POST-OP TIMELINE

DAY 1 This patient had a male pattern baldness. He had an M-shaped receding hairline. He received 3,530 grafts by FUT method which took 7 hrs. of surgery time. Since he resided in Chiang Mai, he was able to come to our clinic daily for a routine, complementary hair wash, and for a monthly post-op follow-up as advised by Dr. Suradej Pong.

WEEK 2 The transplanted hairs had grown out over 1 cm longer as the hair follicles were healthy to keep the hairs growing. 

At this stage, itchiness and few acnes might occur which was normal. However, in the event that excessive acnes of 10 or more by which could damage the hair follicles, your doctor might prescribe antibiotic to help clear them up.

MONTH 1 The transplanted hairs began to shed, leaving the follicles intact and would stay dormant for the next 3-4 months before the new hair stubbles would gradually emerge from the follicles going forward. That said, the transplanted area at this point showed less density than week 2 post-op.

When the surgeon harvested the follicles from the donor area, the strip of hairs was removed from the scalp. The hair follicles were cut off from the energy supplies and nutrients for a period of time during the process before they were transplanted onto the recipient areas to receive the supplies and nutrients again. They had experienced a traumatic shock loss and unable to keep the hairs growing for a long period of time. Consequently the hairs would gradually fall out and the follicles would be entering the dormant stage to recoup for 3-4 months. 

The shock loss is comparable to planting a new tree or moving it from one place to another. The tree will experience some degrees of shock; its leaves may turn yellow or brown and finally fall out after being planted. But once the tree root is established, which takes some time, it will eventually leaf out again.

MONTH 2 His transplanted hairs were still shedding, looking thinner than the prior month. The 1-hair grafts on the frontal hairline looked longer than the rest and still in place. Unlike the 2, 3, or 4-hair grafts, the 1-hair grafts could survive on less supplies and nutrients; therefore, they would not shed nor go into dormant.

MONTH 3 There were new, short and thin, hairs grow out randomly. It might take up to a year or longer before we could see every transplanted hairs grow out. They would look longer, denser in the subsequent months.

MONTH 4 More of the transplanted hairs were growing longer, looking fuller than the previous month. His hairline also looked thicker and denser.

MONTH 5 Each transplanted hair looked thicker, longer. Patient was able to style his hair.

MONTH 6 Though not all of the transplanted hairs had grown out simultaneously, they still looked better than the previous months.

MONTH 7 His transplanted hairs still showed signs of progression and looked more natural as time went by.

MONTH 9 Patient skipped the visit in Month 8 so there is no photo to display.

His transplanted hairs looked much thicker and fuller. Some of which might look a little curly; eventually they would adjust as time went by.

MONTH 10 Patient’s hairs looked thicker, were manageable. 

MONTH 11 His hairs still looked great.

MONTH 12 Seemed like all the transplanted hairs had grown out. They looked healthy and would permanently stay in place. 

Though some of them might be going through natural shedding later in life, they would be regrowing naturally since they were his permanent hairs.

DAY 1 The day of the transplant.

WEEK 2 These tiny  spikes of hair were the transplanted hairs that would soon fall out gradually between 2 weeks to 2 months after the surgery.

MONTH 2 Most of the transplanted hairs had fallen out as the hair follicles remained invisible, dormant beneath the scalp that looked similar to how it looked before the surgery.

MONTH 3 Some new, short and fine hairs gradually grew out.

MONTH 4 More new hairs emerged.

MONTH 5 The new hairs grew out longer and blended well with the existing hair.

MONTH 6 The transplanted area looked denser than the prior month.

MONTH 7 The new hairs looked more natural.

MONTH 8 Just about everywhere on the bald area was covered with the new, growing hairs.

MONTH 9 His hair looked more natural, thicker, and more manageable as time went by.