Ravenroost

Some people shed in the second week, some people shed later, and some people don't shed at all. I am 19 days in and I have shed a lot of my transplanted hairs ...but I have new hairs already growing in their place. This is not typically supposed to happen for months, but for me, it is already happening. I believe there really is not a hard and fast rule when it comes to this kind of surgery.

The pain is mostly gone but today I had really strange pain ...but not on the donor wound. It was a few inches higher, near my crown. Intense pain in a localized coin shaped area. When touched, I felt so much pain I felt sick to my stomach. Now, as I am preparing to go to sleep, it seems mostly gone but it was odd. As for hair growth, well I am happy to report I haven't lost all the transplanted hairs yet, and the ones I have lost are already showing some signs of growth in certain areas! Only 18 days out and I have hairs sprouting ( well beyond my orgininal hairline, so I know they are new).

Yeah, and considering the UV amount was already really low ( 0-1) I'm not too concerned here. I actually just got off the phone with my doctor's office, and they said "There is no concern here, you are fine."

I spoke too soon! Shedding a lot of transplanted hairs right now. As I mentioned before, this is right on time with my last transplant. Now I just keep my fingers crossed and hope shockloss in my non-transplanted hairs in minimal. There is sooo much uncertainty involved with this process, but I just have to put faith in the work of my doctor and hope for the best. I've taken care of the transplants the best I can, and all I can do is hope my hair looks great in the end.

And thanks for being interested, Sean. It made me smile

I went back to work today, yeah. Things are going pretty well. Its day 11 and I still have most of my hairs (shedding has been minimal). Last time, I was shedding like you wouldn't believe on day 11. I had some temple work done and I did shed some there yesterday ( I was trying to work the scabs off with vitamin e oil and some hairs came off with the scabs.) I've researched it and shedding after day 7 or 8, with no blood, is perfectly normal and will not result in the loss of a graft. The cells are firmly planted and doing their thing. So yeah, things are going well all and all. There is still some pain in my donor area, however, and its hard to sleep as my staples have yet to be removed. I'll be going in either tomorrow (day 13) or Friday (my next day off, day 15). I seem to be loosing non-transplanted hairs in the region of the recipient area, which I've read is normal. Sometimes shockloss occurs, and it is usually temporary. Nothing major as of yet, however. Today no one noticed a thing. I combed my bangs forward and no one could see the hairline work at all.

In my opinion colouring/bleaching your hair is one of the worst things you can do to it. I would stay away from it completely, if you can. I know the product and some experts tell you it is safe but I won't touch the stuff myself, not with a ten foot poll.

Good luck with your surgery then, and finishing up your last semester. I go back to work Monday but I have enough hair now that I should be able just to comb my existing bangs down over my new grafts and no one will be the wiser. I also grew a beard to distract the overly invasive eyes!

If I can also make a suggestion, I waited until November to get my transplant for a reason this time. In August, avoiding sunlight is a huge stress factor. Where I live, November is all cloud and grayness and gloom. Which means a lot less sun. I do not know where you live, but you probably have less sun to deal with closer to late fall and winter then you would in the summer. Can you get your proceedure scheduled later in the year (like this time next year, perhaps)?

Yeah, I was like damn... this guy is a serious forum member

It is such a bothersome thing to have to go through, hair loss that is. And your situation is one I was in a few years ago, ie the pre-op should I or shouldn't I phase. I do not regret the 1st transplant, as it really improved my look and I no longer felt like I was suffering from hair loss. No one could point at me and say "He's going bald." But the problem is the anxiety surrounding hairloss never completely disappears, even after a hair transplant proceedure. Even assuming this, my 2nd surgery, is an amazing success (which for all indications it should be), there is no %100 assurance that I will not need future work. I use Proscar, and have been since I was 20 (10 years), but Proscar does not universally affect all parts of the head, and some hair thinning has occured (extremely slowly) despite it. So, I may be back in Dr. Wong's office again in 3-4 years, getting another touch up (that's what the 2nd proceedure was, about 1100 grafts in the hairline and the temples). I sincerely wish that I will not have to, but I might be there, regardless of what I want. So in summary would I say I regret the hair transplant? Not on your life. Does it give you %100 satisfaction? No, it doesn't. The war against hairloss continues, and although I am winning it for the time being I do not believe this particular conflict will ever be over.

Yeah, I am feeling the same way. But right now there is the deadly combination of 1) too much time on my hands (week off work for the surgery) 2) a process that is out of my control (growth) This leads to creeping anxiety and over-thinking the issues I remember it was like this during the last proceedure as well. I kind of just wanted someone to come in my thread and be like "Stop worrying, everything is fine." And you just did that so thank you.

Thanks, I've read that particualr discussion. In my case, there was no direct sunlight exposure, if we define direct sunlight exposure as rays on sun beaming directly onto the transplanted area. It was just daylight, meaning it was gray and cloudly and cold, my blinds were up about a foot and a half, and the gray, cloudly, 10:30 daylight was coming through the window. There was obviously no burning, nor could there be under such conditions. As I stated in the opening post, the UV index in this city right now is 0-1, which is the lowest it can be. I'm not overly concerned, I just wanted a little bit of reassuring feedback.

I honsetly believe that the claims of disfunction are given more attention then they deserve. I've been using Propecia/Proscar for 10 years, and I have none of the mentioned side-effects. And to my knowledge there is nothing out there at works like this particular substance. Its the best non-surgery option, in my opinion. And most people who do get hair transplant surgery also use propecia to stave off future hairloss which can pontentially undermine the look of their hair.

A medical experts reply would be especially appreciated.