curiousgirl

It's taken about 2 weeks for me. I'm only a little after 2 weeks after FUT & I couldn't sleep on my head until the sutures were out, & it was still tender a couple of days. I tried setting up my pillows like a hospital, so my body was on an incline, that way your head isn't suddenly jetting forward (which strains your neck), & your back is better supported. I finally got creative at the end & thought about propping up my arms with pillows as well, & that felt better. Sleep was very tough for me the 1st couple of weeks (add the Houston flood on top of that during the 2nd week)..... So I've finally been able to sleep this week!

Thanks! It's looking better than it did last week. I'm now 2 weeks post op, the redness is gone, & the scabs are finally starting to fall off. It just worries me when little transplanted hairs come down with them, but I watched some videos & I've heard this is normal? My regular hair has been shedding quite a bit too... & also a few sometimes come out when the donor scar scabs come off because I have long hair & they're hard to get to :-/ My biggest worry for the week is the head sensation. The top of my head felt very strange yesterday... Almost like there was a bump & some other weird sensation, & it was hurting. It felt better today, though. My nurse friend said I should expect to feel sensation there for a while, although he's not familiar with this procedure, of course. So I'm wondering how long this head sensation is gonna last? There's still some numbness too above the donor scar. I watched some 2 week post op videos over the weekend & it sounds like this is common. The good news is I can lay my head on a regular pillow & ive been catching up on sleep... Still worn out from last week's flood ordeal, along with healing from this.

Well... Beard hair isn't an option for me I'll definitely have an FUE next time. Luckily, I have a lot of hair. I was also told past transplanted hair (this was early 80s when I was little) is too thick, but they can be taken out & cut into smaller follicles. I'll know more in a year. Oh, & the anticipation of it?!?! Yah, that was terrible for me. I had off & on anxiety the week of, so I took some medication to calm my nerves... & I didn't sleep much the night before. But I always do get nervous for these kinds of things (I've had several reconstructive surgeries in other areas from 2 bad accidents). And having it done the week before Harvey flooding affected Houston wasn't fun either.... The needles weren't too bad... About what you'd expect from the dentist, except there're a bunch of them, & it sucks when they get to a part that's not totally numb & they have to inject you there to numb it again. I'm 2 weeks post op & my head is still kinda numb on top (above suture line), but i can tell there's some feeling coming back.... Which feels really weird & I can't wait until my head feels normal again!

Rashid36 - Yes, there's definitely some restriction, depending on your scalp elasticity. Some say they hardly felt any sensation after a couple of days, & others say they had discomfort for a couple of weeks. Mine was pretty tight, so I had the most discomfort the couple of days right after the surgery & a couple of days after the sutures were taken out (just 3 days ago). I'll be 2 weeks post op tomorrow & there's still some numbness on the top of my head & tightness around the suture line, but... it's getting better. I had to squat slowly the 1st week, slowly bend a little last week, & now I'm able to bend down a little quicker without feeling extra pressure. Everyone's different, you just have to listen to your body & not push it. As for sports, maybe someone else can chime in because I'm not athletic. I just practice yoga & I'm avoiding downward dog & any other positions putting my head below my heart for another week or 2.

Thanks Gillenator, prayers are very much appreciated! We were VERY lucky. Thankfully I had the surgery done the week before the worst part. It would've been terrible if i had to have dealt with evacuating the house & moving around a lot the day or 2 post op.... Eek!!! At this point, I'm a little worried about the impact of stress on a HT. But the tech guy that pulled out my sutures yesterday said they look good & rooted. The only issue he saw was scabs in the donor area... Cuz I wasn't able to take a good shower for a couple of days & this week has been crazy since. My head was feeling VERY funny today since he took them out, so I took more pain medicine & it helped. My best friend is a nurse & said the skin is shifting & not to worry.... It was slightly uncomfortable, I can't really describe it, but it's better than it was this morning. Once I can get past this sensation & back in my own home, & able to finally sleep longer in my own bed, I'll be a lot more relaxed!

Wow... I have plugs from an old surgery to fix an accident I had when I was a toddler, but that HT surgery was done back in the early 80s & that plugged look was the only technology they had back then! They told my parents I'd have to have it filled in years later when the technology got better, but we waited many many years before we even considered it. I'm also shocked someone still uses this technic. I finally just had an FUT this month & they worked around those old grafts, so another doctor can do that for you if they choose to. But my old grafts are too thick... so they may remove them, split them up, & then redistribute them, depending on how this FUT result looks like next year, & also so they blend in with the rest of my normal hair. So there are definitely options. From what I've read over time, it sounds like these top doctors are VERY prepared in dealing with outdated designs. Good luck to you.

I had scar tissue removed from my right shoulder a few years ago in 2 procedures. The first time was ok & mildly right for weeks. The second time though was VERY tight for many months because it was the same area. And on a smaller area like our head, I can imagine it takes longer for that skin to stretch out. But amazingly, it eventually does! Mattj, are these exercises effective for post surgery as well below the scar line?

Unfortunately, I have a large area on top (same area most men typically thin out) that was affected from an old traumatic accident. They can get more grafts from FUT, & it still didn't cover all of it because I was missing that much & they had to create a hairline. I've worn hairpieces most of my life, but luckily I still have enough hair & it's kinda thick. I'll definitely have another transplant, but it'll be an FUE. I highly doubt my skin on my head could stretch again, & even if it could, I wouldn't wanna go thru FUT again. That's what my Dr & I discussed at my consultation last month anyway. Also to add to the original question, the head discomfort & tension is worse in the morning & gets better later in the day... & after pain meds . Most surgeries in my experience requiring any stretching of the skin take about a couple of weeks to heal, so I was prepared for that.

I'm only 10 days post op & here are my biggest fusses. I had mild anxiety the week before about the pressure to my head. The head pressure was there, but it wasn't as bad as the neck & shoulder pain I had for a few days! I wasn't expecting that, but it finally faded... Sorta, now I just have tension from dealing with being in Houston during this epic flood :-/ Lack of sleep has been a big problem for me because I roll around a lot when I sleep, but it's been SO difficult finding a comfortable position to stay in & staying asleep because I'm a light sleeper. I keep waking up early, even when I'm still tired! Also, laying my head on the sutures wasn't fun, so i kept sleeping with the neck pillow longer than 3 days. I just had sutures taken out today, so I'm really hoping this gets better.... The waiting game will definitely be tough... Like watching grass grow or a turtle race, lol. I've seen some growth already & I know it'll continue, so I'm looking forward to around December. Once I go back to work next week, it'll be easier & I won't be thinking about it so much. And I know that in a few months & into next year, I'll look back on these inconveniences when I start seeing hair in places that I've never had (read my story if you want). So all this pain, discomfort, & annoyances will be worth it eventually... That's what I'm gonna have to remind myself of every time it starts bothering me. I know it'll get easier getting further away from the surgery date too... I've been thru cosmetic procedures before on other body parts.

Thanks for your knowledge, Bill. I figured some of it was precautionary because men tend to be more active than women & I would imagine they would be more restless. I'm not too active anyway because I'm not athletic, so I'll keep the activity to a minimum anyway except some light yoga & walking. I finally had the sutures taken out today (only got delayed a couple of days), so from what I've read on here before, that'll help out a lot with the pressure I'm still having a little. It's not the sunlight I was worried about. We hadn't had sun in about a week here until today, & I wore a cap on top of a light scarf today (the cap is a little loose without something underneath). I was just worried about rainwater seeping thru my beanie hat or scarf to the donor area. I eventually had to put a shower cap on, it was raining so hard. I'm leaving tomorrow though & going back to my home, so it'll be drier & cleaner... So hopefully no worries about another storm coming to my area! I did ask about activity at the follow up today & the tech guy said just no heavy lifting, but I can bend forward & down. I've just been extra cautious about that because I've had other surgeries before where I had to be gentle with those kinds of movements for weeks while the scar areas stretched safely. My skin is generally very tight, which I've been told is common with women. I'm amazed that some guys can have more than one FUT. I definitely don't think that'll be possible with me, so I plan to have an FUE next (pending how this one grows). I learned more about it after my FUT last week, & it definitely sounds less painful!

I'm 10 days post op & I'm still having a VERY difficult time staying asleep for too long. I normally tend to move around a lot when I sleep & usually shift from side to side. I'm also trying not to lie down on the sides due to some new transplanted hairs around my ears. I really hadn't been able to sleep well the past week.... & throw in Houston flooding on top of that, but that's in a new thread I just posted *sigh*.

Hey y'all, I'm in an unusual situation... So before I even share my experience of my recent hair transplant on here, I'm concerned about some unexpected issues I've been faced with this week. I'm staying with family in Houston (fine timing, right?!?!?) & had an FUT earlier last week with Dr Arocha. I realized by Monday I wouldn't be able to get my sutures taken out this week because of the flooding here in Houston. Unfortunately, 2 nights ago we had to evacuate the house due to quickly rising flood waters. Luckily, we barely got spared water in their house by inches... a pure miracle, & we're in a safe, dry, & clean place with food until things are settled down & I head back to my own home. It was really an ideal place, all things considered! So here're my concerns... The night before we evacuated, I did light yoga stretching (no poses putting my head below my heart) for the 1st time in a couple of weeks. But when we had to evacuate, I had to help my parents move things around to prepare for the worst a little more than I intended. I also had to go in & out of the house in the pouring rain to take things to the car. There was a little pressure & tightness in my head from squating down (I tried to avoid bending, but did a few times)... & just when the pain had finally subsided from last week's procedure. I figured the sensation may have been from the movement. It was fine the next day, but any worry there with all that moving around? The next issue is ever since earlier this week because of all the rain, I've had to keep my head covered a lot more than last week, when I hardly went outside at all. I'm in another location around strangers where i need to keep it covered this week until I get to my home this weekend. I'm alternating scarves & even beanie hats (it's actually been very cool here because of the excess rain). Should I worry about having to cover my head so often only a week post-op? My parents' house is now safe to stay in, aside from no power, but it's very musty & messy, & there could be hidden mold for all we know. So should I avoid staying there so as not to expose my head to any extra rain/storm related elements in & around the house? Logic tells me yes because I've already been exposed to so many varying elements. On a good note, the transplanted area is looking better. The hairs are slowly growing & they already feel like a buzzcut. The forehead area is little itchy still (which I mentioned in another thread), esp from taking the hats & scarves off & on. What a mess...... Anyway, any ideas & suggestions are appreciated. Hopefully I'm just overthinking some of this, but it is causing me a little worry, now that I can actually sit & think about it.

Gillenator - Thanks! I'm Day 5 post op & I'm feeling better. My mom told me the same thing about it healing, but it was driving me nuts that day. I put some moisturizer on the forehead & face yesterday & that seemed to help. It's still a little itchy, but not as bad today. I've had itchy scar sites before. I'm glad it's not the incision scar. I forgot about aloe vera cream, thanks for mentioning it.

Gillenator - thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I have a couple of baseball caps. I really don't stay out in sunlight that much (I have a natural tan), but it is hot in Texas. I just got some new headbands that're made out of polyester microfiber, & you can double layer them like a beanie if you want. I won't be able to wear regular beanie hats for months cuz it'll be too hot I saw a video of one guy that said he had his done in November & just wore a beanie for a while.

I have a quick question about sun exposure. Are scarves/headbands good enough, or are hats better? Of course, I won't have to worry about sun exposure for another week here in Houston due to the rain we're supposed to get :eek: Fine rainy week to have a hair transplant......

SADbutTRUE, thanks! The healing process is going pretty well so far... & it's been nice not to have to wear my hairpiece all week

I just had an FUT earlier this week, but this discussion sounds familiar already. I had some shoulder surgery a few years ago for a large scar revision (actually had 2 procedures). It felt tight for months because even though skin does stretch, it just takes time. There will be some sensation after a while, so as long as it's not painful & it's been a considerable amount of time after the procedure, it's just the body's way of telling you it's stretching. But yah, it feels very weird & can kinda freak you out. I was worried about the head tightness for this week's procedure, but thankfully it's not as bad as I was anticipating. And I just now noticed this was an older question... But maybe this will be helpful for someone else.

I just had an FUT earlier this week. From what I've read on here & heard on videos, there sounds like there's more down time after an FUT, both for healing & working out. I assume it has to do with the incision scar so as not to put pressure on it. I had some plastic surgery on my face a few years ago & had to wait for weeks just to do yoga because i had to be very careful with the pressure to my face. I also had to avoid bending over for a couple of weeks just like an FUT. You just have to take it easy with any incision. I can technically go back to working out lightly after a week (which will be in a few days), but I'm gonna take it easy for even longer... Which means no downward dog positions for me for at least a few weeks. My experience was just easing into certain movements over time. Your body is a pretty good gauge of that. I'm starting to feel restless though... I can't wait to get back in my yoga routine again.

I'm day 3 post op from an FUT on Monday, & I also had the hairs placed in the frontal area. I now I have nonstop itching on my forehead right below the new hairs, bottom of my scalp way below the strip, & around my ears. It's also kind of on the top of my head where it's still kind of numb & tingly. At least the strip itself & transplanted areas aren't that itchy (yet). I would take Benadryl if it weren't for the pain meds I still need for my stiff neck. I'll try moisturizer... The itching is getting old fast :confused:

Thanks! I had an FUT with Dr. Arocha & his staff in Houston. They did 2000 grafts & it went well. My head's a little sore today, for obvious reasons... & my jaw too, which I wasn't expecting. I'm gonna get my blog setup this week.

Dr Lindsey, thanks for your response. I had my procedure today & talked to my doctor. He said definitely not to wear anything for a week or so, but that I can wear the hairpiece when needed next month. I did enough reading & am going to trade it off with scarves & loose headbands, just to be on the safe side. It makes sense to let the head breathe. I found these headbands, which seem like a good choice because they're thin, cover from the sun, & wide enough to cover the area... & have fun designs too. And they have good reviews on Amazon for many uses! https://alphadefensegear.com/shop/5-for-15-face-shields-dom22/#product-zoom

I'll just have to keep my stress levels down & have some good sleep for this week... & try not to think about it too much. I have time off this week though, so it's all I think about, unfortunately. That's good to know about tightness & numbness. I'm worried about the sleeping part because I like to sleep on my side & it's hard to sleep upright. And oh yah, the sutures!!! I've had them on other body parts (i.e., leg & stomach) & yes, they're a huge relief to have taken off. I forgot another important question, which I addressed in another thread. I also wear a hairpiece & do plan on wearing it regularly after 2 weeks. I read some threads that advise not to, & I'll take it off as much as possible, but this isn't an option for me to just do away with mine. Grrrrr, I wish I had known this ahead of time..... If anyone has some thoughts or advice on that, I'd appreciate it.

I'm so glad I stumbled on this thread because I have to worry about wearing a hairpiece after my procedure. I've had to wear a hairpiece ever since I was a little girl because of an accident when I was a toddler. First I wore bonnets that my mom & grandma made for me, but after I got out of that cutesy phase, I grew into hairpieces. I've gotten a new one every year or so, & it's only for the top of the head, not an entire system. I've always clipped mine on with a few bobby pins cuz I never liked adhesive. I already have a session scheduled for next week & was planning on wearing one after the first week or 10 days. I assumed I would take it off as much as possible & do it anyway cuz they're annoying & get itchy. I rarely sleep with it on & certainly won't after a HT. But there's NO way I can just shave my head & go to work without people wondering.... Unless I were going for the Sinead O'Connor look, which wouldn't work well on me at all I guess I'll call or send an email to my Drs office & see what they think. Not wearing my hairpiece just isn't an option. Plus I live in Texas & won't be able to wear beanie hats until maybe December, but I won't be able to wear them at work half the time anyway :-/. I guess I should've scheduled it earlier in the summer if I had known this little detail ahead of time....... Ugh, advice please, or I don't need to worry about it? :confused:

Hi y'all, I have a bit of a long story that I'll try & sum up... I'm a female that has hairloss from an old accident back when I was a toddler. I've had to cover my head with a hairpiece all of my life, although most people can't tell it's fake unless I tell them because I have a lot of regular hair that grows. I've had several other plastic surgery procedures (too many to describe in here). I'm finally about to have a hair transplant (FUT) in a week. I'm excited & nervous about it at the same time... more nervous if anything because of how long the procedure is. I researched it back in 2004, but I wasn't in a financial position then cuz I was still in grad school. I stumbled onto this website last month, found a Doctor, got a consultation, & I decided to just go ahead & get it done. I have looked over many threads in the past few weeks to refamiliarize myself with the procedures, & have watched many videos. Wow, there're SO many more informative videos available than there were over a decade ago! It helped my understanding of it even more & made me feel hopeful. So I'm rereading the pre & post op instructions & a few questions come to mind. 1) If you had any anxiety beforehand, how did you deal with it? Did it get better as you got closer to the date? How did you stay relaxed during that time? 2) What about supplements? I have a list from the Dr's office, but any particular ones that are big no-nos, along with some that are ok? There were only 2 on the list that I was taking that I quit taking a couple of weeks ago. One thread said Vitamin C is good to take... just curious about any others, like B vitamins (I saw that mentioned somewhere for ones NOT to take). 3) How did your head feel afterward? Did it feel tight, heavy, any headache, or just weird? I'm a little nervous about how it feels & haven't really seen too much of that discussed.... which I guess is a good thing. Anything else you feel like adding is appreciated.... even if it's just to tell me I have nothing to worry about. I tend to overthink these things. Thanks!