BluePony

modmanTX, I had my first HT just 7 days ago so it is still fresh on my mind. (no pun intended) I have to admit I definitely felt the first few injections into the back of my head. But it was no worse than going to the dentist. Actually the sting of the needle wasn't as bad as the feeling of the area being puffed up as it was being injected. Honestly after the first two shots, the next few were painless as the back of my head became numb. I have an incision from ear to ear and never even felt the Dr. removing the donor area. By the time I asked if he was done, he had already stitched it up. The same is true for the top of the head. After the first or second injection, you really cannot feel the rest. During the procedure it felt like I was wearing a football helmet. The Dr. was cutting and inserting grafts but I couldn't feel it. My procedure lasted 8 hours so there were times when they had to inject me again to keep me numb. But those were pretty much painless as well. I agree with the advice of others. I stopped taking my vitamins and supplements 2 weeks before my surgery. The only thing I did take was vitamin C as directed by the doctor. I also didn't consume alcohol within 1 week of the surgery. The morning of the procedure I ate a light breakfast and but with no coffee or other caffeine. I was definitely nervous sitting in the chair while the staff prepared to get started. But after the first few pokes of the needle I relaxed and settled in. I think you just had a panic attack which caused you to loose control. I too am a private pilot and I can tell you taking my checkride was way more stressful than getting my HT. I think you just need to have a mental talk with yourself and realize that you've made it through stressful situations in the past and you can make it throught this one as well. Dealing with two minutes of injections is worth it for a lifetime of new hair. Hope that helps. BluePony

Here's a quick before and 4 day post-op photo. I'm going to create an album and post photos of my progress.

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I wasn't clear in my original post. I am certainly not trying to scrub the top of my head! I am following the very detailed instructions from my doctor and using a bowl of cool water and lightly pouring it over the top of my head without touching the grafts. My problem is dried blood in the back donor area. I have been trying to wash it out but cannot seem to loosen it up without scrubbing which is painful. As for sleeping I was told I only needed to sleep upright for the first 3 days. I have no swelling when I sleep, just the pain of placing the donor area on my pillow. Guess my head is just more sensitive than I thought it should be at this point. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

I'm on my 5th day after having 3,400 grafts. The worst part seems to be the donor strip area which extends from ear to ear. There are 2-3 specific points along the incision which constantly ache. I expected to have some pain when sleeping (which I do!), but not a 24/7 headache. Is this typical and does it last much longer? Also any advice on getting the dried blood out of my hair? I wash the back of my head twice a day baby shampoo but there are dried clumps of blood which are still there and painful when I try to scrub them.

I'm on my 5th day after having 3,400 grafts. The worst part seems to be the donor strip area which extends from ear to ear. There are 2-3 specific points along the incision which constantly ache. I expected to have some pain when sleeping (which I do!), but not a 24/7 headache. Is this typical and does it last much longer? Also any advice on getting the dried blood out of my hair? I wash the back of my head twice a day baby shampoo but there are dried clumps of blood which are still there and painful when I try to scrub them.