Wanted: Details on the post-surgical shedding process

Steve

Today was 6 weeks from my FUE surgery and everything seems to be going along as I've read. As expected, almost all of my hairs have fallen out and I'm waiting for that magical 3 month point to watch the follicles return to life. Even though I know this is the expected behavior it's still a little unsettling! They really do start waking up around the three month point right? Right? Very Happy

I have a few questions about this entire process.

(*) During that week after my surgery the transplanted hairs were longer than on the day of surgery. Does it take a few days for them to stop growing or had they already stopped and were simply working their way out of the skin?

(*) I noticed that the shed hairs looked like they were cut at the bottom. Is this a sign that the hairs immediately stop growing when transplanted? I expected them to fizzle out where the hair would gradually get thinner and thinner as the follicle became dormant.

(*) I noticed a lot of shed hairs that seemed to be completely out of the skin yet they were still attached by something. Even though the bottom of the hair appeared cut off it seemed like there was a tiny thread holding it to the skin.

(*) Most of the grafts that still seem to have hairs (not growing though) are around the border of the donor site. Is this due to the having access to a better blood supply?

(*) What allows the newly growing hairs to pop out of the skin? Will many of them become ingrown? If so, if I prick them with a needle to free them will they continue to grow?

Thanks for the info. This stage feels like I just bought a new toy online but have to wait 3 months for it to come back in stock before it ships!

FIT2Btied

1) yes, they continue to grow for a while
2) The bulb is usually still there, it just undergoes an involutional process, and then sheds
3) Probably just residual connective tissue
4) ?? Do you mean "recipient site"?
5)The hairs grow out of a follicualr canal, the entire "organ" is not just the shaft itself, but other structures. Any ingrowns may be teased out with a needle or fine tweezers