Hair Transplant Failure

If you ask any of the surgeons working in the top clinics around the world, their definition of a failed hair transplant would be any operation where the patient is not satisfied with the results. 

However, we at Medihair classify any hair transplant as a failure if a significant portion of the transplanted hair and follicles don’t promote any new hair growth. In a more literal sense, it means that the transplanted hairs have just not established themselves in the new area and, thus, are not able to make any impact on the patient’s natural hair growth. 

However, patients must realize that the only way to determine the success of the procedure is to wait at least two months for the final results to appear. Deciding that your transplant was a failure after just a few weeks can be premature, as true results take time to set in. 

There can only be two main causes for a failed hair transplant:

• The operation wasn’t performed correctly in the first place.
• The patient didn’t follow the surgeon’s instructions on post-op care or had unrealistic expectations. 

The section below dives into both of these reasons in detail. 

Technical Issues

1) Poor Surgical Technique

Letting an inexperienced or unqualified surgeon handle your hair transplant can lead to devastating effects on your scalp and hair. Non-accredited surgeons often have poor surgical technique and lack the knowledge to precisely identify the number of grafts you need. Leaving you with a scarred scalp and even less hair than you had before. 

Here are some of the complications that can occur during the surgery itself owing to the incompetence of your surgeon:

• Overharvesting
• Poor hairline design.
• Unnecessary scarring.

2) Inadequate Post-operative Care

A surgeon’s expertise extends beyond the actual surgery as well. They must know and offer expert post-op care to ensure that the newly transplanted follicles are protected and given time to nurture new hair. 

An unqualified surgeon will never be able to provide proper post-op care to their patients, which could stunt the recovery of the follicles and even cause infection in the scalp.

Patient Factors

1) Unrealistic Expectations

There are times when the patient contributes more to their failed hair transplant than the surgeon. Most of the time, this stems from the patient’s own unrealistic expectations of what the results should look like. 

They announce their own transplant as a failure because they did not end up with the luscious locks they had expected coming into the operation. Other times they’re not patient enough to wait a couple of months until the real results start appearing. 

2) Health Conditions Affecting Healing

On the other hand, sometimes patients are legitimately in the right about their transplant failing. But what they fail to realize is it was their own pre-existing health conditions that didn’t allow their scalp to fully heal and recover. 

Conditions like diabetes, heart disease, chronic infections, and blood disorders can influence a person’s blood flow and immune response, causing the healing period to be abnormally long. 

Just like there are different causes for a failed hair transplant, there can be various types of hair transplant failures as well. The section below dives into detail about the two major types of hair transplant failures we’ve witnessed here at Medihair. 

Immediate Failures

1) Infections and Complications

There are some cases in which it is immediately apparent that a hair transplant has failed. For example, when infections start developing in the scalp immediately after or during the procedure. 

The most common are bacterial infections which develop if the surgical area is not kept clean before and during the procedure. Fungal infections can also occur if the scalp is exposed to fungal spores. 

2) Graft Rejection

Of course, there are also cases when the patient’s scalp rejects the grafts being applied entirely. The most dominant cause for this is the body’s immune system not recognizing the transplanted hair follicles and launching an immune response against them. 

Long-Term Failures

1) Poor Hair Growth

Not all hair transplants fail immediately. Sometimes it takes months to determine if a hair transplant is producing the right results and restoring the right amount of hair. However, the longest time you should wait is 3 months. 

If your hair growth appears stunted and poor at the end of this period, you can officially deem your transplant a failure. 

2) Unnatural Hairline Appearance

In some cases, your hair growth may not be stunted, but your hairline after the procedure can look unnatural, artificial even. 

A hairline that appears to be too low, high, or straight can also be a sign that your transplant has failed because, after all, the goal of the procedure is to leave you with a natural and aesthetically pleasing look. 

The good news is that many of the issues that cause hair transplant failure can easily be rectified if you follow the tips given below. 

1) Choosing the Right Surgeon

Every individual planning a hair transplant must first dedicate his time to researching and identifying the most qualified surgeons for the procedure. 

That means researching every prospect’s experience level and credentials. We’d advise only opting for a surgeon who has been accredited by either the IAHRS or ISHRS. 

Next up, you need to research the clinic your surgeon works in. Extract and read through patient reviews and check out before and after pictures before you make your final decision. 

2) Pre-Operative Preparations

You can’t just rely on your surgeon when it comes to the success of your operation. You have some duties to fulfill as a patient as well. 

Firstly, you need to get frequent assessments of your health prior to the procedure to ensure there aren’t any underlying conditions that could affect the recovery period. Also, make sure you follow all the guidelines your chosen surgeon provides before surgery day. 

However, what is most important is to set realistic expectations for yourself so that you can identify what a successful hair transplant looks like. Discussing things with your surgeon should help with that.  

So your hair transplant didn’t end up as you expected. That is not the end of the world. You can still rectify your results by opting for alternative forms of treatment or by figuring out the root cause of the failure. Here are the steps you should take from this point going forward.

1) Immediate Steps

The first thing on your list should be discussing your results with your surgeon. If the surgeon was qualified and experienced, to begin with, there is a chance he could fix everything and get your hair growth back on track. Ask them to identify the exact cause of failure and how you should move forward in the future. 

2) Corrective Measures

Rely on your surgeon then to come up with possible revision surgeries that could rectify their earlier mistakes or do a better job of lowering the immune response your body has against the transplanted follicles. 

They may even suggest opting for alternative treatments like hair loss medications to promote hair growth in a less invasive manner. Just make sure you ask about all the possible side effects involved and make a calm, calculated decision regarding your hair’s future.