what’s the deal with the HT hairs that dont shed but instead remain in the recipient area like stubble a few weeks after an HT? If you pull these hairs with tweezers they literally ‘slide’ right out. I pulled a bunch from my temple area because I was told (by some of the large and trusted posters here)it was ok to do this but there doesnt seem to be as much growth in this area. Did I act on bad advice? I’m like 7 months post-op and this left temple just has not yielded as good as the right. Any advice is appreciated…thanks
Who told you to do that? I think it is some poor advice. I would leave the grafts alone until they are fully healed (several months). However, it is quite unlikey that pulling the hairs out had any effect on the follicles. The hairs slid out easily because there was nothing holding them (they were not attached to the follicle). Don’t worry too much about it. They should grow back.
» Who told you to do that? I think it is some poor advice. I would leave the
» grafts alone until they are fully healed (several months). However, it is
» quite unlikey that pulling the hairs out had any effect on the follicles.
» The hairs slid out easily because there was nothing holding them (they
» were not attached to the follicle). Don’t worry too much about it. They
» should grow back.
Ya i wouldnt worry about it, i think they will definitley grow back.
An excellent question and a very common FAQ.
These hairs you are talking about are supposed to be mechannically pulled. What I mean is this. After a transplant, typically the transplanted hairs shed within 2 to 3 weeks. This process is normal. What some folks don’t realize is that washing everyday and brushing the scalp after two weeks helps remove these hairs that need to be shedded. In fact, if you don’t help these hairs along by brushing and/or shampooing and scrubbing the scalp, they will sit there.
What does that mean? Well if there are hairs that need to be shed and they are not shedding they will actually block the new hairs coming in. If it goes on for a long period of time, the dead hair sheaths that need to be shed will cause inflammation and redness.
Case in point: This one patient had gotten a transplant one time. He neglected to adhere to his post op instructions. In fact for a month he did not even wash his scalp. Well of course what you had was an angry irritated red looking scalp. It took me two hours under magnification with a forcept to remove every hair that needed to be shedded. The very next day his scalp improved 100%.
The general rule is AFTER 14 days but more like 3 weeks post op if you tug slightly on the hairs… and it slides out easily it is supposed to come out. If it give resistance then it isn’t ready to shed.
I just read Johnny E and JT’s comments… Usually just plain washing and scrubbing of the scalp after the appropriate time post op helps these hairs along without needing to pull them out with tweezers. I don’t recommend pulling them out manually unless you have a bunch after a month that are being stubborn.
Hairtech:
for me, the hairs were being stubborn (not coming out in the shower after a shampoo)
Ok… well if you want and you are at the appropriate time, go ahead and slightly tug on them with the tweezer. If it gives easily then you are good. Any resistence, leave it alone. Don’t pluck.
Wait you did do this already. Tell me how it went? Did you pluck or rip any hairs out or did they slide out.
Yes, i did do this already. After a month or some hairs were not shedding. I was told to tweeze out the ones which did not gove resistance. I did this and they just slid right out. The thing is, its now about 5 months later and parts of my left temple have not grown in as thick as the left. I’m just wondering if theres a connection here…
EEEEEEEEEKKK! Let’s hope not. Probably not. I forgot to mention that AFTER a transplant the grafts will initially grow, giving you that “stubble” and then they shed. SOMETIMES they don’t shed out completely.
How many do you think you “tweezed” out?
I tweezed out like 30-40 stubly hairs. They just slide right out- no blood, no resistance, no white-looking folicle or anything. I was told it was ok if there was no blood or resistance.
Then it should be fine. Any further growth issues are probably not that.
» I tweezed out like 30-40 stubly hairs. They just slide right out- no blood,
» no resistance, no white-looking folicle or anything. I was told it was ok
» if there was no blood or resistance.
Quite normal to need the tweezers. These are typically called retained hair fragments. When plucked, quite often they will have a shape with almost a hook sort of like a ‘J’ (without the top part). Some of these just won’t fall out no matter how vigorous you scrub.
The ones in balding area can usually be dealt with, but I had to get my wife to pluck the ones out of strip scars. No resistance at all and I could usually identify them with my fingers (especially thicker beard hair). They slid out like they were in warm butter.
It is funny that you say it leaves a J at the end of the hairs. I noticed this characteristic also of hairs that are supposed to be shed. One doctor says that the J hook at the end might be where a technician pushed too hard on the graft and the bulb sort of curled back the other way. I thought that he was on to something until I asked him have you ever pulled a shedding hair out that was straight? He said um no. So that is probably not the case. He even said it might lead to poor growth.
But as usual we will never know based on the amount of research that goes on in this industry… which is nill.
» But as usual we will never know based on the amount of research that goes
» on in this industry… which is nill.
The unfortunate reality of surgery (as opposed to pharmaceuticals) is that research is often almost impossible since the subject of the research must be a patient. In fact you have to acknowledge that more often than not the for-runners of a procedure must have “failed experiments” necessarily. You cannot always predict the successful procedure so trial and ERROR must have prevailed. When speaking of woods arvind Umar Harris or anyone else the openess regarding the failures is informative. You can’t usually work on animal models for HT (as opposed to cardiac research for instance) so all HT innovators must have some skeletons in the cupboard. The best that can be done is to manage the research responsibly and I have some clear opinions of who has and who has not done this.
Good points marco… I agree. Who has done good with this in your opinion?
My opinion is that even simple experiments, documentation, and sharing of knowledge has not happened anywhere in this field. And this type of behavior is not accepted any any part of medicine… especially the sharing of findings. The ISHRS is going on right now but I can garantee that key folks in this industry do not share findings… what goes on mainly… because i have attended several is this: case presentation of the best cases. serial talks of what they know but not divulging any technology.
I witnessed one doctor in his opening statement to the entire ISHRS Commitee and attendees to be that of: “I hold patents on several instruments and I intend to come after those who violate these patents of my instruments”
I know I sound negative… I guess I have hit a low point in confidence of this industry.
So what we have to do now is demand for research, demand for those docs to listen and more so than anything else… to empower the prospective patient with knowledge… so that they find the truth. That leaves me as the skeptic. I hate being the skeptic. :no: :crying: The skeptic gets flack.
» Good points marco… I agree. Who has done good with this in your
» opinion?
»
» My opinion is that even simple experiments, documentation, and sharing of
» knowledge has not happened anywhere in this field. And this type of
» behavior is not accepted any any part of medicine… especially the
» sharing of findings.
One surgeon stand head and shoulders above the rest, and that is Dr. Arvind for documentation and openess and sharing of knowledge.
Ofcause the bernsteins etc etc etc have published a lot but that is mostly political.
I do believe that there are folks that have gotten relly good at FUE though… and have embraced the 0.75mm punch and have shown good results lately. More than one clinic I might add.
yea I had some J shaped ones too. Also, mine slid out just like butter. So this is ok and the real hair will grow?
I would bet with all confidence Michael that they are fine.