Introduction
A hair transplant procedure is a blessing for people suffering from hair loss as it fosters the regrowth of your hair, filling all the bald spots and guaranteeing you a 100% natural look like hair fall never existed.
This process typically involves extracting out follicles from your scalp where a healthy growth is present, which is also known as the donor area and implanting these into the patches responsible for your tension, the ones from where your hair disappeared also known as the recipient area.
Hair Growth After Hair Transplant remains a major issue as what clients don’t understand is that the growth is not a rapid procedure. The first thought people get after getting a hair transplant done is, why am I losing hair instead of growing it? But relax, this is just the part of procedure.
The Hair transplant timeline is a long journey and requires your patience, care and effort. This is not a magical procedure, it takes time but we promise the results will be worth it. The initial phases include shedding of your hair but you get to witness visible differences till the sixth month.
The article explores the journey of Hair Growth After Hair Transplant, how the immediate results seem concerning but how with time your hair shows massive growth patterns.
Understanding the Hair Growth Cycle Post-Transplant
Just as we have read in books about every other thing on this planet going through a cycle and phases, your hair also goes through a growth cycle for growth. Let’s discover more about it.
- Anagen: This is also known as the growth phase, your follicles rapidly push out new hair shafts and you experience new hair growing on your scalp.
- Catagen: During the catagen phase, the hair growth decelerates, and the follicles separate from the new hair and become inactive due to decreased blood supply.
- Telogen phases: This is also known as the resting stage, the hair follicles totally go dormant as there is insufficient nourishment but the formation of new hair follicles is still taking place inside them.
After being transplanted the hair follicles usually get shocked while adjusting to a new phase and usually go under a shock loss, where you experience slight hair shedding during your Hair transplant healing process.
People often overlook these hair shafts as follicles and start to imagine that the follicles are falling out or a wrong placement has occurred. But you don’t need to worry as this is normal and the transplant has not gone wrong. Your newly implanted follicles are present beneath your skin safely and only the hair shafts are falling out.
After this, these follicles that were temporarily inactive, go into the telogen phase which lasts for 2 months . This is why it can take time for new hairs to start growing visibly.
Timeline of Hair Growth After Transplant
So How long to see hair growth after transplant? Let’s study this Hair transplant timeline that will clear all your misconceptions.
- Immediately After the Transplant (Week 1-2): As your Hair transplant healing process starts, you may feel itching due to scabs formation and their shedding. During this period, it is necessary to take the recommended precautions and avoid treating your scalp roughly.
Moreover, one thing that will make you happy is that the hair in your donor area will start growing rapidly. - Month 1-2: New hair may not be visible as follicles are still adjusting. However, the donor would now be covered back with your old and thick hair.
- Month 3-4: This is a critical part of your Hair transplant healing process which requires plenty of patience from your side. Hair shedding (also called “shock loss”) occurs, which is normal and it has nothing to do with your new follicles as we already discussed that follicles are securely lying inside your scalp.
However, by the 4th month, you will start to see little hair growing and this is when you know that the process has begun. You are no more far away from your dream hair! - Month 5-6: During this stage, gradual growth begins. Your New hair will start to show mostly across your temple and top area. At this stage, you might have a funny appearance and you will not like your style because little hair is growing without any proper pattern.
But you just need to keep telling yourself that it will be worth it! - Month 7-12: Congratulations! You have survived the ugly phase! By this time most of the transplanted hair should be visible, with significant improvement in density.
- After 12 Months: Till the 12th month, your hair will be thicker with full results should be visible, with final outcomes seen at the 18-24 month mark.
Factors Influencing Hair Growth After Transplant
To witness a quicker growth during the Hair transplant healing process you need to keep some factors in mind.
- Type of Transplant (FUE vs FUT): New hair growth after FUE takes 3-4 months, and the same is the case for FUT. However, FUT involves suturing your scalp so the healing period may be longer.
- Patient’s Age and Health: Younger patients may experience faster growth due to fresh follicles, however, the cell regenerative capacity in older people is slow which might take time and overall health also impacts healing. If there is any chronic underlying condition, you need to consult your surgeon regarding the results first.
- Quality of Hair Grafts: The health and quality of transplanted follicles influence growth. If the hair grafts are placed accurately at the right angles and their extraction is performed meticulously, you will have a smooth experience.
However, any blunder from the surgeon in the handling of follicles may affect your hair growth. - Hair Type and Density: Individuals with thicker hair may notice quicker results. If you are someone with a wavy hair type, there are high chances of successful results as these hair are already dense.
Post-Operative Care: Your efforts during the Hair transplant healing process play a crucial role as well.Following post-surgery instructions through avoiding stress on the scalp by eliminating heavy exercises that increase blood flow, proper cleaning by gentle exfoliation methods, and taking the prescribed antibiotics and medicines like minoxidil can contribute to New hair growth after FUE.
How to Speed Up the Growth Process After Hair Transplant
The Hair transplant recovery period requires certain lifestyle changes so let’s see what you can do to accelerate the growth process.
- Scalp Care and Hygiene: You need to ensure proper washing is being done, a first wash is usually done in the clinic, and after that, you can regularly wash your your with the techniques recommended by your surgeon.
You also need to avoid scratching the scalp in any case, as the hair follicles need time to settle down and any harsh treatment would result in their disruption.
Using mild washing and exfoliating techniques you can ensure a clean scalp, free of scab debris and reducing the risk of any infections. - Medication and Supplements: The use of minoxidil, which speeds up your hair growth or finasteride that reduces the levels of a hormone known as Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is responsible for hair loss, or getting regular PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) therapies done can aid in hair growth.
- Nutrition and Diet: You need to add foods to your routine that encourage hair growth such as eggs and fish that are full of protein. Supplements including biotin or vitamins, can also contribute to scalp health.
- Avoiding Stress: Stress management can play a faster role in recovery. If you get elevated levels of stress, this can send your hair into the telogen phase, where your follicles go to rest stages, eventually affecting your New hair growth after FUE.
Common Issues and Concerns During the Growth Period
The hair transplant healing process is weird. While you are waiting excitedly for Hair Growth After Hair Transplant, some unexpected things happen that leave you worried but let us tell you that they are totally normal and happen to everyone else! Let’s take a look at them.
- Shock Loss: Shock loss is just a temporary hair loss post-transplant and this happens as a reaction to the hair restoration method. Your newly placed follicles go into a resting phase, and to start the growth of your hair, they require an extra step which is the shedding of your hair during your Hair transplant healing process.
- Uneven Growth: You may also see patches of slower-growing hair, that might affect your appearance. This is due to the hair taken from distinct donor areas and each of them lies in various stages of the hair growth cycle we discussed above.
This gets better as all of your hair together steps into the anagen phase, you just need to stay calm and tell yourself that each of these is a part of the process and you are just a few steps away from your new hair.
- What to Do If Hair Growth is Delayed: The Hair transplant recovery depends on various factors discussed above such as your age, lifestyle, diet and stress levels.
You need to understand that the Hair transplant healing process is very slow and doesn’t bring you instant results. However, even after 6 months, if there is no growth present or you still feel swelling or itching on the transplanted area then you need to consult a surgeon in these cases.
What to Expect at the End of the First Year
Best time to witness Hair Growth After Hair Transplant? Approximately 12 months! Let’s see what more to expect.
Till you reach the 12th month of your post-transplant journey, you will witness all the bald areas getting filled with thick and dense hair, and your hair length will also improve.
This is the Hair transplant timeline you have been waiting to reach for so long and you are finally here! You will feel more happy with your new look as your existing hair and newly transplanted hair will mix and give you a more charming appearance.
However, you need to understand that Hair transplant recovery is a long-term process. Even after 12 months, your hair will continue to grow to express the results of a hair transplant.
You can also start flaunting and styling your new hair because this is the fruit of your long-term patience. Post-hair transplant care should still be active by the 12th month, and you should keep in mind to only use scissors for cutting purposes and no razors at all because you don’t want to interrupt the process of sensitive grafts settling down in your scalp.
When Should You See Full Results?
To witness the real effects of a hair transplant, you need to know that it takes up to 18-24 months for the full effect. This is because, as we discussed above in the hair cycle stages, each hair follicle after being implanted into your scalp needs to start the cycle from the beginning and generate denser and healthier hair.
All you need to do is monitor the progress and remain patient through the recovery process. The best you can do is take pictures of your hair every month. In this way, you will see the major results and be satisfied with even the little progress that has been made.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you don’t need to worry about Hair Growth After Hair Transplant as this process does not see immediate results. Rest assured, you will get the most prominent results, people will praise your looks and you will feel happier than ever. You just need to endure through the Hair transplant timeline to achieve your goal of natural-looking and thick hair that perfectly matches your current hair.
During your Hair transplant healing process, all you need to do is follow the surgeon’s advice and maintain realistic expectations.
During your FUE hair transplant at Harley St Health Care Hair Transplant Clinics, we assure you that you are in good hands as our surgeons have 100% guaranteed results, and to support you and stand right beside you during your Hair transplant recovery we stay connected without you throughout these months. So let’s transform your looks at Harley St Health Care Hair Transplant Clinics!
