Shock Loss: Why Your New Hair Falls Out After Surgery
It is the scariest part of the hair transplant journey, but completely normal. Learn what shock loss is, when it happens, and when your hair will finally grow back.
The Panic of Month One
Imagine this: You have just gone through a successful hair transplant. Your scabs have healed, the hairline looks great, and you are excited for the future. Then, around week three or four, the newly transplanted hair starts falling out rapidly. Panic sets in. Did the surgery fail? Did you wash it wrong? The answer is no; you are experiencing Shock Loss.
What is Shock Loss (Telogen Effluvium)?
Shock loss is a completely normal physiological response to the trauma of surgery. When the hair follicles are extracted from the donor area, kept in a solution, and implanted into incisions in the recipient area, they experience a temporary disruption in their blood supply. This trauma forces the follicles to prematurely enter the "Telogen" (resting) phase of the hair growth cycle. The hair shaft detaches and falls out, but the crucial part—the hair root (follicle) underneath the scalp—remains perfectly intact and healthy.
Native Hair Shock Loss
In some cases, especially when transplanting into areas with existing thinning hair (like a DHI density packing), the trauma of neighboring incisions can cause your original, native hair to shed temporarily as well. This is also temporary and will recover alongside the transplanted grafts.
The Timeline of Regrowth
Shock loss typically starts between weeks 2 and 4 post-operation and can last until the end of the second month. The "Ugly Duckling" phase is tough mentally. However, by month 3 or 4, the roots will generate new, permanent hair shafts. Initially, they may be fine and thin, much like baby hair, but they will thicken and mature consistently up until the 12th to 18th month.