Transplanted Hair Growth

June 7, 2006

Many guys have asked the question (normally after 2 months post procedure) when will my hair start to come through?
Hair grows at different rates for different men but as a general rule of thumb, most (95%) of the transplanted hair is visible and growing.
Waiting 12 months for hair can be a laborious and sometimes frustrating period so it?s good to know what actually is happening on top.

A hair transplant removes hair from a donor area (normally a strip or small sections) at the back of your head.
This hair is generally thicker and stronger than the hair on the top of your head so once transplanted can give a great deal more density to thin hair and can be artistically positioned to recreate a lost hairline.

The reason for the long wait is that hair grows in stages. On top of this, you have to remember that the surgeon is transplanting the hair root.

The transplant

The surgeon inserts the hair root (with some hair attached) into the skin covering the scalp.
There are different methods to do this ? Choi, Micros surgery.

After a few days

The hairs which are attached to the transplanted root normally fall out leaving the root intact.
Some men are very lucky and hold onto many of the hairs however, in a majority of cases, the hairs fall out.

After a week

Shock loss! This does not happen for all men (it did happen to me 3 times) but it can be disheartening and frustrating.
As the surgeon transplants the root, the surrounding hairs sometime fall out ? shock out through the trauma.
These hairs are not lost for ever however can take a couple of months to return.
There is a possibility (as in my case) that you have the transplant and end up after a week with less hair than you started with.
Remember ? these hairs all grow back.

After a month

Hair grows in stages and the fist stage is baby hair or Vellus hair.
This hair is incredibly fine, transparent and ?fur? like to the touch.
In comparison, it is like the hair on your nose - you know it?s there but it is almost invisible. This hair grows no longer than a couple of millimetres.

After a couple of months

The baby hair has shed and is replaced by thicker, stronger hair.
This is the mid-term stage and normally happens between 2 to 4 months after the procedure.
This is still fine hair and very soft. It grows only around a centimetre and is normally blond or a much lighter shade than your natural hair colour.
Because it is thicker than vellus hair, it causes a shadow effect on your scalp.
In comparison, it is like the fine hairs on your arm. You can just about see them but provide no density.

After 4-6 months

The mid term hair has all but shed and it?s on to the final stage of hair growth ? the Terminus stage
This hair is the same as the donor hair (at the back of your head) and consequently looks and grows at the same rate.
To start with, it can feel like bristle and then once it grows (around 1/2 inch a month) it is thicker than the surrounding hair.

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