Hair loss 5 months after hair transplant

[orko]

Hi,
I had a hair transplant (about 5200 grafts) about 5.5 months ago. I was kind of okay with the results in the 4th month, esp. in the frontal area, but starting from the 5th month (early to mid September) I've started losing hair in the transplanted area, roughly 30 to 50 hairs every wash.
I went to the clinic, they did PRP and laser therapy and suggested I change my shampoo, which I did (to no avail). At first I thought this might be seasonal hair loss, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'm 46 years old, I reckon I'm a bit old for DHT related hair loss, and when I had my hair transplant, my hair loss had pretty much stopped (I was Norwood 5). I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience as me. Will the hair I'm losing (the transplanted hair) at the moment grow back later? What can I do to curb the current hair loss short of using Finastrade or other medications. I wouldn't like to go down that road. Given my age, I'd thought that hair transplant would be enough for me. I wasn't expecting any miracles, but I certainly wasn't expecting such hair loss (the transplanted hairs, which are supposed to be immune from shedding since they were taken from the back and sides of my head) in the 5th month.
I'll get some blood tests done this week to see my hormone and vitamin levels.
I'd really appreciate it if you would share your thoughts and experiences.
Thank you!

 

[Bigmac]

It is possible you are shedding or your loss is continuing. Without meds to curb your DHT you could be fighting a losing battle. Do you have some pictures from your surgery?

 

[scottishwilley]

It sounds frustrating to experience hair loss after your transplant. Shedding some hair around the 5-month mark can be normal, but it’s important to consult a dermatologist or hair specialist to assess your situation.

 

[georgewilliamson]

Experiencing hair loss five months after a hair transplant can be concerning, but it’s often part of the normal post-transplant recovery process. Around this time, patients may notice continued shedding or thinning, which can feel alarming. However, this stage is usually linked to the phenomenon known as shock loss, where transplanted and nearby hairs fall out as the follicles enter a temporary resting phase.

By the five-month mark, some patients begin to see early signs of regrowth, though the hair might be thin and uneven. This is typically the beginning of the recovery period where new hair starts growing from the transplanted follicles. It’s important to remember that hair grows in cycles, and the final results of a hair transplant often take 12 to 18 months to fully manifest.

If hair loss continues excessively beyond five months or if no new growth is visible, it’s essential to consult your surgeon. They can assess whether additional factors, such as poor follicle survival or improper post-operative care, may be affecting your results. Patience is crucial during this period, as hair restoration is a gradual process that varies from person to person.

 

[orko]

Experiencing hair loss five months after a hair transplant can be concerning, but it’s often part of the normal post-transplant recovery process. Around this time, patients may notice continued shedding or thinning, which can feel alarming. However, this stage is usually linked to the phenomenon known as shock loss, where transplanted and nearby hairs fall out as the follicles enter a temporary resting phase.

By the five-month mark, some patients begin to see early signs of regrowth, though the hair might be thin and uneven. This is typically the beginning of the recovery period where new hair starts growing from the transplanted follicles. It’s important to remember that hair grows in cycles, and the final results of a hair transplant often take 12 to 18 months to fully manifest.

If hair loss continues excessively beyond five months or if no new growth is visible, it’s essential to consult your surgeon. They can assess whether additional factors, such as poor follicle survival or improper post-operative care, may be affecting your results. Patience is crucial during this period, as hair restoration is a gradual process that varies from person to person.

Thank you for your reply, but AFAIK, shock loss occurs during the first 2 months following a hair transplant operation, which I've personally experienced.
I was seeing good enough improvement in the frontal area during the 4th month, but since the middle of September (around the beginning of the 5th month) I started losing 40 to 60 hairs a day (as I've been washing my hair everyday), which makes me wonder if this is seasonal hair loss (though, living in Turkey, weather hasn't changed that dramatically) or DHT related hair loss (which puzzles me as I'm 46 years old).
I went to see a dermatologist yesterday, which was a complete waste of time and money. She prescribed minoxidil and told me what I already know.
Having changed my shampoo (switching from the clinic's product to Bioxcin that I'd been using for over 10 years prior to operation) helped a bit, though I can't be too certain.
What I'm wondering at this point is this: will the hairs I lost for the past 2 weeks or so grow back? Those hairs are the transplanted ones, taken from the sides and back of my head, which are supposed to be immune to balding (or so I'm told). I may be a slow grower, as I don't seem to have made much headway compared to the other guys around my age who are more or less at the same stage as I am.
It has to be said that the clinic I used was on the cheap side. There wasn't a surgeon (or indeed anybody holding a MD certificate) present in the operation. It was done by 'technicians' who mechanically pulled out the grafts and inserted them in. They seemed to know their business judging by the pictures of the people who used that clinic and posted their results on a monthly basis on a website very similar to this one.
I've never used any medication, save for the shampoo and ozone oil provided by the clinic. I don't like to idea of being on meds for the rest of my life and then losing hair once I've stopped them. I've been told that the shampoo I'm using at the moment (Bioxcin forte) contains a little bit of minoxidil, I'm wondering if the improvement I've seen could be because of this.
I'm open to your suggestions as far as anti hair loss shampoos, providing I can find them here in Turkey.
Thanks!

 

[Im new here]

Do you have any photos you could show for us to help?

 

[orko]

I had my operation on 19 April. The first photo is from before the operation, the rest were taken on a monthly, or bi weekly, basis. It's been more than 5.5 months. I don't think I've had great improvement. As you can see in the last two photos there's precious little growth since around the time I started experiencing hair loss (in the transplanted area) in mid September.

 

[Im new here]

What clinic did you have this done with?

5.5 months is pretty early. Some people don’t start to see any hair regrowing until this point. There is still 7 months left and you will have more hair come through.

you were basically a NW6/7 that’s a lot to try and fill in one go. Your donor looks thick so you have the option for another transplant if this doesn’t work out but you have a long time yet for this to get better

When you run your hands over your head can you feel any stubble? That would be hair growing in

 

[orko]

What clinic did you have this done with?

5.5 months is pretty early. Some people don’t start to see any hair regrowing until this point. There is still 7 months left and you will have more hair come through.

you were basically a NW6/7 that’s a lot to try and fill in one go. Your donor looks thick so you have the option for another transplant if this doesn’t work out but you have a long time yet for this to get better

When you run your hands over your head can you feel any stubble? That would be hair growing in

It's a budget clinic in Turkey (The Hair Clinicc, Ahmet Tosun). I found them through a Turkish forum website similar to this one, and the guys who had their hair transplants done by this clinic and posted their pictures seemed to have got good bang for their buck.
I was well aware that I couldn't get my entire head filled with hair in one go, but I was kind of expecting better results on the mid to frontal areas (especially on the interior parts of the sides, if that makes sense?), which they inserted almost 3/4 of the 5200 grafts.
They didn't work much on the crown area. I do have a good number of stubbly, bristle-like hairs on the crown. Is that a bad thing? Will they ever grow?

 

[Bigmac]

5 months is very early to judge. You’ll need to be patient and wait it out. If the stubbles on your crown aren’t growing they may be stalled hairs. If you have someone that knows about your surgery you could ask them to gently pull one with tweezers. If it is a stalled hair it will slide right out.

 

[Im new here]

Do they feel wispy stubble or pretty harsh coarse ones that feel thick?

 

[orko]

Do they feel wispy stubble or pretty harsh coarse ones that feel thick?

I wouldn't say 'pretty harsh coarse' stubble, but definitely not wispy. Here is a picture. I don't if you could make anything out, but if you zoom in closer you might be able to see one or two such stubble. They are about the same size as they were one month post-op.

If I could go back to my original question. I'm still shedding 50 hairs a day, mostly from the recipient area. This is not shock loss. I'd like to believe this is part of the hair growth cycle, and I'll get those hairs back, or else I'll have had a bad hair transplant and the worst is yet to come. I'd really, really appreciate your thoughts and input.
According to my blood test results, I seem to have low levels of B12 (202) and iron. I'll start getting supplements. I have no intention of using finasteride or similar products. Other than that I don't know what else I can do.