Could This Be Shock Loss Behind My FUE in the Hairline?

Dear Dr. Rassman,

First I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for this great website.

I have two questions and i would be very greatful if you can answer them :

1. I had an FUE procedure done on the front area (frontal hair line)with approx. 1200 grafts before three months ago, the strange thing that i am experiancing is some hair loss in the area behind, which is in the mid-scalp area, is this shock loss? shedding period? or the normal genetic hair loss pattern? and how can i tell the difference between them?

2. If your answer to question no.1 is shock loss then can you tell me what is the solution for it? and is there any chance of hair regrowth for those that were lost? (By the way i have used propecia for 12 months before a few years ago but with no success and i experianced terrible testical pain)

Thank you and Best Regards.

If you were not on finasteride when you had your FUE procedure, it would almost be certain that you had shock loss. You should have worked this through with your doctor prior to having the surgery. I always assess the status of the hair behind the transplant recipient site and if it showed significant miniaturization, one could have predicted this outcome. I would need to see you and understand what the loss area shows now.

I would also have considered lower doses of finasteride, which may have allowed you to use the drug without the complication. One quarter of a pill finasteride (0.25mg) can be effective at minimizing hair loss from shock.