Question: Why do new hair transplants lose hair through shock? Does every transplanted hair follicle recover from shock?
Answer: Several factors contribute to shock loss following a hair transplant. The bottom line is stress to the hair follicle during the transplant procedure. This can be from the follicle not getting enough nutrients, being damaged by excessive handling, or simply from the inflammation related to the surgery. Both the transplanted follicles and the pre-existing native hair in the area of the transplant are subject to shock loss, but it does not necessarily occur in every patient or with every follicle. Most, but not all, follicles recover from shock loss. It is estimated that with proper technique in the hand of an experienced hair transplantation surgeon that follicle survival is ~95%.