Q: How do you know if you have lost any grafts after a hair transplant and how long after the hair transplant can you still lose them? — T.R. Easton, Pennsylvania

A: Each day following the hair restoration, the transplanted grafts become more fixed in the scalp and the hairs in the grafts become more dissociated (loose). At nine days post-op, the grafts are fixed firmly in the scalp – it has essentially become part of the scalp in the new area and can’t be dislodged.

The hair, however, has totally separated from the follicle by this time, so that it can easily be pulled out without dislodging the remainder of the follicle that contains the growth center. When this hair is pulled out (or is naturally shed) one often sees a tiny bulb at the end. This is the root sheath of the hair and not the growth center. This is normal and is not a lost graft.

If a graft is lost, an event that may occur within the first 3-4 days following surgery, it is almost invariably associated with a small amount of bleeding.

Visit the page for Instructions After FUT Hair Transplant Surgery