What Is Shock Hair Loss? And Should You Be Worried?

Congratulations! You finally took the big step to change your life for the better. You had a hair transplant procedure. You are now ready to face the world with a newfound confidence that comes from looking your very best.

However, you have noticed some increased hair loss since the procedure, and this is making you very nervous. Try not to worry too much, let’s take a look at what is called Shock Loss.

A hair transplant procedure can be traumatic to your scalp regardless of the skill and practice your surgeon has. This hair loss, in and around your donor site or the transplant area is referred to as Shock Loss. There are two types: Temporary Shock Loss and Permanent Shock Loss.

Temporary Shock Hair Loss

As stated before, this hair loss is the result of trauma to your scalp. There is a less than 5% occurrence of Shock Loss after having this type of surgery.

Here are a few of the instances where Temporary Shock Loss can occur:

Transplanting hair into areas of the scalp that already has thinning hair can traumatize the surrounding hair follicles. This results in those surrounding hairs falling out. This is temporary and is a fairly common occurrence after a transplant procedure.

A portion of the back of the scalp, or occipital region, is removed during Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS). This is done to allow for the dissection of the hairs and the creation of new grafts for transplantation. The occipital scalp area is known as the door zone. After surgery, this wound is closed using staples or sutures. When there is too much tension on this area, some of the surrounding hairs may fall out. It can affect the entire length of the incision or just small portions. This is also temporary and the hair will begin to regrow after the sutures/staples are removed and the wound begins to heal.

Telogen Effluvium is a temporary type of diffuse hair loss. It can occur all at once, across the entire scalp. Factors such as chemicals, stress, hormone imbalances, and poor diet are often the cause. Once the cause has been eliminated, the hair begins to regrow.

A very important takeaway point from this is the following: As the name implies, this hair loss is temporary. 99% of Shock Loss cases are temporary. The hair will begin to regrow after some time. On average, hair regrowth takes place over three months time.

Permanent Shock Hair Loss

A sustained trauma to the hair follicle can often be the cause of Permanent Shock Loss. This damage to the hair follicle does not allow for regrowth. It is most frequently caused by DHT, dihydrotestosterone, the hormone to blame for causing baldness and hair loss. Quite often, these hairs were already being affected by DHT and would have stopped growing and fallen out regardless. These hairs would have been lost over the next few years anyway. Permanent Shock Loss can also be caused by a transection to important hair structures such as the bulb. This can occur to transplantation. Follicular units on the scalp usually contain anywhere from one to four hairs. A high transection rate can mean that only one hair is present instead of the usual four. This would create a lower hair density, and it would make the hair appear less full.

Should I be Worried?

As stated above, 99% of Shock Loss after this surgery is the temporary type. Shock Loss is considered a perfectly normal event after surgery, even if it is not terribly common. It can affect both your transplanted hairs as well as the surrounding hair. Some of your hairs may fall out after surgery, only to regrow over the next several months. It is important to be patient, avoid worrying, and simply wait for the hair to regrow over the next three to four months. The following year after surgery, you will notice that the hairs will begin to look more full as they mature and grow.

If you have further questions about this surgery or the different types of Shock Loss and the causes of this type of hair loss, please contact your surgeon for further information.

Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, Facial Plastic Surgeon, has earned board certification three times. He is certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, and the American Board of Otolaryngology. Dr. Epstein has offices in both Miami and New York City.

Want to know more about Dr. Jeffrey Epstein? Would you like to schedule a consultation to discuss a hair transplant procedure in Miami? Please be sure to check out this website to learn more about the doctor.