Is shock loss overestimated ?

[waynakyo]

sorry for another post, but this is quick: I see many people in their 20's having a FUE
with docs like armani and Armani himself does not seem to warn of this thing much on his website. Is this shock loss really a big concern ? Is it possible that with the new techniques the chance of this happening to a noticeable degree is very small ?

 

[metalheaddude]

I think guys like Armani and Feller have the unique ability and/or tools and using great magnification tools to transplant hairs between existing hairs at safe enough distance as to not cause shockloss. I also hear many guys say how they are scarted of it, yet im really yet to come across anyone on these boards that has actually suffered from it severly. Im sure it happens though.


It helps to be on Rogaine and finasteride and most guys that have hair transplant are already (for many years).

 

[Eureka]

I don't think it's overestimated, Some people do experience huge amounts of shock loss, But some also experience very minor cases. Metals right though, finasteride makes a difference with that, as does the skill of your hair surgeon. Your age can factor in, what areas are being transplanted, what type of procedure.

The first Time I saw video of a hair transplant being performed I was surprised all the hair on the dudes head didn't jump right off his head, you know f*** this, dudes sawing away at the back of my head, poking needles in me, castrating me from one area to another, hair must feel so abused, Bad enough it has to fight dht, it also has to deal with us, harvesting it and such pouring chemicals all over it, stuffing it under a hat, never letting it go and mingle with other hair.

So I'm pretty amazed shock loss isn't worse then it is, it looks pretty brutal.

 

[Guest]

I think shockloss is under-estimated, IMO.

I had spoken with a younger patient of a doctor whom I KNOW uses the smallest instruments, high level of magnification, shaves the recipient area, etc.... who was told that shockloss shouldn't be a concern--- (patient on Propecia for 2 years, Rogaine for 18 months) and he lost quite a bit of native hair.
His session was relatively small 2200 grafts or so, and spread over a decent sized portion of the scalp.

It happens to patients from the BEST doctors---they have shockloss in the donor region. they have shockloss in the recipient area, or both---sometimes none at all.

My main point is that a hair transplant patient should plan for the worst when dealing with a hair transplant.

Plan on shockloss, if your having strip plan on having to wear your hair at a 3-4guard, REGARDLESS of the doctor your choose.

Anyway, excellent question and excellent responses so far,
Jason

 

[s.a.f]

Thats why many docs insist on shaving down the recipient area because it minimises the trauma to the hair during surgery. Shockloss is not uncommon its just wether its temporary or permanant loss that matters.

 

[Guest]

Some great responses, especially bspot.

I too get feedback from patients who went to a top Doctor and still had a fair amount of shockloss. It's the very nature of the beast, the fact that it cannot be predicted.

That being said, all of the replies have good advice in doing whatever we can to "minimize it". Also, it was back five years ago and more that shock was more often and severe because the instruments were larger, before the advent of customized blades. So the level overall has subsided as the tooling has become less invasive.

Still, like Bspot explained, it can still occur even with everything on your side.

As s.a.f. stated, many docs like to shave the area down, and this issue came up here a short while ago. I still am convinced that 90% of shock is in how one's scalp responds to the trauma no matter how long the hair is.

One last comment. From my many years of clinical observations, it is still the diffused patient who still has a fair amount of natural exisiting hair that runs the greatest risk of shock. And the more debilitated the hair is, the more likely it will be "permanently" shocked out. :shock:

 

[uncomfortable man]

Thats is what I was afraid of. I thought shockloss was only temporary.

 

[metalheaddude]

Thats why they reccommend that the area they transplant into be completely bald. From my under understanding shockloss is only an issue when they transplant hair amoung native minaturized hair. Correct me if im wrong gillantor.

But techniques have now also improved so top notch hair transplant surgeons like Armani can transplant in these regions between the hairs without risking shockloss anymore, by using high magnification.

 

[dd11856]

I think I suffered from shock loss below the donor area on the left side of my head - so I don't think it is overestimated.

 

[ITNEVERRAINS]

I think if you would estimate the # of hair transplant's performed in the last 5-7 years and compare it to permanent shockloss complaints/cases in the last 5 years from those hair transplant's, the number would be very very low.

On a side note I would say about 98% of hair transplant clients don't belong to any hair loss forum. The ones that do usually either have horror stories or it has becomes a passion. I think the majority of hair transplant patients who needed a procedure and got it probably came out as expected, and go on about their business as usual. Again this is based in the last 5-7 years of U.S. based hair transplant surgeries performed, which is a category I fall into. It has however become my passion.

 

[Guest]

I would agree that the amount or level of shockloss has gone down in recent years and is attributable to the smaller, less invasive instruments being used to create the recipient sites.

Still, I see diffused patients experiencing shock even with the less invasive means. I would not agree that 98% of hair transplant patients are non internet informed. Most of the patients that I hear from, read the forums but do not participate in them. There's far more reading these boards than we know. And it's usually the non-informed patient who ends up with the wrong doctor or clinic and gets taken advantage of.

Lastly, shaving down the recipient area IMHO does not help to reduce shockloss simply because it's the incisions that cause the trauma, not the fact that there is too much existing hair to work between. Advanced diffused hair can be permanently shocked out because it's so weak anyway and on the way out. It's a matter of time.

And it is possible to experience shock in the donor for the same reasons, trauma to the scalp. It does grow back in the donor though.