Will a Hair Transplant ‘Fall Out?’

Modern, high-quality, bespoke hair transplants differ entirely from the outdated ‘hair plugs’ some people envisage. We’re quite often asked whether the transplanted hair will eventually ‘fall out.’ While initial shedding is natural and a stage of post-transplant recovery, the freshly transplanted follicles themselves will not fall out.

Provided you follow the aftercare guidance and work with a talented and fully regulated hair transplant provider, the results should be permanent, 100% natural, and blend seamlessly with your other hair in terms of texture, density, colour, and growth pattern.

An Overview of the Hair Shedding and Regrowth Cycle

Understanding how hair grows and sheds is key since normal shedding typically occurs during recovery. 

However, if hair transplant clients haven’t been advised about what to anticipate, they may assume their transplanted follicles are simply falling out.

Shedding isn’t problematic, nor is there anything to worry about. It is the natural way healthy hair grows, sheds and regrows:

1. In the anagen phase, hair actively grows by an average of 1.25 cm every four weeks, with a maximum growth cycle per follicle of between two and seven years, depending on the length of the hair, age, diet, and genetics.
   
2. The catagen phase lasts about a week and a half, during which time a follicle slows in growth and becomes ready to shed.
   
3. Finally, the telogen stage is where follicles shed. That follicle then becomes dormant for between four weeks and four months before growing new, fresh hair.

Therefore, when a transplanted follicle sheds, it isn’t failing but completing the third stage of natural growth, preparing for a new follicle to grow within the coming weeks—in line with the normal recovery and regrowth cycle associated with a hair transplant.

Dr Matee, KSL Clinic’s Director of Surgical Services, says:

‘During your initial free consultation, we’ll go over all of the advice about the recovery process, ensuring you know what to expect and have planned for sufficient downtime to give your transplant an optimal chance to heal as quickly as possible.

Initial shedding is to be expected and prepares your scalp for new follicles to grow within the next few weeks and months. Most clients see complete regrowth in the target area within nine months to a year—our insightful articles provide further information and images to indicate what this might look like.

Additional therapies and medications can further augment the outcome of your hair transplant, including non-surgical interventions like plasma-rich platelet therapy, which is a fantastic way to improve the health of your scalp and hair.’

Shock Loss Following a Hair Transplant

Studies show that hair transplants completed by experienced, accredited surgical teams have excellent success rates, with 90% to 95% of grafts fully regrowing and an average satisfaction score of 8.3 out of ten [1] given by all hair transplant candidates after three years.

KSL Clinic is delighted to maintain sector-leading hair transplant success rates and results. We welcome prospective clients to review our extensive library of before-and-after case studies to illustrate the outcomes we can achieve.

Another misconception exists around shock loss or telogen effluvium, [2] which lasts temporarily and can contribute to shedding in the first three months after a hair transplant.

Localised shedding, as we’ve seen, is normal, but some clients experience stress on their scalp, which means the follicles head into the telogen growth phase at the same time. The reality is that this lasts only a short period, with regrowth following when the hair gets back to the active growth part of the cycle.

As always, following the aftercare guidance carefully can reduce inflammation to the scalp and maintain healthy hair growth conditions. Precision hair transplant techniques that minimise trauma to each follicle can also help.

However, hormonal reactions to hair transplantation surgery can also contribute to shock loss. While not preventable, this short-term shedding is quickly replaced by fresh, thick growth.