Patient with gray hair after a hair transplant
February 6th 2025

Can gray hair appear after a hair transplant?

When alopecia has already advanced enough to form hairless areas, hair transplantation is the only viable method to recover hair. This is why more and more men and women are encouraged to take the step and decide to undergo the capillary graft in Madrid. However, it is an intervention that tends to generate certain doubts. One of them is if gray hair can appear after a hair transplant, can it happen?

Hair transplant in Spain is a safe and effective intervention, in which the follicles are extracted from the area that is not affected by baldness and are implanted in the area to be treated. This may raise the following question: if I have hair implanted without gray hair, can gray hair appear after the hair graft in the recipient area?

What are gray hair?

Gray hair is understood as hair that has lost its color naturally and acquires a whitish tone. Specifically, there is a progressive loss of melanin, a pigment that gives color to the hair, this being a common symptom of what is known as hair aging.

Can gray hair appear after a hair implant?

The hair transplant procedure is minimally invasive and simple. It basically consists of the extraction of the follicular units of the donor zone, the one that is not affected by alopecia, and are grafted in the area with baldness. Ultimately, it is the patient's own hair that is used to successfully perform the procedure. FUE hair implant.

This is important to keep in mind to resolve the doubt about whether gray hair can appear after a hair transplant. The answer is yes, Yes, gray hair can appear after a hair transplant in the same way that they would come out if we did not undergo said surgery. The appearance of gray hair is unrelated to the implantation of the follicles in a hair transplant, that is, the progressive loss of melanin will occur in the same way over time even if hair without gray hair is implanted since the hair follicles maintain their life cycle.

The opposite is also the case, since the rumor that the gray hairs do not fall. In case of having gray hair before the hair graft, the grafted hair will grow with that lack of pigment. In this sense, it is important to remember that patients with gray hair should dye before hair transplant, since otherwise it makes it difficult for the medical team to extract and implant the follicles when transparent gray hair is perceived at a microscopic level.

Age

The passage of time is the main factor that causes this loss of hair pigment. It is something that we cannot avoid, in the same way that imperfections appear on the face with age, the hair also suffers from capillary aging.

Genetic factor

Genetics also play an important role in the appearance of gray hair. In the same way that the genetic component largely determines whether we will suffer a androgenic alopecia, it also does in the loss of hair pigment.

Stress

Suffering episodes of stress has consequences for our hair health. In the same way as the stress causes hair loss, can also contribute to the development of premature graying.

disease development

Vitiligo, a vitamin deficiency or hypothyroidism are some of the diseases that can intervene in the loss of melanin in the hair. Even smoking also accelerates the appearance of gray hair, since tobacco alters blood oxygenation, directly affecting hair color. 

Is it possible to perform a hair graft with gray hair?

Although more and more people are deciding on hair implants to put an end to baldness, the intervention is not feasible in all cases. Among the unfavorable situations for a hair transplant, is having gray hair one of them? Is it possible to perform a hair graft with gray hair?

The truth is that gray hair is not an impediment to proceed with the hair implant as long as it is dyed beforehand. Gray hair at the microscopic level is practically imperceptible, considerably hindering the process of extraction and implantation of the follicular units. This is why it is necessary to dye the hair before a hair transplant to successfully perform the surgery.

What is taken into account in a hair diagnosis?

To find out if a patient can undergo a hair implant, it is essential to make a medical diagnosis. It's about a capillary analysis by which the medical team determines if the patient is fit or not suitable for hair grafting, in which a number of factors are taken into account.

Patient's degree of alopecia

Mainly, in the medical diagnosis, the degree of alopecia of the patient is measured. For this, in the case of the alopecia in women is measured by the Ludwig scale, and in men through the scale Hamilton–Norwood. Depending on the degree of alopecia, the patient is or is not suitable for a hair implant.

If the donor zone not enough to cover receiving area affected by baldness, the result is not as expected and hair surgery is not recommended. However, if the degree of alopecia is not very high, in most cases of patients with androgenic alopecia can be subjected to hair grafting.

Scalp condition

Another of the factors that are taken into account in a capillary diagnosis for the capillary implant is the state of the scalp. In case of suffering any scalp disease, it is important to stabilize it before the capillary graft, as occurs in cases of dermatitis o folliculitis.

Patient expectations

The expectations and preferences of the patient are also a factor to take into account to determine the viability of the hair graft.

Preoperative of a hair implant: What to take into account before the intervention

In the same way that gray hair must be dyed before the hair transplant, other aspects must be taken into account during the treatment. preoperative of the capillary implant to guarantee a correct development of the intervention.

Apply the products recommended in the clinic

For the scalp to be in the best condition on the day of the intervention, it is necessary to wash the hair and apply the products recommended by Hospital Capilar. In ours Hair Revolution Box you will find everything you need to do a correct preoperative and postoperative.

Avoid smoking and the consumption of certain beverages

It is important to considerably reduce the consumption of cigarettes, as well as alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea and narcotic substances for about a week before the intervention. Otherwise, it would affect the healing process, which could complicate the development of the surgery.

Take the medication prescribed by the medical team

The days before the intervention, the medical team of Hospital Capilar indicates the taking of certain drugs for the correct development of the hair graft. It is important to take this medication as directed.

Hair graft in Spain

Your doubts resolved in Hospital Capilar

Do you have unresolved questions about the hair implant? Hair grafting in Madrid is an option that is increasingly in demand today due to the results it offers. In Hospital Capilar We will solve all your doubts. Come meet us! Medical diagnosis is free!

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