Rubbed My Head with a Towel Ten Days after Hair Transplant: Did I Damage My Grafts?

Question: I lost my hair due to traction alopecia and I had my first hair transplant surgery last year. This past August I had my second hair transplant and I went back after 10 days to remove my sutures and grafts but this time my doctor didn't do it as last year. This time his nurse removed my sutures. She started rubbing the towel on my grafts and removed them but when I went home I saw tiny little red dots (not bleeding. Now I am worried that I lost my grafts. Another question is that, after the surgery, my hair from the first procedure is thinning very badly. Does it come back or not? Thank you. Answer: Don’t worry. Ten days after hair restoration surgery the follicular unit grafts are firmly anchored in the scalp and can withstand some light rubbing with a towel. The red areas you saw may have been where scabs were rubbed off if you are certain that you were not bleeding. However, it is a bit unusual for a clinic to attempt to rub off the remaining hair follicles. They are normally left to fall out naturally. The increased hair loss you are seeing is most probably shock loss. It is quite common when grafts are transplanted in and around existing hair follicles. The shock loss will eventually regrow but it will take approximately three to four months, when your newly transplanted grafts also begin to regrow hair. David (TakingThePlunge) Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator