work in the event that the final results fall short of expectations.
David (TakingThePlunge)
January 15th, 2012 at 5:25 pm
Hi,
I am 25 years old. I use to have very thick hair but now it’s all thinned out. I have male pattern baldness. Current stage is norwood 3a with thin hair at the crown. 2 months a go i had a hair transplant done in India and Ive lost all the hair that was implanted and looks like it’s all gone wrong. Now ive done all my research and know this is a part of the process but spending so much money……it does make you wonder!
Anyway for the first 3 weeks i was using special shampoo given by the doctor. He then told me to use baby shampoo thereafter. Since a few days ago I was using small amounts of baby shampoo each night to wash my hair. Now i read that it has SLS and stopped immediately. Have I damaged my new hair already?
I have an oily scalp and wanted to know what’s the best shampoo for me to use and how often should I wash my hair. I apply minoxidil twice a day (morning and evening). Should this be done on a clean shampooed scalp to increase effectiveness or what?
Your help would be much appreciated.
Thank
Arjun
January 17th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Arjun,
I’m always surprised by how many hair transplant recipients are unaware of post-procedure shedding. As you have already learned, this is a natural part of the process and it’s normal for hair to appear thinner before new hair growth begins.
Using baby shampoo three weeks after your procedure is perfectly safe. In fact, at three weeks post-op you can use any shampoo you like without fear of damaging your grafts. However, we always advise patients to follow their hair restoration physician’s aftercare advice. Thus, I recommend talking to your doctor before changing shampoos.
There is much misinformation circulating around the Internet regarding sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). But, Coalition physician Dr. Bill Rassman has stated that these warnings are overblown in his opinion and it is nothing to be concerned about due to the very low levers of the chemical in hygiene products like shampoo.
Best of luck1
David