What To Expect From Shock Loss After A Hair Transplant

Although FUE hair transplantation boasts a high success rate, patients should know that it’s common to lose some of their hair in the first few months after recovery.

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Hair loss post-procedure, called shock loss, is a totally normal and expected part of the hair growth process. Shock loss doesn’t mean that the hair transplant has failed. In fact, shedding hair usually indicates that your hair is on its way to healthy growth. In this guide, we’ve outlined some information about shock loss as well as what you can expect from the growth process after hair transplant surgery.

What is Shock Loss?

Shock loss is a natural occurrence that can follow any type of trauma to the scalp, including surgery. It is completely normal and can be expected after a hair transplant procedure.

While many patients would prefer to avoid this stage of recovery, shock loss is actually a necessary part of the hair growth process.

The hair growth cycle has 3 distinct stages: growth, rest, and shedding. During transplantation, the shock of relocation causes the hair follicles to enter the resting stage. Once they are in this stage, the only opportunity to reenter the growth phase is to shed the hair completely.

Hair loss can also occur in areas of your scalp surrounding the transplanted hair grafts. This happens when those areas become affected by inflammation caused by the newly implanted follicles. While many patients dread the idea of shock loss, it’s important to realize that this phase is only temporary.

How Long Does Shock Loss Last?

Shock loss can begin anywhere from two weeks to eight weeks after your hair transplant procedure. It’s important to understand that the hair loss that occurs will look fairly natural, and the shedding can be covered up by the hair on the rest of your scalp. If you’re worried about what you’ll look like during this stage, we encourage you to talk to one of our hair restoration specialists. We can show you example photos of shock loss and help you better understand what you can expect during this time.

When Does Hair Start Growing After Shock Loss?

After two to six months, your lost hair should begin to grow normally again. This is an exciting stage in the hair growth process since this is when you can expect to really start to see your desired results. We know that it can be disappointing to have to wait for results, but this phase is so important in ensuring your hair grows and remains healthy and active after your hair transplant.

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To learn if you’re a candidate for hair transplantation, reach out to the hair transplant surgeons at Northwestern Hair™. Our team is committed to patient education, and it’s our top priority to ensure you feel totally comfortable and confident moving forward with treatment.

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I've lived in Chicago for 20 years, and have visited a handful of different med spas and have been under the care of a couple of other plastice surgeons in the Chciago Metro area. However, no experience was as wonderful as mine with Dr. Simon at Northwestern. I've lost and gained quite a bit of weight over the last 15 years or so and decided to have chin lipo, and couldn't be happier. I feel and look amazing, and will not go back to another Doctor now. His PA MoniKa is equally as lovely, and caring as Dr. Moradian himself. I would recommend Dr. Moradian, his staff, and his practice to everyone I know!

M.D. Google

Five stars is not enough. I came to Dr. Moradian for an upper bleph - my results were phenomenal. I didn't want to look surprised or crazy; I wanted to look like I got a good night's sleep. And that is exactly what he delivered. He and NSPS also went the extra mile to make sure I was comfortable. Dr. Moradian is truly a talented surgeon and I was lucky to find him.

E.A. Google

I visited Dr Fine and his team after a failed breast reconstruction after being treated for cancer with mastectomy, chemo and radiation. From the first visit, there were noticeable differences between my prior surgeon and him. He and his team are empathetic and make their patients feel at ease and cared for. At each visit, he and his team have spent a lot of time with me. The visits never feel rushed. At my first visit, he looked at my infected reconstructed breast with an exposed implant and calmly explained what was necessary to fix it. He then explained the procedure he thought would be helpful and showed me before and after pictures of patients who had undergone the suggested surgery. The end result was gorgeous, by the way, in all of these pictures---even in post radiation patients. In this visit alone, he spent more time with me than my prior surgeon had spent with me over multiple visits. He answered all my very detailed questions. In my first visit with my prior surgeon, before my mastectomy, my husband and I were left alone in an exam room for about an hour with a saline-filled implant and silicone-filled implant on the counter to look at. The surgeon I went to before spent about 20 minutes with me in that visit and did not go into detail. The choices presented to me were implant reconstruction with saline- or silicone-filled implants or an abdominal flap procedure that takes 2-4 months to recover from. I am very career-oriented and don't have 2 months to take off of work. Dr Fine, on the other hand, gave me the option of a latissimus dorsi flap with a significantly shorter recovery time, lower complication rate, and better aesthetic result. He gives you his honest opinion based on 30 years of experience. He tells you the hard truths: such as that 50% of implant reconstructions fail after radiation therapy. I wish I would have known that before I started on this journey because I would have made very different choices. The icing on the cake was when he took out the infected implant in his office, which makes a woman feel really terrible and ugly and scared, and his very kind PA told me I have beautiful eyes. Wow. What a caring team.

V.H. Google

I visited Dr Fine and his team after a failed breast reconstruction after being treated for cancer with mastectomy, chemo and radiation. From the first visit, there were noticeable differences between my prior surgeon and him. He and his team are empathetic and make their patients feel at ease and cared for. At each visit, he and his team have spent a lot of time with me. The visits never feel rushed. At my first visit, he looked at my infected reconstructed breast with an exposed implant and calmly explained what was necessary to fix it. He then explained the procedure he thought would be helpful and showed me before and after pictures of patients who had undergone the suggested surgery. The end result was gorgeous, by the way, in all of these pictures---even in post radiation patients. In this visit alone, he spent more time with me than my prior surgeon had spent with me over multiple visits. He answered all my very detailed questions. In my first visit with my prior surgeon, before my mastectomy, my husband and I were left alone in an exam room for about an hour with a saline-filled implant and silicone-filled implant on the counter to look at. The surgeon I went to before spent about 20 minutes with me in that visit and did not show me any before or after pictures. The choices presented to me were implant reconstruction with saline- or silicone-filled implants or an abdominal flap procedure that takes 2-4 months to recover from. I am very career-oriented and don't have 2 months to take off of work. Dr Fine, on the other hand, gave me the option of a latissimus doors flap with a significantly shorter recovery time, lower complication rate, and better aesthetic result. He gives you his honest opinion based on 30 years of experience. He tells you the hard truths: such as that 50% of implant reconstructions fail after radiation therapy. I wish I would have known that before I started on this journey because I would have made very different choices. The icing on the cake was when he took out the infected implant in his office, which makes a woman feel really terrible and ugly and scared, and his very kind PA told me I have beautiful eyes. Wow. What a caring team.

V.H. Google

Dr. Moradian performed an incredible job! He’s one of the sweetest and compassionate doctors/surgeons I’ve ever encountered. He made me feel incredibly comfortable and relieved, putting all my anxieties to rest. I underwent a transaxillary breast augmentation, and I’m thrilled with the results. All of my friends and family are blown away by my outcome. I have a new sense of confidence that has changed my life. While I was in my recovery room, Dr. Moradian not only took care of me but also spoke to my family and answered all their questions. He exudes a sense of safety and ensures that you receive the best possible outcomes. He took the time to personally check up on me and kindly encouraged me to reach out to him. Dr. Moradian genuinely cares about your concerns and takes the time to explain everything in detail. I am so fortunate to have found him!

R.M. Google

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