Hello all, this is my first posting here. I have been reading this forum for a while and I wish I would have known about it some time ago. My question is regarding shock loss. I had donor scar repair back in 2006 which turned out great. I was told by the previous doctor I had he did not recommend this because placing grafts on scar tissue do not take. Fortunately I was told about a doctor in Miami who, after being suggegsted by word of mouth, I had repair the scar tissue for donor scar repair. This procedure turned out great. I had grafts taken from left and right sides of my scalp and placed in donor scar on back of head from previous doctor. I have had before this six other procedures dating back to 1996. Four of them with the late Dr. Chambers, and two other procedures from a doctor in Palm Beach who left me with double scars, and he shall remain nameless. Back then the procedures were much smaller than they are now. Like 300 to 400 grafts per session. This is the reason I was left with the donor scar problems because I had six procedures. Although the donor scar repair I had in 2006 went well, the doctor and I decided to do a minor touch up to fill in any scar tissue areas that were not addressed the first time around. This is where the shock loss issue arose. We had originally decided on just 75 gratfs to fill in the right donor scar tissue area on back side of my head. The doctor was able to get 200 grafts and place them nicely in this area. However he also placed just single hair grafts on the scar tissue on the back left side of my head. This part was always fairly thick and I figured a little extra hair there would not hurt. When I got home from the surgery, I noticed hair was missing around where the doctor took the donor hair from, on the left side of my head, since this area was fairly thick had good donor hair left. I didnt mind this since I know the donor area has to be shaved but what I found strange was that I suddenly had a lot of hair missing in the area of the endpoint of donor scar going to directly behind my left ear, and even where he placed the single hair grafts there was now a wider gap than before the surgery. Basically I now looked worse than before I had this last surgery. At first I did not say anything because I thought this area that was now missing hair was shaved for some reason, therefore explaining the missing hair. I went to see the doctor 3 weeks after surgery and he said it would grow back, although he did not explain to me at the time why I was missing the hair that I had before the surgery, or if this was instant shock loss that happened during surgery, if that is even possible. I waited six months for a post up check. The grafts placed on right side donor scar looks great. However the area that somehow thinned out tremendously after surgery still looks that way. The doctor could not remember why I lost this hair during surgery or as to why it happnened. I had read in this forum that you can get shock loss on hair that is on the way out anyways, but this happened on the hair on the left back of my head where the donor scar he placed single grafts on suddenly widened, the hair behind left ear extending to end point of new donor scar. Isnt this hair on back and sides of head supposed to be permanent? This was supposed to be my last procedure after 11 long years of procedures and now this happned to me. I do feel a tingling sensation in the area that thinned out but I am afraid this hairwill not grow back. I shall leave the doctor nameless for now because he said to wait another 5 months. Anyone here have a similar experience? Any advice will be greatly appreciated because this experience has ruined my self esteem all over again. This doctor is a coalition memeber by the way and it looks like he undid the great work he did the first time around. I hope to hear from someone. Thanks
Joe

glajo,

Welcome to our forum community.

For starters, do you have any photos that might help us visualize your case?

Also, be sure to consult with your physician who can evaluate your case in person.

Shock loss in the donor area should be temporary unless in cases of infection such as necrosis.

Necrosis which can happen when the donor area is overtaxed during a single session by removing too wide of a trip causing the skin to stretch beyond its elasticity. The death of the cells in the affected area could result in a lack of hair regrowth.

"Shocked" hair typically grows back at a similar rate as the transplanted hair, so giving it a full year before evaluation is critical.

Feel free to post some photos to further illustrate your condition and keep us updated on your progress.

Best wishes,

Falc