Category: Post-Operative

Hello Dr. Rassman. I got a ht done just under 6 months ago and i’ve noticed that the crown has shown little to no growth while the top front half of my head has shown a significant amount of growth. Could it possibly be the crown is the last place that sees the new hair growth?? the difference between the front and crown is very drastic and looks as if no hair was even transplanted in the crown. Im on week 25 so should the new hair in the crown have grown by now or is still too early? also, i still have those little red dots on my crown area but nowhere else on my scalp.

thanks in advance

Little red dots on your recipient area may reflect folliculitis and this can, on occasion, kill the transplants if not treated in a timely manner. You need to discuss this with your surgeon as he/she has a vested interest in your outcome.

I have often seen differences in the rate of growth from front to back or right to left. I would not worry a great deal if this is a rate dependent variable, unless you do not see the results you expect by the 8th month. I would expect some growth in most patients by now, but again, see your surgeon and discuss your concerns.

Hi Dr Rassman
I had a hair transplant done 5 months ago by a board certified doctor with lots of experience. I recieved 1750 grafts (aprox 4300 hairs estimated). After 5 months it looks like maybe 43 new hairs have shown. The only difference between now and before the procedure, is that now I have a donor scar on the back of my head keeping me from shaving it all. I am very discouraged/upset by this.

In your experience, or to your knowledge, do some people not respond to hair transplants (the new hairs don’t ever grow)? If this is not reported as so, then does the length of time before ANY new hair shows ever take longer than 5 months? I realize it generally takes 9 months or so for the hair transplant to be fully realized, but I was told (and read) that by month 5 significant new growth should be visible. Your answers and info is much appreciated.

Thanks

Take a look at this patient and watch his hair grow over time. At 5 months after his single hair transplant procedure, he had some short hair growing… and by the 7th month it was styling length. Some people grow faster or slower (by about 2 months). Ask your doctor in another 2 months to judge if your hair growth met his expectations and match it to yours.

Is there a difference between “internal sutures” and staples? Does one result in a less detectable scar?

Anything going through the skin produces a highway for bacteria to grow. Staples and sutures do just that, so bacteria can invade the body through the holes created by the needles, sutures, or threads, and through the use of stainless steel staples.

The final answers to your question relate to the opinions of doctors. I have waffled both ways in the many years of being a surgeon, and now I prefer staples over absorbable sutures. I don’t like leaving a foreign body like a suture in for very long and the absorbable suture is a foreign body. At least with staples or non-absorbable sutures, they can be removed by the surgeon when healing has occurred and wound strength builds enough to hold the wound edges together. At between 2-4 weeks, collagen production forms a lattice of ‘cable-like’ material that progressively gets laid down so that the wound will hold together. See Wikipedia for a better understanding of the various phases of wound healing. Some excellent videos covering wound healing can be found at Google Video.

I had a transplant done exactly 6 months ago. I was under the impression that between months 5 and 6 post-operation I would start to see the new grafts growing in. I have seen nothing, or very little. Does this mean it won’t grow in or something is wrong? I’m getting a little worried about it.

Why don’t you call your doctor who performed the surgery and ask for a follow up appointment? If I paid for something that didn’t turn out the way I thought it would, I’d contact the seller. Although you could apply that logic to buying a used car, this same principle goes for cosmetic surgery. If you were told one thing and it hasn’t happened, take charge and find out from the doctor!

Generally speaking, it takes on the average 4 months to see some growth, but it can take as long as 12 months. Everybody is different and not all surgeries are the same. You may be a late bloomer!

I had a hair transplant of 2010 grafts almost going on 5 months ago. My hair stylist tells me that the transplanted hair goes through a cycle and will fall out approx 3-4 months after the procedure then grows back in. Is this true? And why does it look really good in some light then in different light? When I go to work, the lights that are on there make me look like I had nothing done! I’ve been feeling very frustrated at this point.

Any hair (even non-transplanted hair) looks thinner under bright light or certain lighting conditions.

In general, transplanted hair falls out within the first month or so and new hairs start growing in 3 to 4 months later. I tell every patient to wait 7-8 months before judging the results. Patience is a virtue! I can’t tell you if your surgery was a success or not. You need to go back to your doctor and ask to see your before photos to compare for yourself. Also, ask your doctor his/her professional opinion on the matter. Whatever you decide to do, you will not know the results until 7-8 months after the transplant was done.